Oscar winner and Hollywood icon
Jamie Lee Curtis is our Advocate of the Year
. In addition to speaking with Curtis,
The Advocate
also caught up with her 26-year-old daughter, Ruby Guest. Ruby came out as
transgender
in 2020.
The Advocate:
When did you first realize that you were transgender?
Ruby Guest:
I realized around the age of 16 when a high school friend of mine asked me what my gender was. It made me think, and it made me realize that I might be. But at the time, I had other factors that kept me from transitioning.
When did you decide that it was time to share with your family, friends, and coworkers?
My wife actually convinced me. We were dating at the time, and she basically convinced me to tell my parents that I was trans. So, one weekend, I went to their house, and I didn’t actually tell them because the opportunity didn’t present itself. I messaged them afterwards and told them that I really wanted to tell them that I’m trans, so that’s how it came out.
What was their reaction?
Probably the funniest reaction, as [my mother,
Jamie Lee Curtis
] was trying to process everything, was that she wanted to know how much thought I’d put into this. And then her response was, “Well you know, men can wear dresses too.” So that was funny.
So, has the decision to come forward made your life better?
Well, I definitely feel more at home in my own skin, which is something I don’t think most people really understand. But since I started going on estrogen, hormone blockers, everything’s felt better, so from that point of view, I’m happier.
What would you say to a young person who is still hiding their true self?
It all depends. Different people have different situations. Some, by hiding themselves, might be safe. But if you don’t think you’re going to get kicked out of your house or if you don’t think you’re going to be in mortal danger…then come out, because you’ll feel much more relieved, even if it’s just to your friends. Or tell someone you trust. Then you can start out on your path, which includes letting everyone know what your preferred pronouns are.
