Queer Eye (2018) s02e05 Episode Script
Sky's the Limit
1 This is his top surgery.
When we say top surgery, -we mean to get rid of breasts? -Yes.
I was born and identified as a woman.
But since I was in preschool, I've known that that just wasn't me.
I remember when I was 12, standing in a mirror and contorting my body in ways to be more masculine.
Thinking, "I'm gonna get a surgery that makes me look like this.
" We've finished your surgery.
Wanna take a look quickly? Aw He just looked down for the first time.
Okay? Wow.
We all struggle with the realization we were different than everyone else.
I can only imagine how hard it was to realize you weren't born with the right body.
He was able to come to that realization and take the steps to become who he is.
He's an inspiration.
Thank you.
I can't wait to meet him.
All things just keep getting better I never had the chance to be me I think I really want to be free I never had the chance to be me 'Cause all my life, I never could see You're the only one That makes me happy That video was so eye-opening to me -and so special.
-Powerful.
So many gay men, lesbian, bisexual people, we don't know truly what the trans experience is.
We support them but we don't know everything they go through.
I think that, probably, most straight people assume that, because it's LGBTQ, we must all understand each other's plight.
That couldn't be more wrong.
-I've never met a trans person.
-In this car alone, our five stories are so different.
I'm interested to meet a trans person to understand their story.
All right, so I got some more info on Skyler.
As we know Skyler is a transgendered man who was raised as a female.
Spent most of his life feeling one way, having the world see him as something else.
I came to college, I started doing drag, gave myself that safe space to explore my gender.
Over a couple of years, I figured out I didn't wanna be a man on-stage in drag, I wanted to be seen as a man all the time.
-And I eventually had to commit.
-Yeah.
For the last eight years, Skyler has used most of his money and energy preparing for top surgery.
He got it six weeks ago.
It definitely drove a big wedge in my family.
They came to a point where they thought that I needed to be put away, that I was insane for thinking that I could ever be a man.
And that was really hard to have my mom and my dad say those type of hurtful things to me.
I had to cut ties with them, and that was a decision I had to make.
It was very difficult but it was the right decision for me.
Skyler is excited to start the next chapter of his life but he needs help.
I think from this experience, Skyler needs confidence in his new identity and to have somebody say: "We're gonna make you the best you you can be, and you do belong.
" That could change everything.
Up until very recently, my sole focus was top surgery.
Now that I have that burden lifted off of me, I actually can think about the ways that spending time with these guys could benefit me.
It's really exciting.
Skyler has always worn clothes that do not fit his body to hide his curves he wasn't comfortable with.
But he also loves to stand out in the crowd.
Skyler is a ginger, and his hair and beard define him.
-I want us to unpack that a bit.
-Yeah.
My beard has taken two to three years to fully grow in.
Being a transgender man, no one taught me how to shave.
I didn't have a dad or an older brother that was gonna show me how to do it and not hurt myself.
Skyler has an open-door policy and loves having people over.
He takes in a lot of people who have been displaced.
His friends in the LGBTQ community helped him fundraise over 8 grand for his top surgery.
That's what we do.
He wants to say thank you to all his friends for helping him out.
He wants to throw a big event this weekend.
-What a champion.
-Guys, our mission this week, it's to help Skyler become the man he was born to be.
-Yeah.
-Sounds great.
I'm down for that.
-Open up.
-We're here.
Hello, Skyler.
-Hi.
-Hey.
-Skyler.
-I'm Bobby.
What's going on, man? -Hi.
-Hey, Skyler.
-I'm Tan, nice to meet you.
-Nice to meet you.
I'm Skyler.
-Hi, how you doing, buddy? -I'm good, how are you? -I love that shirt.
-Thanks.
It's a little lace.
Skyler's house screams queer, queer, queer, queer, queer.
It reminds me of somebody in their early 20s, and everything is about being part of the queer community.
-Why the condoms on your table? -It's a good centerpiece.
This cat life is everything that I need.
- Why so many couches? - A lot of people come over.
Got it.
They look the worst.
What's underneath here? Oh! That's the cat pee couch.
Skyler, Skyler, man.
No, seriously? A cat pee couch? -Really? -I know.
- It's a full cat pee couch? - I know.
I'm kitty.
Once they start, they only pee on it.
This is the most disgusting thing ever.
- You came with your own gloves? - This is actually a Magnum condom.
Bobber's out of control.
Naughty kitty.
Oh! I was too big.
Tell me about his, uh, style.
That's one thing that he is really, like, on top of.
He's a very fashionable man.
- They come to me for advice.
- I don't wanna be judgmental, but on a personal note, his outfit is wack.
Skyler is 30, and he's dressed like a skater boy from, like, 1995.
That's a lot of hats.
Hats are great on the head but not the wall.
-How would you store them? -I'm gonna figure that out.
Oh, my.
- Shiny.
- There is love on these sheets.
This bed looks like it came out of a dorm.
I need a high bed to store my second persona underneath it.
- Do you wear these shoes? - A bit.
- I like those.
- The kooky ones -The other ones are-- -Those are work shoes.
I work at, um, the University of Georgia, I'm in Events Management.
- Can I ask a question? - Yes.
You just got out of surgery, how are you doing? We're pushing you around, taking you there, how are you? I'm doing okay.
This is only the second time I've worn a tank top post-op, I can only wear a button-up so I can't-- That's my range.
I can't lift my arms higher right now.
- When we saw your surgery-- - You guys got to see that? To see the look in your eyes when you looked down.
-Yeah.
-Oh, my gosh.
I don't remember a lot of it because of my complications.
I had a bad reaction to the anesthesia, um, which is apparently really common for redheads.
What? The MC1R gene in redheads makes you crazy susceptible to anesthesias and narcotics.
Um, so, when they put me under, um, several of my organs shut down.
I have to have another procedure to address the internal bleeding.
More money? I know you raised the initial money from the community.
Are you gonna--? I'm staring at $100,000, $200,000 hospital bill in complications for the next year.
So, it really sucks but I wouldn't change it.
When you see how difficult his journey has been but how gracefully he carries himself, it's inspiring and it's uplifting.
So, how do you feel? Here we are.
The week is here.
So, how are you feeling? -I'm excited.
-What's your experience with shaving? I was never really taught.
Yeah.
I went through my second puberty in my mid-20s.
-Do you get hair here? -Yes.
-We get all down here.
-Uh-huh.
-It comes all the way down to here.
-Got it.
I really shy away from imparting what I believe has to happen on someone's look.
I like it to be a collaboration, what does it look like for you in the morning? I'm here to help you be the best you that you can be, comma, I don't want you to look like a leprechaun.
We gotta change it.
I'm noticing a theme.
It's like you've kind of been stuck in, like, "I'm 19, 20 years old.
" That's one of the things I struggle with, that forever young kind of, like, Peter Pan syndrome, for sure.
Uh, there's three fictional characters that describe you, and Peter Pan is one of them for me that I always use.
Who would you want to replace that with? It would be Todrick.
But he's not fictional.
I love Todrick.
His fashion, performance, his music.
I'm inspired by everything he does.
When you open up tomato sauce, you gotta eat it quickly.
That's no bueno.
I commend you for being in a place where you can take care of others.
How do you find time for yourself? That's very hard.
Is there anything on your mind you know you wanna do? One of the most important things for me right now, um, is my gender marker.
-It is still female on my license.
-Mm-hm.
Um, and now that I'm actually post-op, um, I have all of the documents I need to be able to go to the DMV and get that taken care of, get my gender marker changed.
This is what I'm talking about.
Most of us take our IDs for granted.
We got it when we were 15 or 16, and we never think about it.
But all he wants is to just experience the same life that we all experience.
This one little thing is holding him back.
Can you show me what's going on here? We each have our own pantry.
- This one is mine, the most overflowing.
- Uh-huh.
-Yeah.
-Um, like crazy.
This could use some organization.
There's not that much garbage food.
Like, you eat pretty healthy-ish.
What's your indulgence? -Something that feels good-- -Sushi.
-Sushi? -Sushi is my favorite food.
-I never can make that at the house.
-Got you.
In a perfect world, how would you see this space working for you? -Obviously, lots of seating for family.
-Yes.
Yeah.
Lots of seating, comfortable.
I like that this is a space, too, where the second people walk in, even if they're not my friends, they know they're stepping into a queer space.
I want Skyler to realize that queer is just a column, a column that holds up the house of Skyler.
Yes, he needs to be proud.
But flags are to be flown, they're not décor.
This is a much younger person's look.
-People think I'm early 20s.
-Teenager.
And it's my look and my look.
Yes.
I want you to look like a 30-something-year-old man who's ready to move forward.
I have noticed that your stuff is kind of androgynous.
Yes.
I actually made that to wear to Todrick's, um, Straight Outta Oz concert.
I'm the worst gay of them all.
And I don't even know who this Todrick person is.
Todrick Hall is a YouTube star.
Very openly gay.
I'm inspired by his music, his style.
He likes playing with fashion and femininity.
Your top is feminine.
-I like it.
-Super feminine.
Thank you so much.
Until now, I've been intimidated, thinking I don't know what I'm gonna put him in, I want him to feel like a dude.
Now, I couldn't care less.
I'm gonna find out who this Todrick person is and we'll try-- Look at his red carpet looks.
He plays with masculine, and feminine, I love that.
He's not confined to any genre of clothing.
This gives me an opportunity to play like never before.
I just wanna make sure he feels great as Skyler.
-You've got so many ties.
-Yes.
A lot of those need to go, they have stains-- -Almost all are gonna go.
-I have to wear those at work.
-You wear a tie to work? -Yes.
I bought two suits -that are hanging there.
-I did notice.
When they were trying to tailor them, I got, like, super uncomfortable and just kind of panicked and left, um, because they were getting all up in my pants -and in areas and, like, you know.
-Oh That's a safety issue for me.
So I've had those since Christmas and never worn them.
Okay.
I don't know what they would need to be sized for.
Nothing makes me feel like more of a guy than when I'm in a suit.
-Okay.
Mm-hm.
-A good suit.
That's the height of sophistication for a man.
So, I kind of wanna find a way to get you in a suit -that makes complete sense for you.
-Okay.
I will get you fun options but let's get the basics down.
-The basics of a man's wardrobe is a suit.
-Yeah.
-Yeah? -I agree with you on that.
Okay, good.
Good.
You have an event coming up.
Tell us about it? Yes.
I am six weeks out post-op from top surgery today.
-Um, so, that's really exciting.
-Yes.
Um, so, we're gonna go to MSR, um, which is, like, my home-based bar in Atlanta.
These are the people that helped me change my life.
You know, without all of them kind of rallying behind me over the last few months, I wouldn't have been able to get my top surgery.
On Friday, I just wanna be able to be visible and be present and let everybody know that I'm okay, I'm alive.
And I'm thankful for all that they've done to me, help me meet this huge financial goal that I wouldn't have been able to meet.
Will this be the first time you've been out -after your top surgery? -Mm-hm.
- Yeah.
- Powerful night.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
For sure.
Category is full circle realness, very much.
And we're serving it this Friday.
-Yes.
-Yes, yes, yes.
That's very accurate.
Yes, yes, yes.
Let me keep you by my side And we'll thrive What Skyler needs help with is learning to edit.
Edit things out of the closet he doesn't need daily.
Learn to utilize his space, to make his life easier.
Every man I know wants a great suit.
The fact that his experience was so bad when he went to get his suit tailored is horrible.
However, I've found a way to get a suit for Skyler that I think he's gonna be so happy with.
And I am so excited to tell him about it.
There are things that Skyler has put off because he's been focused on getting his surgery.
But he hasn't taken the time to change his gender marker on his license.
And that's something he needs to handle immediately.
Transformation Tuesday is upon us.
He's serving man.
He's man-shaped.
His face is very manly.
Except when you put a dark shadowy color on your jawbone but nothing on your cheeks or your neck, it recedes the jaw and makes it appear smaller.
And makes your Mitch McConnell neck and cheeks seem bigger.
So, the facial hair has to go.
When did you leave home? When I was 17.
So, just before the end of high school.
In my senior year, I got outed at school and everything changed.
I was having a really hard time.
I got into alcohol and started doing stuff that I shouldn't.
One of my friends was living with us.
She had her own issues at home.
My mom freaked and was like, "Your friend has to leave, your friend's a bad influence.
" But my friend was the only one who knew what was going on.
I was like, "She has nothing to do with it.
" And so, in a screaming match about all this, she was like, "Give me a reason, what's wrong with you.
" I was like, "I'm gay.
I'm gay.
And, like, everyone is making my life frigging miserable now at school.
" And my mom just kind of lost it.
And instead of making my friend go, I did instead.
-Um -Wow.
I've been down this road before, worried about my past, worried about the people in my past.
One day, I just had to realize who cares if your past doesn't come along with you.
You only need your present and your future.
Skyler's future is bright.
I was outed at 16.
I left at 15.
l left, actually, before my family knew I was gay.
-Yeah.
-Um -I was always a really angry kid -Mm-hm.
because every day of my life, I wore a mask.
So, when you're hearing constantly from the people that mean the most to you -that what you are is awful-- -You're awful.
Yeah, and unacceptable.
-It really does a number on you.
-Yeah.
-So, I was just pissed all the time.
-Yeah.
Skyler and I both have the same connection of rejection from family, from friends.
And that can be a hard thing to heal from.
How did you get over that damage? Know how to forgive them for that? I don't know if it's possible.
It takes your chosen family, like you have, that loves you and accepts you for who you are.
And it helps you to then accept yourself.
Are you excited to give some stuff away? Yes, I am super excited.
-All right.
Let's get down there.
-Let's do it.
Skyler spent his entire adult life fighting to be the man he was born to be.
Now we've hit reset for him.
It's nice to meet you, sir.
I appreciate it.
You guys keep up the good work.
And I can definitely tell that giving back to the community that's given him so much is going - to help Skyler heal.
- Where to next? Seeing is believing Okay, you've not, uh, met our sixth member yet.
-This is Daniel.
-Hi, Daniel.
-Daniel, this is Skyler.
-Good to meet you.
-Nice to meet you.
I'm well.
-How you feeling? Daniel doesn't work with us necessarily.
He's a friend I've brought in to help with something.
Okay.
You had said that you've never had a suit -that you like, that you loved.
-Yeah.
-Daniel has a company that is amazing.
-Okay.
And he has hooked us up royally.
It's Bindle and Keep.
They specialize in suits.
And they actually do a lot of suits for the trans community.
Really? That's super cool.
Our ethos is to serve everyone.
And we've made a safe place for a lot of people from the trans community who have otherwise had emotionally, uh, disturbing experiences at the classic binary retail environment.
We're here to help.
He just bought this in for us today.
-Okay, that's nice.
Yeah.
-This is your suit.
-That's nice.
-We wanted fabric that is classic.
The finishings are gorgeous.
- Yeah, I like that a lot.
- Yeah.
Let's get you in this, we want to see you in it.
A lot of our trans male clientele come and say I need a men's suit.
So, what we do is we bind the chest tighter.
We give more room in the true waist to reduce the skirting effect.
We make the hips in the jacket about two inches smaller than the hipbone.
It straightens it out.
I never would have realized those tiny tweaks make such a difference.
People think it's rocket science, it's not.
Let's put your hands behind your back.
- Um, I see you smiling.
- Yeah.
-It makes me so happy.
-Yeah.
This being, like, the first time I've really tried on clothes since surgery.
I did lipo around my belt line because I was self-conscious about how wide my hips were.
And I was not very broad up top.
And now I look like this.
And that's what I want.
And the suit is showing that and that's exciting.
Get your body back.
It's the first time I've seen that so that's why I can't stop smiling.
-Good.
-Yeah.
I love it.
Thank you, good job.
Yes.
I want one, too.
Thank you.
I don't wanna take it off.
You seem hesitant to take it off, which I love.
No, that's exactly what we want.
-Hang it for me.
-Okay.
Then Daniel can make these alterations.
Yeah, of course.
-Thank you.
-My pleasure.
It looks fantastic.
When you looked in that mirror, did you feel the way you wanted? I felt like there I was.
Right there.
And I've not been able to look at myself in a mirror in a suit and ever say that, ever.
Good.
That makes me so happy.
Okay.
I'm hoping this is a safe space and I can ask you whatever I want.
Honestly, I hate to admit it, but I'm not immersed in the gay community.
Therefore, I'm ignorant.
I don't know the correct pronouns.
And how--? How would you feel if I were to get that wrong? It does still happen.
I get female pronoun-ed with the full beard.
That was one of the things, actually that was the crappiest part about my hospital experience, um, because my gender marker wasn't changed yet.
So, like, on their charts, they're reading female, seeing female, the doctors, nurses, everybody walking in.
And despite the fact that I have a full beard, and I'm topless, like, completely like bare chest and no chest.
And they still wanna call me "she" and "her" and stuff like that.
And it hurts.
Like, God, I spent almost a decade of my life being miserable in my body.
Just miserable.
The way it affected me in the way I interacted with people-- I haven't even felt comfortable giving hugs in a decade because I feel people touch my chest and it makes me so uncomfortable.
I, uh I feel frigging stupid, quite honestly.
I appreciate you trying to educate yourself, it means a lot.
No, I feel stupid.
I've always looked at trans people and I've thought, "Why don't you just--? It costs so much and it can be really painful.
Why put yourself through that? It seems such a traumatic experience.
" It's a lot.
I truly didn't understand what that meant to actually have the surgery done and feel-- And feel that change.
And when I saw the video of you when you woke up, I don't really think you were coherent at the time.
-I don't remember it.
-I don't think you were.
But that shows how frigging raw it was when you opened your eyes and looked down and you go to reach for your chest.
Um That changed it for me.
I thought, "Oh, this is what it means.
" Yeah.
Um I'm annoyed at myself, "Why didn't you get involved? You would have then understood maybe the trans community.
" There are so many people out there like me, who are ignorant, who don't understand.
I always felt for the plight of trans people.
However, I always thought, "Is it necessary for you to have this top surgery, for you to feel like a man?" For Skyler it was.
The fact I didn't understand that beforehand makes me feel silly.
This really has helped, truly.
How are you feeling about getting your license changed? I'm incredibly excited but also nervous.
This is my second go trying to get my marker changed.
-Really? -Mm-hm.
They would not change it, they were adamant about needing to have a surgery letter.
Then the woman said something to me along the lines of, "I'm not gonna do this, come back when you're complete.
" -What the hell? -Yeah.
It's heartbreaking because all he wants is for the gender on his license to match the person he is and the person we see.
I'm gonna be walking out with a male license today.
Hundred percent.
We're talking about a driver's license, but this is such a life-changing moment for Skyler.
The decision that is made is gonna affect Skyler in ways that we take for granted every single day.
-You said gender change? -Yes, ma'am.
So, I've got my social.
A single card that is basically your pass to get a job, go into a bar, get on a flight.
So, I've got my birth certificate that has my dead name on it, and then my surgery letter.
-It worked? -Yeah.
I got it.
-Yes! -Yeah, we're good, man.
We're good.
-Congratulations.
-Thank you.
One little marker right there changes a lot of experiences for me in my day-to-day life.
The amount of times that you have to show identification, or job hunting, like walking into a job interview and knowing that if I get it, there's a chance they're gonna take it away when I pull this ID out.
Like, that's happened to me before.
I've been waiting for this for so long.
I'm so happy right now I wanna cry.
I'm coming.
-I got shorter legs.
-I know.
-Like I'm looking back for my husband.
-You smell nice.
Thank you.
-In your bedroom, -Yes.
I wanna hear what you think you need.
Um I need, I think, like, stuff that would take a floor space that's being covered, so, maybe just one area of floor space.
-Floor is not where you store things.
-Yes.
-Closets, drawers, boxes and doors.
-Okay.
I like this actually.
-The cool thing about this system, -That's for me.
it actually has little things like That you can just take out and go to your bed, you can put what you need, organize it, you can slide things out.
And then -That's neat.
-Right? -Keep your pants organized.
-Cool.
And the thing is this also allows you to let go of things, 'cause when you can't see everything you have-- -You're not paying attention.
-Right.
But when you can, you're like, "Wait a sec, I have not worn these in years, why are they taking up space?" -Time to go.
-Exactly.
So, out with the old -and Tan will be in with the new.
-Okay.
Whoa.
-What did you find? -I just like how shiny it is.
It caught my eye.
I know it's not awesome but it's just shiny.
I like rainbows, rainbows catch my eyes.
-Queer is a pillar of the house.
-Yes.
-Not the trash can, not the art, a pillar.
-Okay.
That's fair.
I'm what you're looking for I want to do a tight fade on the sides and your edges, I wanna take the top down.
For facial hair So, for Skyler, when he transitioned, his facial hair were the first thing that he had that really made him feel like a man.
So, I need to approach the facial hair in a tactful way.
I don't wanna make Skyler do something he's not ready for.
The length here, it's making the chin seem long, you don't have this long face.
So, I wanna take this down, if you ever want to grow him back, -I encourage you to grow this part, too.
-Like farther? -Yes.
-Do you cut it here, though? There's a rule, you put a finger on your Adam's apple-- -I don't have one.
-Oh, my gosh.
Your vocal box right here, which I can totally feel, that's him.
-That's like my tiny Adam's apple.
-Yeah.
-Don't talk like that, he is huge.
-I got distance that I should let grow.
But it's already going.
By taking your beard down, it's gonna bridge that gap.
I'm gonna start with a two-guard which is quite short but you're not walking out with a clean face.
-Are we down with that? -Yeah.
-I didn't wanna make a decision.
-As long as it's not gone.
It's not completely gone.
Skyler and I decide for a stubbly look.
We're gonna make sure he has a shadow, feeling that masculinity.
So, he's feeling strong, but not hiding behind this facial hair.
Hi, jawbone.
-Nobody wants that.
-You can see my stubble.
You're giving me shadow and he's totally insanely hot.
I'm gonna go under your fade.
I wanna gloss your hair.
I'm gonna start this on your face -and then go to the shampoo room.
-Cool.
So, I'm using semi-permanent on you, because of that it doesn't lift your natural hair color so it'll fade out all the way and you don't have to worry about harsh fade lines-- -Upkeep and stuff.
Okay.
-Exactly.
-This looks so good.
-Yeah? Skyler's made a good executive decision, he decided to have a perm on his hair.
I support you, I don't support the wearing of it curly.
I'm gonna show you how to do a blow dry.
Little tiny hair dryer.
None of the Golden Girls wore perms like a perm, you have to blow it out.
See how I'm using the round brush push the hair on your head, like an ironing board.
-Can you get mine to stand up like Tan's? -Yes.
-I love his hair.
-Me, too.
And now face look.
Makeup has been marketed towards women but I know men who are full of ingrowns, who have discrepancies in their skin that can be suited by just doing a little makeup.
So, obviously, with being on testosterone, -that is going to make a lot of extra oil.
-Yes.
It's gonna make you prone to break out.
When I'm doing grooming on men, I like to use concealer, like on your entire face.
Let's go here, here, here.
Yes.
-Enough? -More on your neck.
-Like this? -Yeah.
More, more, more.
We're gonna start to rub, 'cause this is our foundation.
-Ready to see your new look? -Yes.
-There's the new and improved Skyler.
-Yeah, looks great.
-That looks good.
-And it's just sexy, like you look good.
Thank you.
I appreciate that.
I'm feeling the volume on the hair.
That's giving me my best life, so thank you.
-Higher the hair, closer to God.
-There you go.
I love it.
Yes.
We're home.
-Guys, they're here.
-Coming, let me wash my hands.
- I'm ready to see my house.
I miss it.
- You have no idea.
-I see people walking.
-I'm ready, I'm excited.
-Okay.
-Oh, my gosh.
We're home.
- Are you ready? - I don't know, but I'm here.
I'm so excited Nice, and look the carpet's actually clean, wonderful.
Yes, I love it.
Thank you for keeping the queer.
High-end queer, I love it.
A new genre, high-end queer.
I love all the art that you put up there, that looks so good.
You had cool pieces.
I was able to take a lot of stuff that you already had.
The piss couch, it's been replaced with a big sectional for the whole crew to sit on.
This is my spot.
Love it.
It's a place now that he can entertain the friends and family that he has on a constant basis and be the king of his castle.
Are you comfy? -You love it? -Yeah.
I love it.
Are you ready for what an adult man's bed looks like? Okay, yes, yes.
Yes, yes.
I saw the Todrick Hall posters, his album Emerald City, - so, I made this Emerald City.
- Yeah.
And what is more masculine than old leather tufted sofas and tufted beds? So, I found a modern leather bed.
This is one of the coolest frames I've ever seen.
It's like the isle of luxuriation.
Yeah, right here.
I wanted to make sure that Skyler's room was masculine, but with color and playful, because that's Skyler.
So, it's a man's man's room, but also a cool young hip man's room.
What I want you to make is two varieties of poke, a spicy one and a sweet tangy one.
For my lesson, I want him to prepare something that's really easy, and since he loves raw fish so much, poke.
Sushi tuna, you can buy frozen.
The easy thing, now it's in a block and it's really solid, it makes it a lot easier to cut, but I pre-chopped.
So, for our two styles of poke, super traditional, spicy chili mayo.
-Love it on all my sushi.
-Mayo, sriracha and also sesame oil.
So, I mix that up, a drizzle, drizzle, drizzle.
Tiny bit of salt.
So, the second one, ponzu, you can smell it here.
This is, uh, soy sauce that's infused with yuzu rind.
-Smells good.
-Citrus and lemon skin.
We'll put Ponzu into the mayo, you wanna mix it up until it's smooth.
-We're gonna assemble these.
-Okay.
-The serranos in the spicy tuna.
-Okay.
Black sesame seeds.
This is for texture -just to have a little crunch.
-Okay.
It makes it look cuter.
And the white sesame seeds on the white and a tiny bit of truffle oil.
That's it, so, what I would suggest is grab these.
-Okay.
-Try whichever you want.
We mix these or just go for it? I like the fact that the ingredients are all over the place.
Take a bite.
Mm.
-Love that, very tasty.
-Cool? -Whoo! -First things first -Enjoy.
-Ooh.
This catches my eye immediately.
Oh, my gosh, that's awesome.
I love that jacket.
-The left side is the work side.
-Okay, work and play.
Yes, I've separated it out to work and play.
I remember you loved to blur the lines with androgyny, you don't mind masculine, feminine.
So, I wanted to really push that.
You said you love Todrick's style.
-Yes, this is so Toddy right here.
-Yes.
-So, this-- Exactly.
-This is Toddy.
-I see it, I love it.
-The romper, the leather pants.
Oh, my God, yes.
I want a sectional.
Yeah.
-I want you trying two lots for the guys.
-Okay.
All right, you guys, here we go.
-First casual look.
-Are you ready? Yeah.
Ooh.
Wow.
-I love the boots.
-I love the three-quarter.
He is shorter than some, he's pretty much my height.
We create an optical illusion to make him seem taller, so, the proportions really help.
We've shown the top of his boot, tucked in the shirt.
- Balances his proportions.
- You have no idea what it's like to look in the mirror and see This.
Like be straight and like fit me right, and like feel broader up here than I ever have.
Like everything just fits me right.
It feels right, and I've-- First experience, thank you for sharing it with me.
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
We're gonna take him from this and put him in a party look.
-Yeah, do it.
-You look awesome.
Thank you, guys.
We are serving you fashion week.
L.
A.
, Paris, London, you name it, we got it, we're serving it.
- Ready for this? - Yes.
-Ready for this? -It's kooky, it's out there, it's clubby, so, let's see this.
Yeah, all right.
You made it seem really crazy.
- This is dope.
- You know, you took the former over-the-top crazy and you classied the crazy.
Exactly.
The sequin jacket is a lot of look for most people -but you make it look so easy.
-Thank you, yeah.
And I love stars, actually.
- How good we are.
- Thank you.
Sit with us.
-Join us.
-Yes.
-I should be your sixth member.
-I know.
Meeting you has been a major eye-opening experience and I'm so glad that we had that chance to sit and talk, and for me to finally ask the questions that I've been dying to ask for so many years now.
And as far as fashion goes, you are a strong man, you have a position in your community.
Play as much as you want, enjoy that closet, -no rules.
-Thank you for elevating me.
-Thank you.
-Skyler, before I go, I would love for you to get your ID, I want the guys to see it.
And, bam! Aw Yes.
- Oh, gosh.
- You guys have no idea how important that is to me.
The first time I went, it was awful trying to get that changed, and the woman that I went to was just so awful.
She called her supervisor, it was a big deal, they told me, "Come back when you're complete.
" I was terrified to go alone, so, thank you, Karamo.
I appreciate that.
- I was honored.
- I needed that support.
I can't tell you how honored I was to be on that journey.
I've worked a lot with the trans community but after Skyler, I'm reminded of how much more support I need to be giving to my trans brothers and sisters.
People are going to know that they can live and thrive and succeed because of you.
We get caught up in our own struggles and battles, just as human beings, and we forget that there's somebody that needs our love, and I just hope that more people that are in the queer community or even outside, realize that sometimes all we need is for someone to say: "I'm ready to show up for you.
" -Oh, my God.
-Bye.
-Bye, have fun tonight.
-Bye, thank you.
I see your face I see your star This is my homage to Skyler.
-Step outside my comfort box.
-I'm loving this.
-And put a bit of guy liner on.
-I'm loving it.
-I know.
-Yes! - Bobby, you're missing the party.
- Yeah! - Yes! - Whoo! Get it, girl.
You little jerk, you outdid me.
I thought I should do a little gender bender today.
-I raided your closet.
-I know you did.
Let's go before this goes nasty.
Sit spread-eagled in the couch.
How do ladies do this? Are we ready to see Skyler? Yeah.
He loves sushi.
I wanted to teach him how to make something super simple.
This is traditional surfer food in Hawaii, and poke is a salad made with raw tuna and any element that you can put in, cucumber, avocado.
He's taking leftover sushi rice, we set him up with an air fryer, he's making crispy rice crackers with poke on them.
Ooh.
I love poke.
Come in to our new home.
-And you have Roma, too.
-Oh, my goodness.
-Roma, look.
-Yes.
Kitty, kitty, kitty.
You look good.
You guys like my Toddy inspired sequins? -I like this, 5 o'clock shadow.
-Yeah.
-He is completely owning this.
-Yeah.
This is the cutest thing.
I have these cool appetizers that Antoni taught me how to make.
Are you gonna be cooking for us now? King of my domain.
Look, I'm cooking, I look good.
To our new house.
- Thank you, Bobby.
- It's so amazing.
Oh, okay, who's here? Oh, my God! Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
I'm gonna cry.
-I'm so happy you're here.
-Oh, my gosh, I'm so happy to be here.
Todrick Hall is in my house right now.
-Oh, my gosh, this is a cute house.
-Hi.
Now, that's how you give a surprise, baby.
We took him off the walls, and brought him in person.
- So excited to be here.
- Welcome.
Oh, my gosh, "Welcome to our home.
" It's so cute.
I can't believe you're in my house.
This is so cool.
We've been talking about you, who inspires your fashion, your life, I was like, "Todrick," my only answer, over and over and over.
-Do you like this jacket? -Love the jacket.
-Yeah.
-Maybe we can share clothes.
-You can raid my closet.
-I would love that.
-If I'm allowed to raid yours.
-Absolutely.
It's nice to see him vulnerable.
-Emerald green.
-I love it.
-Oh, my gosh.
-Yeah.
I might need to move in.
You're so fun with your fashion, you play with it, you bounce back and forth between feminine and masculine.
You were so important to my transition, and recognizing that I am feminine and I am masculine, and that gets put into this perfect little ball that is me.
But it took me a long time to be okay with that feminine side and seeing another queer man like you that owned all of it and just was so fabulous.
Your performance inspires me, who you are inspires me and I can't praise you enough in what you've done for me, -I really can't.
-You're so sweet.
You're gonna make me cry.
Thank you.
- I had my top surgery.
- How do you feel? I feel great.
I feel better.
I had some really extreme complications that put me in the hospital for a while.
There was even a point where I got so scared that I was laying in the hospital bed and I was, like upset and I was crying and my thought that came through my head was, "I want my mom.
" Aw.
My friends know how powerful that is for me, because my mom and I haven't spoken in six years.
-She doesn't agree with who I am.
-Oh, wow.
Like, she thinks I'm insane for wanting to be a man.
But that's how scared I was sitting in that hospital room and, like I want that, like, maternal comfort.
I need someone to hug me and tell me it's okay and I was thankful that I had such a large community base to come and just be there for me.
I feel like it's important for you to go and share your story, because you're such a beaming light of hope for people who are just like you and struggling.
Hopefully everything with your mom works out, but I think that it's beautiful that you have created your own family and that you chose to be happy rather than follow in the footsteps of everyone else.
-This is awesome and beautiful.
-Thank you.
I appreciate that, Todrick, that means a lot.
-Thank you.
-Oh, I love you.
Aw! Yeah.
-Break a leg.
Slay.
-Thank you.
Thank you.
-I know you will.
-Just tune in my inner Toddy.
-Okay, awesome.
-Bye.
Bye, you all.
Bye, Skyler.
She was just a meme there.
I'm gonna go upstairs and throw my stuff together.
- Sharp.
- More sophisticated.
He looks amazing, every bit of it.
Oh, no, no, no.
Don't put your collar over your suit.
Not the John Travolta collar.
No, the collar out is horrible, the rest of it I quite like.
-Whoo! -Skyler.
-Love it.
-I'll see you later.
Roll out.
- All right, we're here.
- Let's go.
-See that M? -Thank you, sir.
Enjoy your time.
Aw I love this bar.
-You look great.
-Yeah! Ow! It's Skyler time! I love him.
I don't know if you know why we're here tonight, but this is a big night for me, this is my first night back in the community since I got top surgery.
The community in less than two and a half months raised $8,000 for me.
Yeah! Eight thousand dollars, y'all.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I cannot tell you how much you have changed my life.
For years, every single second of my day, whether you knew it or not, I was thinking about how uncomfortable I was in my body, and how unhappy I was with my body.
I can't tell you guys how awesome it is to be able to look forward to the future, -and be excited about it.
-And look sexy! Thank you.
Thank you.
And finally, after 30 years of living, I have an ID that says I'm a real boy.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
I think I needed this to happen more than I could really wrap my head around.
Before my top surgery that was all I could think about, like every second of my mind space was occupied by that, and I couldn't be more thankful that the guys helped me become a better person and see my future more clearly.
I feel more comfortable in this moment than I have ever felt in my entire life.
We are the party people We set the bar And we'll take it way too far Throwin' it down, shakin' up this town We like to do what's never been done Break all the rules And make all the fun We ditch outta school Get it, get it, get it.
-This is when you know it's your party.
-Can we key it up? So, real quick, because I'm hot, you're all hot, it's hot in here.
I'm gonna show my surgery results.
Oh! Yes.
Go on, kiddo.
I never expected this experience with Skyler, but he made me wanna fight for who I am and what I stand for.
I have hidden myself away for years, I've hidden that I'm gay, and that I'm married to a man.
I've hidden myself away to make sure that people are more comfortable, and I so wish I had a little bit more of what Skyler has.
-Be proud, baby, be proud.
-Yeah, Skyler.
-On three, can we say, "Cheers, queers"? -Yes.
One, two, three.
Cheers, queers.
It's someone else's turn.
-Fashion is about risks, right, Jonathan? -Obvi.
When you're in men's wear and can't find what you're looking for, head on over to ladies' wear, just like he does.
-Gender bending.
-Yes, get it.
Yep, yep, yep.
Yep, yep.
Mm-hm.
You came into my life And my world never looked so bright It's true You bring out the best in me When you are around Things keep getting better Things keep getting better Things keep getting better Things keep getting better
When we say top surgery, -we mean to get rid of breasts? -Yes.
I was born and identified as a woman.
But since I was in preschool, I've known that that just wasn't me.
I remember when I was 12, standing in a mirror and contorting my body in ways to be more masculine.
Thinking, "I'm gonna get a surgery that makes me look like this.
" We've finished your surgery.
Wanna take a look quickly? Aw He just looked down for the first time.
Okay? Wow.
We all struggle with the realization we were different than everyone else.
I can only imagine how hard it was to realize you weren't born with the right body.
He was able to come to that realization and take the steps to become who he is.
He's an inspiration.
Thank you.
I can't wait to meet him.
All things just keep getting better I never had the chance to be me I think I really want to be free I never had the chance to be me 'Cause all my life, I never could see You're the only one That makes me happy That video was so eye-opening to me -and so special.
-Powerful.
So many gay men, lesbian, bisexual people, we don't know truly what the trans experience is.
We support them but we don't know everything they go through.
I think that, probably, most straight people assume that, because it's LGBTQ, we must all understand each other's plight.
That couldn't be more wrong.
-I've never met a trans person.
-In this car alone, our five stories are so different.
I'm interested to meet a trans person to understand their story.
All right, so I got some more info on Skyler.
As we know Skyler is a transgendered man who was raised as a female.
Spent most of his life feeling one way, having the world see him as something else.
I came to college, I started doing drag, gave myself that safe space to explore my gender.
Over a couple of years, I figured out I didn't wanna be a man on-stage in drag, I wanted to be seen as a man all the time.
-And I eventually had to commit.
-Yeah.
For the last eight years, Skyler has used most of his money and energy preparing for top surgery.
He got it six weeks ago.
It definitely drove a big wedge in my family.
They came to a point where they thought that I needed to be put away, that I was insane for thinking that I could ever be a man.
And that was really hard to have my mom and my dad say those type of hurtful things to me.
I had to cut ties with them, and that was a decision I had to make.
It was very difficult but it was the right decision for me.
Skyler is excited to start the next chapter of his life but he needs help.
I think from this experience, Skyler needs confidence in his new identity and to have somebody say: "We're gonna make you the best you you can be, and you do belong.
" That could change everything.
Up until very recently, my sole focus was top surgery.
Now that I have that burden lifted off of me, I actually can think about the ways that spending time with these guys could benefit me.
It's really exciting.
Skyler has always worn clothes that do not fit his body to hide his curves he wasn't comfortable with.
But he also loves to stand out in the crowd.
Skyler is a ginger, and his hair and beard define him.
-I want us to unpack that a bit.
-Yeah.
My beard has taken two to three years to fully grow in.
Being a transgender man, no one taught me how to shave.
I didn't have a dad or an older brother that was gonna show me how to do it and not hurt myself.
Skyler has an open-door policy and loves having people over.
He takes in a lot of people who have been displaced.
His friends in the LGBTQ community helped him fundraise over 8 grand for his top surgery.
That's what we do.
He wants to say thank you to all his friends for helping him out.
He wants to throw a big event this weekend.
-What a champion.
-Guys, our mission this week, it's to help Skyler become the man he was born to be.
-Yeah.
-Sounds great.
I'm down for that.
-Open up.
-We're here.
Hello, Skyler.
-Hi.
-Hey.
-Skyler.
-I'm Bobby.
What's going on, man? -Hi.
-Hey, Skyler.
-I'm Tan, nice to meet you.
-Nice to meet you.
I'm Skyler.
-Hi, how you doing, buddy? -I'm good, how are you? -I love that shirt.
-Thanks.
It's a little lace.
Skyler's house screams queer, queer, queer, queer, queer.
It reminds me of somebody in their early 20s, and everything is about being part of the queer community.
-Why the condoms on your table? -It's a good centerpiece.
This cat life is everything that I need.
- Why so many couches? - A lot of people come over.
Got it.
They look the worst.
What's underneath here? Oh! That's the cat pee couch.
Skyler, Skyler, man.
No, seriously? A cat pee couch? -Really? -I know.
- It's a full cat pee couch? - I know.
I'm kitty.
Once they start, they only pee on it.
This is the most disgusting thing ever.
- You came with your own gloves? - This is actually a Magnum condom.
Bobber's out of control.
Naughty kitty.
Oh! I was too big.
Tell me about his, uh, style.
That's one thing that he is really, like, on top of.
He's a very fashionable man.
- They come to me for advice.
- I don't wanna be judgmental, but on a personal note, his outfit is wack.
Skyler is 30, and he's dressed like a skater boy from, like, 1995.
That's a lot of hats.
Hats are great on the head but not the wall.
-How would you store them? -I'm gonna figure that out.
Oh, my.
- Shiny.
- There is love on these sheets.
This bed looks like it came out of a dorm.
I need a high bed to store my second persona underneath it.
- Do you wear these shoes? - A bit.
- I like those.
- The kooky ones -The other ones are-- -Those are work shoes.
I work at, um, the University of Georgia, I'm in Events Management.
- Can I ask a question? - Yes.
You just got out of surgery, how are you doing? We're pushing you around, taking you there, how are you? I'm doing okay.
This is only the second time I've worn a tank top post-op, I can only wear a button-up so I can't-- That's my range.
I can't lift my arms higher right now.
- When we saw your surgery-- - You guys got to see that? To see the look in your eyes when you looked down.
-Yeah.
-Oh, my gosh.
I don't remember a lot of it because of my complications.
I had a bad reaction to the anesthesia, um, which is apparently really common for redheads.
What? The MC1R gene in redheads makes you crazy susceptible to anesthesias and narcotics.
Um, so, when they put me under, um, several of my organs shut down.
I have to have another procedure to address the internal bleeding.
More money? I know you raised the initial money from the community.
Are you gonna--? I'm staring at $100,000, $200,000 hospital bill in complications for the next year.
So, it really sucks but I wouldn't change it.
When you see how difficult his journey has been but how gracefully he carries himself, it's inspiring and it's uplifting.
So, how do you feel? Here we are.
The week is here.
So, how are you feeling? -I'm excited.
-What's your experience with shaving? I was never really taught.
Yeah.
I went through my second puberty in my mid-20s.
-Do you get hair here? -Yes.
-We get all down here.
-Uh-huh.
-It comes all the way down to here.
-Got it.
I really shy away from imparting what I believe has to happen on someone's look.
I like it to be a collaboration, what does it look like for you in the morning? I'm here to help you be the best you that you can be, comma, I don't want you to look like a leprechaun.
We gotta change it.
I'm noticing a theme.
It's like you've kind of been stuck in, like, "I'm 19, 20 years old.
" That's one of the things I struggle with, that forever young kind of, like, Peter Pan syndrome, for sure.
Uh, there's three fictional characters that describe you, and Peter Pan is one of them for me that I always use.
Who would you want to replace that with? It would be Todrick.
But he's not fictional.
I love Todrick.
His fashion, performance, his music.
I'm inspired by everything he does.
When you open up tomato sauce, you gotta eat it quickly.
That's no bueno.
I commend you for being in a place where you can take care of others.
How do you find time for yourself? That's very hard.
Is there anything on your mind you know you wanna do? One of the most important things for me right now, um, is my gender marker.
-It is still female on my license.
-Mm-hm.
Um, and now that I'm actually post-op, um, I have all of the documents I need to be able to go to the DMV and get that taken care of, get my gender marker changed.
This is what I'm talking about.
Most of us take our IDs for granted.
We got it when we were 15 or 16, and we never think about it.
But all he wants is to just experience the same life that we all experience.
This one little thing is holding him back.
Can you show me what's going on here? We each have our own pantry.
- This one is mine, the most overflowing.
- Uh-huh.
-Yeah.
-Um, like crazy.
This could use some organization.
There's not that much garbage food.
Like, you eat pretty healthy-ish.
What's your indulgence? -Something that feels good-- -Sushi.
-Sushi? -Sushi is my favorite food.
-I never can make that at the house.
-Got you.
In a perfect world, how would you see this space working for you? -Obviously, lots of seating for family.
-Yes.
Yeah.
Lots of seating, comfortable.
I like that this is a space, too, where the second people walk in, even if they're not my friends, they know they're stepping into a queer space.
I want Skyler to realize that queer is just a column, a column that holds up the house of Skyler.
Yes, he needs to be proud.
But flags are to be flown, they're not décor.
This is a much younger person's look.
-People think I'm early 20s.
-Teenager.
And it's my look and my look.
Yes.
I want you to look like a 30-something-year-old man who's ready to move forward.
I have noticed that your stuff is kind of androgynous.
Yes.
I actually made that to wear to Todrick's, um, Straight Outta Oz concert.
I'm the worst gay of them all.
And I don't even know who this Todrick person is.
Todrick Hall is a YouTube star.
Very openly gay.
I'm inspired by his music, his style.
He likes playing with fashion and femininity.
Your top is feminine.
-I like it.
-Super feminine.
Thank you so much.
Until now, I've been intimidated, thinking I don't know what I'm gonna put him in, I want him to feel like a dude.
Now, I couldn't care less.
I'm gonna find out who this Todrick person is and we'll try-- Look at his red carpet looks.
He plays with masculine, and feminine, I love that.
He's not confined to any genre of clothing.
This gives me an opportunity to play like never before.
I just wanna make sure he feels great as Skyler.
-You've got so many ties.
-Yes.
A lot of those need to go, they have stains-- -Almost all are gonna go.
-I have to wear those at work.
-You wear a tie to work? -Yes.
I bought two suits -that are hanging there.
-I did notice.
When they were trying to tailor them, I got, like, super uncomfortable and just kind of panicked and left, um, because they were getting all up in my pants -and in areas and, like, you know.
-Oh That's a safety issue for me.
So I've had those since Christmas and never worn them.
Okay.
I don't know what they would need to be sized for.
Nothing makes me feel like more of a guy than when I'm in a suit.
-Okay.
Mm-hm.
-A good suit.
That's the height of sophistication for a man.
So, I kind of wanna find a way to get you in a suit -that makes complete sense for you.
-Okay.
I will get you fun options but let's get the basics down.
-The basics of a man's wardrobe is a suit.
-Yeah.
-Yeah? -I agree with you on that.
Okay, good.
Good.
You have an event coming up.
Tell us about it? Yes.
I am six weeks out post-op from top surgery today.
-Um, so, that's really exciting.
-Yes.
Um, so, we're gonna go to MSR, um, which is, like, my home-based bar in Atlanta.
These are the people that helped me change my life.
You know, without all of them kind of rallying behind me over the last few months, I wouldn't have been able to get my top surgery.
On Friday, I just wanna be able to be visible and be present and let everybody know that I'm okay, I'm alive.
And I'm thankful for all that they've done to me, help me meet this huge financial goal that I wouldn't have been able to meet.
Will this be the first time you've been out -after your top surgery? -Mm-hm.
- Yeah.
- Powerful night.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
For sure.
Category is full circle realness, very much.
And we're serving it this Friday.
-Yes.
-Yes, yes, yes.
That's very accurate.
Yes, yes, yes.
Let me keep you by my side And we'll thrive What Skyler needs help with is learning to edit.
Edit things out of the closet he doesn't need daily.
Learn to utilize his space, to make his life easier.
Every man I know wants a great suit.
The fact that his experience was so bad when he went to get his suit tailored is horrible.
However, I've found a way to get a suit for Skyler that I think he's gonna be so happy with.
And I am so excited to tell him about it.
There are things that Skyler has put off because he's been focused on getting his surgery.
But he hasn't taken the time to change his gender marker on his license.
And that's something he needs to handle immediately.
Transformation Tuesday is upon us.
He's serving man.
He's man-shaped.
His face is very manly.
Except when you put a dark shadowy color on your jawbone but nothing on your cheeks or your neck, it recedes the jaw and makes it appear smaller.
And makes your Mitch McConnell neck and cheeks seem bigger.
So, the facial hair has to go.
When did you leave home? When I was 17.
So, just before the end of high school.
In my senior year, I got outed at school and everything changed.
I was having a really hard time.
I got into alcohol and started doing stuff that I shouldn't.
One of my friends was living with us.
She had her own issues at home.
My mom freaked and was like, "Your friend has to leave, your friend's a bad influence.
" But my friend was the only one who knew what was going on.
I was like, "She has nothing to do with it.
" And so, in a screaming match about all this, she was like, "Give me a reason, what's wrong with you.
" I was like, "I'm gay.
I'm gay.
And, like, everyone is making my life frigging miserable now at school.
" And my mom just kind of lost it.
And instead of making my friend go, I did instead.
-Um -Wow.
I've been down this road before, worried about my past, worried about the people in my past.
One day, I just had to realize who cares if your past doesn't come along with you.
You only need your present and your future.
Skyler's future is bright.
I was outed at 16.
I left at 15.
l left, actually, before my family knew I was gay.
-Yeah.
-Um -I was always a really angry kid -Mm-hm.
because every day of my life, I wore a mask.
So, when you're hearing constantly from the people that mean the most to you -that what you are is awful-- -You're awful.
Yeah, and unacceptable.
-It really does a number on you.
-Yeah.
-So, I was just pissed all the time.
-Yeah.
Skyler and I both have the same connection of rejection from family, from friends.
And that can be a hard thing to heal from.
How did you get over that damage? Know how to forgive them for that? I don't know if it's possible.
It takes your chosen family, like you have, that loves you and accepts you for who you are.
And it helps you to then accept yourself.
Are you excited to give some stuff away? Yes, I am super excited.
-All right.
Let's get down there.
-Let's do it.
Skyler spent his entire adult life fighting to be the man he was born to be.
Now we've hit reset for him.
It's nice to meet you, sir.
I appreciate it.
You guys keep up the good work.
And I can definitely tell that giving back to the community that's given him so much is going - to help Skyler heal.
- Where to next? Seeing is believing Okay, you've not, uh, met our sixth member yet.
-This is Daniel.
-Hi, Daniel.
-Daniel, this is Skyler.
-Good to meet you.
-Nice to meet you.
I'm well.
-How you feeling? Daniel doesn't work with us necessarily.
He's a friend I've brought in to help with something.
Okay.
You had said that you've never had a suit -that you like, that you loved.
-Yeah.
-Daniel has a company that is amazing.
-Okay.
And he has hooked us up royally.
It's Bindle and Keep.
They specialize in suits.
And they actually do a lot of suits for the trans community.
Really? That's super cool.
Our ethos is to serve everyone.
And we've made a safe place for a lot of people from the trans community who have otherwise had emotionally, uh, disturbing experiences at the classic binary retail environment.
We're here to help.
He just bought this in for us today.
-Okay, that's nice.
Yeah.
-This is your suit.
-That's nice.
-We wanted fabric that is classic.
The finishings are gorgeous.
- Yeah, I like that a lot.
- Yeah.
Let's get you in this, we want to see you in it.
A lot of our trans male clientele come and say I need a men's suit.
So, what we do is we bind the chest tighter.
We give more room in the true waist to reduce the skirting effect.
We make the hips in the jacket about two inches smaller than the hipbone.
It straightens it out.
I never would have realized those tiny tweaks make such a difference.
People think it's rocket science, it's not.
Let's put your hands behind your back.
- Um, I see you smiling.
- Yeah.
-It makes me so happy.
-Yeah.
This being, like, the first time I've really tried on clothes since surgery.
I did lipo around my belt line because I was self-conscious about how wide my hips were.
And I was not very broad up top.
And now I look like this.
And that's what I want.
And the suit is showing that and that's exciting.
Get your body back.
It's the first time I've seen that so that's why I can't stop smiling.
-Good.
-Yeah.
I love it.
Thank you, good job.
Yes.
I want one, too.
Thank you.
I don't wanna take it off.
You seem hesitant to take it off, which I love.
No, that's exactly what we want.
-Hang it for me.
-Okay.
Then Daniel can make these alterations.
Yeah, of course.
-Thank you.
-My pleasure.
It looks fantastic.
When you looked in that mirror, did you feel the way you wanted? I felt like there I was.
Right there.
And I've not been able to look at myself in a mirror in a suit and ever say that, ever.
Good.
That makes me so happy.
Okay.
I'm hoping this is a safe space and I can ask you whatever I want.
Honestly, I hate to admit it, but I'm not immersed in the gay community.
Therefore, I'm ignorant.
I don't know the correct pronouns.
And how--? How would you feel if I were to get that wrong? It does still happen.
I get female pronoun-ed with the full beard.
That was one of the things, actually that was the crappiest part about my hospital experience, um, because my gender marker wasn't changed yet.
So, like, on their charts, they're reading female, seeing female, the doctors, nurses, everybody walking in.
And despite the fact that I have a full beard, and I'm topless, like, completely like bare chest and no chest.
And they still wanna call me "she" and "her" and stuff like that.
And it hurts.
Like, God, I spent almost a decade of my life being miserable in my body.
Just miserable.
The way it affected me in the way I interacted with people-- I haven't even felt comfortable giving hugs in a decade because I feel people touch my chest and it makes me so uncomfortable.
I, uh I feel frigging stupid, quite honestly.
I appreciate you trying to educate yourself, it means a lot.
No, I feel stupid.
I've always looked at trans people and I've thought, "Why don't you just--? It costs so much and it can be really painful.
Why put yourself through that? It seems such a traumatic experience.
" It's a lot.
I truly didn't understand what that meant to actually have the surgery done and feel-- And feel that change.
And when I saw the video of you when you woke up, I don't really think you were coherent at the time.
-I don't remember it.
-I don't think you were.
But that shows how frigging raw it was when you opened your eyes and looked down and you go to reach for your chest.
Um That changed it for me.
I thought, "Oh, this is what it means.
" Yeah.
Um I'm annoyed at myself, "Why didn't you get involved? You would have then understood maybe the trans community.
" There are so many people out there like me, who are ignorant, who don't understand.
I always felt for the plight of trans people.
However, I always thought, "Is it necessary for you to have this top surgery, for you to feel like a man?" For Skyler it was.
The fact I didn't understand that beforehand makes me feel silly.
This really has helped, truly.
How are you feeling about getting your license changed? I'm incredibly excited but also nervous.
This is my second go trying to get my marker changed.
-Really? -Mm-hm.
They would not change it, they were adamant about needing to have a surgery letter.
Then the woman said something to me along the lines of, "I'm not gonna do this, come back when you're complete.
" -What the hell? -Yeah.
It's heartbreaking because all he wants is for the gender on his license to match the person he is and the person we see.
I'm gonna be walking out with a male license today.
Hundred percent.
We're talking about a driver's license, but this is such a life-changing moment for Skyler.
The decision that is made is gonna affect Skyler in ways that we take for granted every single day.
-You said gender change? -Yes, ma'am.
So, I've got my social.
A single card that is basically your pass to get a job, go into a bar, get on a flight.
So, I've got my birth certificate that has my dead name on it, and then my surgery letter.
-It worked? -Yeah.
I got it.
-Yes! -Yeah, we're good, man.
We're good.
-Congratulations.
-Thank you.
One little marker right there changes a lot of experiences for me in my day-to-day life.
The amount of times that you have to show identification, or job hunting, like walking into a job interview and knowing that if I get it, there's a chance they're gonna take it away when I pull this ID out.
Like, that's happened to me before.
I've been waiting for this for so long.
I'm so happy right now I wanna cry.
I'm coming.
-I got shorter legs.
-I know.
-Like I'm looking back for my husband.
-You smell nice.
Thank you.
-In your bedroom, -Yes.
I wanna hear what you think you need.
Um I need, I think, like, stuff that would take a floor space that's being covered, so, maybe just one area of floor space.
-Floor is not where you store things.
-Yes.
-Closets, drawers, boxes and doors.
-Okay.
I like this actually.
-The cool thing about this system, -That's for me.
it actually has little things like That you can just take out and go to your bed, you can put what you need, organize it, you can slide things out.
And then -That's neat.
-Right? -Keep your pants organized.
-Cool.
And the thing is this also allows you to let go of things, 'cause when you can't see everything you have-- -You're not paying attention.
-Right.
But when you can, you're like, "Wait a sec, I have not worn these in years, why are they taking up space?" -Time to go.
-Exactly.
So, out with the old -and Tan will be in with the new.
-Okay.
Whoa.
-What did you find? -I just like how shiny it is.
It caught my eye.
I know it's not awesome but it's just shiny.
I like rainbows, rainbows catch my eyes.
-Queer is a pillar of the house.
-Yes.
-Not the trash can, not the art, a pillar.
-Okay.
That's fair.
I'm what you're looking for I want to do a tight fade on the sides and your edges, I wanna take the top down.
For facial hair So, for Skyler, when he transitioned, his facial hair were the first thing that he had that really made him feel like a man.
So, I need to approach the facial hair in a tactful way.
I don't wanna make Skyler do something he's not ready for.
The length here, it's making the chin seem long, you don't have this long face.
So, I wanna take this down, if you ever want to grow him back, -I encourage you to grow this part, too.
-Like farther? -Yes.
-Do you cut it here, though? There's a rule, you put a finger on your Adam's apple-- -I don't have one.
-Oh, my gosh.
Your vocal box right here, which I can totally feel, that's him.
-That's like my tiny Adam's apple.
-Yeah.
-Don't talk like that, he is huge.
-I got distance that I should let grow.
But it's already going.
By taking your beard down, it's gonna bridge that gap.
I'm gonna start with a two-guard which is quite short but you're not walking out with a clean face.
-Are we down with that? -Yeah.
-I didn't wanna make a decision.
-As long as it's not gone.
It's not completely gone.
Skyler and I decide for a stubbly look.
We're gonna make sure he has a shadow, feeling that masculinity.
So, he's feeling strong, but not hiding behind this facial hair.
Hi, jawbone.
-Nobody wants that.
-You can see my stubble.
You're giving me shadow and he's totally insanely hot.
I'm gonna go under your fade.
I wanna gloss your hair.
I'm gonna start this on your face -and then go to the shampoo room.
-Cool.
So, I'm using semi-permanent on you, because of that it doesn't lift your natural hair color so it'll fade out all the way and you don't have to worry about harsh fade lines-- -Upkeep and stuff.
Okay.
-Exactly.
-This looks so good.
-Yeah? Skyler's made a good executive decision, he decided to have a perm on his hair.
I support you, I don't support the wearing of it curly.
I'm gonna show you how to do a blow dry.
Little tiny hair dryer.
None of the Golden Girls wore perms like a perm, you have to blow it out.
See how I'm using the round brush push the hair on your head, like an ironing board.
-Can you get mine to stand up like Tan's? -Yes.
-I love his hair.
-Me, too.
And now face look.
Makeup has been marketed towards women but I know men who are full of ingrowns, who have discrepancies in their skin that can be suited by just doing a little makeup.
So, obviously, with being on testosterone, -that is going to make a lot of extra oil.
-Yes.
It's gonna make you prone to break out.
When I'm doing grooming on men, I like to use concealer, like on your entire face.
Let's go here, here, here.
Yes.
-Enough? -More on your neck.
-Like this? -Yeah.
More, more, more.
We're gonna start to rub, 'cause this is our foundation.
-Ready to see your new look? -Yes.
-There's the new and improved Skyler.
-Yeah, looks great.
-That looks good.
-And it's just sexy, like you look good.
Thank you.
I appreciate that.
I'm feeling the volume on the hair.
That's giving me my best life, so thank you.
-Higher the hair, closer to God.
-There you go.
I love it.
Yes.
We're home.
-Guys, they're here.
-Coming, let me wash my hands.
- I'm ready to see my house.
I miss it.
- You have no idea.
-I see people walking.
-I'm ready, I'm excited.
-Okay.
-Oh, my gosh.
We're home.
- Are you ready? - I don't know, but I'm here.
I'm so excited Nice, and look the carpet's actually clean, wonderful.
Yes, I love it.
Thank you for keeping the queer.
High-end queer, I love it.
A new genre, high-end queer.
I love all the art that you put up there, that looks so good.
You had cool pieces.
I was able to take a lot of stuff that you already had.
The piss couch, it's been replaced with a big sectional for the whole crew to sit on.
This is my spot.
Love it.
It's a place now that he can entertain the friends and family that he has on a constant basis and be the king of his castle.
Are you comfy? -You love it? -Yeah.
I love it.
Are you ready for what an adult man's bed looks like? Okay, yes, yes.
Yes, yes.
I saw the Todrick Hall posters, his album Emerald City, - so, I made this Emerald City.
- Yeah.
And what is more masculine than old leather tufted sofas and tufted beds? So, I found a modern leather bed.
This is one of the coolest frames I've ever seen.
It's like the isle of luxuriation.
Yeah, right here.
I wanted to make sure that Skyler's room was masculine, but with color and playful, because that's Skyler.
So, it's a man's man's room, but also a cool young hip man's room.
What I want you to make is two varieties of poke, a spicy one and a sweet tangy one.
For my lesson, I want him to prepare something that's really easy, and since he loves raw fish so much, poke.
Sushi tuna, you can buy frozen.
The easy thing, now it's in a block and it's really solid, it makes it a lot easier to cut, but I pre-chopped.
So, for our two styles of poke, super traditional, spicy chili mayo.
-Love it on all my sushi.
-Mayo, sriracha and also sesame oil.
So, I mix that up, a drizzle, drizzle, drizzle.
Tiny bit of salt.
So, the second one, ponzu, you can smell it here.
This is, uh, soy sauce that's infused with yuzu rind.
-Smells good.
-Citrus and lemon skin.
We'll put Ponzu into the mayo, you wanna mix it up until it's smooth.
-We're gonna assemble these.
-Okay.
-The serranos in the spicy tuna.
-Okay.
Black sesame seeds.
This is for texture -just to have a little crunch.
-Okay.
It makes it look cuter.
And the white sesame seeds on the white and a tiny bit of truffle oil.
That's it, so, what I would suggest is grab these.
-Okay.
-Try whichever you want.
We mix these or just go for it? I like the fact that the ingredients are all over the place.
Take a bite.
Mm.
-Love that, very tasty.
-Cool? -Whoo! -First things first -Enjoy.
-Ooh.
This catches my eye immediately.
Oh, my gosh, that's awesome.
I love that jacket.
-The left side is the work side.
-Okay, work and play.
Yes, I've separated it out to work and play.
I remember you loved to blur the lines with androgyny, you don't mind masculine, feminine.
So, I wanted to really push that.
You said you love Todrick's style.
-Yes, this is so Toddy right here.
-Yes.
-So, this-- Exactly.
-This is Toddy.
-I see it, I love it.
-The romper, the leather pants.
Oh, my God, yes.
I want a sectional.
Yeah.
-I want you trying two lots for the guys.
-Okay.
All right, you guys, here we go.
-First casual look.
-Are you ready? Yeah.
Ooh.
Wow.
-I love the boots.
-I love the three-quarter.
He is shorter than some, he's pretty much my height.
We create an optical illusion to make him seem taller, so, the proportions really help.
We've shown the top of his boot, tucked in the shirt.
- Balances his proportions.
- You have no idea what it's like to look in the mirror and see This.
Like be straight and like fit me right, and like feel broader up here than I ever have.
Like everything just fits me right.
It feels right, and I've-- First experience, thank you for sharing it with me.
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
We're gonna take him from this and put him in a party look.
-Yeah, do it.
-You look awesome.
Thank you, guys.
We are serving you fashion week.
L.
A.
, Paris, London, you name it, we got it, we're serving it.
- Ready for this? - Yes.
-Ready for this? -It's kooky, it's out there, it's clubby, so, let's see this.
Yeah, all right.
You made it seem really crazy.
- This is dope.
- You know, you took the former over-the-top crazy and you classied the crazy.
Exactly.
The sequin jacket is a lot of look for most people -but you make it look so easy.
-Thank you, yeah.
And I love stars, actually.
- How good we are.
- Thank you.
Sit with us.
-Join us.
-Yes.
-I should be your sixth member.
-I know.
Meeting you has been a major eye-opening experience and I'm so glad that we had that chance to sit and talk, and for me to finally ask the questions that I've been dying to ask for so many years now.
And as far as fashion goes, you are a strong man, you have a position in your community.
Play as much as you want, enjoy that closet, -no rules.
-Thank you for elevating me.
-Thank you.
-Skyler, before I go, I would love for you to get your ID, I want the guys to see it.
And, bam! Aw Yes.
- Oh, gosh.
- You guys have no idea how important that is to me.
The first time I went, it was awful trying to get that changed, and the woman that I went to was just so awful.
She called her supervisor, it was a big deal, they told me, "Come back when you're complete.
" I was terrified to go alone, so, thank you, Karamo.
I appreciate that.
- I was honored.
- I needed that support.
I can't tell you how honored I was to be on that journey.
I've worked a lot with the trans community but after Skyler, I'm reminded of how much more support I need to be giving to my trans brothers and sisters.
People are going to know that they can live and thrive and succeed because of you.
We get caught up in our own struggles and battles, just as human beings, and we forget that there's somebody that needs our love, and I just hope that more people that are in the queer community or even outside, realize that sometimes all we need is for someone to say: "I'm ready to show up for you.
" -Oh, my God.
-Bye.
-Bye, have fun tonight.
-Bye, thank you.
I see your face I see your star This is my homage to Skyler.
-Step outside my comfort box.
-I'm loving this.
-And put a bit of guy liner on.
-I'm loving it.
-I know.
-Yes! - Bobby, you're missing the party.
- Yeah! - Yes! - Whoo! Get it, girl.
You little jerk, you outdid me.
I thought I should do a little gender bender today.
-I raided your closet.
-I know you did.
Let's go before this goes nasty.
Sit spread-eagled in the couch.
How do ladies do this? Are we ready to see Skyler? Yeah.
He loves sushi.
I wanted to teach him how to make something super simple.
This is traditional surfer food in Hawaii, and poke is a salad made with raw tuna and any element that you can put in, cucumber, avocado.
He's taking leftover sushi rice, we set him up with an air fryer, he's making crispy rice crackers with poke on them.
Ooh.
I love poke.
Come in to our new home.
-And you have Roma, too.
-Oh, my goodness.
-Roma, look.
-Yes.
Kitty, kitty, kitty.
You look good.
You guys like my Toddy inspired sequins? -I like this, 5 o'clock shadow.
-Yeah.
-He is completely owning this.
-Yeah.
This is the cutest thing.
I have these cool appetizers that Antoni taught me how to make.
Are you gonna be cooking for us now? King of my domain.
Look, I'm cooking, I look good.
To our new house.
- Thank you, Bobby.
- It's so amazing.
Oh, okay, who's here? Oh, my God! Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
I'm gonna cry.
-I'm so happy you're here.
-Oh, my gosh, I'm so happy to be here.
Todrick Hall is in my house right now.
-Oh, my gosh, this is a cute house.
-Hi.
Now, that's how you give a surprise, baby.
We took him off the walls, and brought him in person.
- So excited to be here.
- Welcome.
Oh, my gosh, "Welcome to our home.
" It's so cute.
I can't believe you're in my house.
This is so cool.
We've been talking about you, who inspires your fashion, your life, I was like, "Todrick," my only answer, over and over and over.
-Do you like this jacket? -Love the jacket.
-Yeah.
-Maybe we can share clothes.
-You can raid my closet.
-I would love that.
-If I'm allowed to raid yours.
-Absolutely.
It's nice to see him vulnerable.
-Emerald green.
-I love it.
-Oh, my gosh.
-Yeah.
I might need to move in.
You're so fun with your fashion, you play with it, you bounce back and forth between feminine and masculine.
You were so important to my transition, and recognizing that I am feminine and I am masculine, and that gets put into this perfect little ball that is me.
But it took me a long time to be okay with that feminine side and seeing another queer man like you that owned all of it and just was so fabulous.
Your performance inspires me, who you are inspires me and I can't praise you enough in what you've done for me, -I really can't.
-You're so sweet.
You're gonna make me cry.
Thank you.
- I had my top surgery.
- How do you feel? I feel great.
I feel better.
I had some really extreme complications that put me in the hospital for a while.
There was even a point where I got so scared that I was laying in the hospital bed and I was, like upset and I was crying and my thought that came through my head was, "I want my mom.
" Aw.
My friends know how powerful that is for me, because my mom and I haven't spoken in six years.
-She doesn't agree with who I am.
-Oh, wow.
Like, she thinks I'm insane for wanting to be a man.
But that's how scared I was sitting in that hospital room and, like I want that, like, maternal comfort.
I need someone to hug me and tell me it's okay and I was thankful that I had such a large community base to come and just be there for me.
I feel like it's important for you to go and share your story, because you're such a beaming light of hope for people who are just like you and struggling.
Hopefully everything with your mom works out, but I think that it's beautiful that you have created your own family and that you chose to be happy rather than follow in the footsteps of everyone else.
-This is awesome and beautiful.
-Thank you.
I appreciate that, Todrick, that means a lot.
-Thank you.
-Oh, I love you.
Aw! Yeah.
-Break a leg.
Slay.
-Thank you.
Thank you.
-I know you will.
-Just tune in my inner Toddy.
-Okay, awesome.
-Bye.
Bye, you all.
Bye, Skyler.
She was just a meme there.
I'm gonna go upstairs and throw my stuff together.
- Sharp.
- More sophisticated.
He looks amazing, every bit of it.
Oh, no, no, no.
Don't put your collar over your suit.
Not the John Travolta collar.
No, the collar out is horrible, the rest of it I quite like.
-Whoo! -Skyler.
-Love it.
-I'll see you later.
Roll out.
- All right, we're here.
- Let's go.
-See that M? -Thank you, sir.
Enjoy your time.
Aw I love this bar.
-You look great.
-Yeah! Ow! It's Skyler time! I love him.
I don't know if you know why we're here tonight, but this is a big night for me, this is my first night back in the community since I got top surgery.
The community in less than two and a half months raised $8,000 for me.
Yeah! Eight thousand dollars, y'all.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I cannot tell you how much you have changed my life.
For years, every single second of my day, whether you knew it or not, I was thinking about how uncomfortable I was in my body, and how unhappy I was with my body.
I can't tell you guys how awesome it is to be able to look forward to the future, -and be excited about it.
-And look sexy! Thank you.
Thank you.
And finally, after 30 years of living, I have an ID that says I'm a real boy.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
I think I needed this to happen more than I could really wrap my head around.
Before my top surgery that was all I could think about, like every second of my mind space was occupied by that, and I couldn't be more thankful that the guys helped me become a better person and see my future more clearly.
I feel more comfortable in this moment than I have ever felt in my entire life.
We are the party people We set the bar And we'll take it way too far Throwin' it down, shakin' up this town We like to do what's never been done Break all the rules And make all the fun We ditch outta school Get it, get it, get it.
-This is when you know it's your party.
-Can we key it up? So, real quick, because I'm hot, you're all hot, it's hot in here.
I'm gonna show my surgery results.
Oh! Yes.
Go on, kiddo.
I never expected this experience with Skyler, but he made me wanna fight for who I am and what I stand for.
I have hidden myself away for years, I've hidden that I'm gay, and that I'm married to a man.
I've hidden myself away to make sure that people are more comfortable, and I so wish I had a little bit more of what Skyler has.
-Be proud, baby, be proud.
-Yeah, Skyler.
-On three, can we say, "Cheers, queers"? -Yes.
One, two, three.
Cheers, queers.
It's someone else's turn.
-Fashion is about risks, right, Jonathan? -Obvi.
When you're in men's wear and can't find what you're looking for, head on over to ladies' wear, just like he does.
-Gender bending.
-Yes, get it.
Yep, yep, yep.
Yep, yep.
Mm-hm.
You came into my life And my world never looked so bright It's true You bring out the best in me When you are around Things keep getting better Things keep getting better Things keep getting better Things keep getting better