Transman Realness: Carter Prodigy

NAME: CARTER PRODIGY

WHERE DO YOU LIVE: PHILADELPHIA, PA

PRONOUNS: HE/ HIM/ HIS

FAVORITE QUOTE: “I BEEN REAL, GAME OVER”

BO: TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY…

CARTER: I DECIDED TO TRANSITION AT A YOUNG AGE. AT FIRST I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO BE JUDGED. AFTER A WHILE I DIDN’T CARE WHAT NOBODY THOUGHT, MY HAPPINESS WAS MORE IMPORTANT. I WAS SUFFERING FROM PTSD FROM LOSING MY MOM, BUT SHE RAISED ME TO BE THE STRONG MAN THAT I AM TODAY. ALTHOUGH MY FAMILY WAS SUPER SUPPORTIVE OF MY DECISION, I HAD TO DEAL WITH A LOT OF DISCRIMINATION WITH THE COPS- THAT LED ME IN A DARK HOLE- BUT I BOUNCED BACK, HEAD HELD HIGH. THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS WITH LIFE- NO MAN IS PERFECT, BUT A TRYING MAN IS EVERYTHING!

BO: YOU WALK TRANSMAN REALNESS, THERE ARE SOME TRANSMEN THAT HAVEN’T HAD POSITIVE EXPERIENCES IN BALLROOM. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

CARTER: SOME TRANSMEN DECIDE NOT TO BE A PART OF BALLROOM BECAUSE OF THE DRAMA THAT BALLROOM WILL BRING SOMETIMES. I DON’T THINK THEY RESPECT TRANSMEN AS MUCH AS THEY DO WITH EVERYONE ELSE THAT WALKS DIFFERENT, MULTIPLE CATEGORIES. (MOST BALLS ONLY HAVE 1 TRANSMAN SPECIFIC CATEGORY & IT IS SOMETIMES COMBINED WITH OTHER FIGURE AND REALNESS CATEGORIES).

BO: WHAT MAKES YOU PERSONALLY LEGEND? WHAT BROUGHT YOU THAT ICON STATUS?

CARTER: WHEN I WALK I ALWAYS BRING IT AND ALWAYS ON POINT FOR MY CATEGORY. I AM NOT SCARED TO BATTLE ANYBODY- MEET ME IN THE BACK OF THE RUNWAY!!

BO: WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHER TRANSMEN INTERESTED IN BECOMING PART OF THE SCENE?

CARTER: MAKE SURE YOU GO TO A BALL BEFORE YOU WALK SO THAT YOU CAN GET IN YOUR MIND WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING. ALSO, TAKE YOUR TIME IN JOINING A HOUSE- THAT’S YOUR SECOND FAMILY.

FOLLOW CARTER PRODIGY @IZEEM CARTER ON FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM