A Transgender Latina Shares Her Story: “I Love the Way I Am, Because This Is Who I Am”

*Elia Chino has opened several HIV couneling and screening offices in Houston. She’s also a mentor and coundelor on geneder trasition. VL


cosmopolitan-magazine-logoBy Alanna Nuñez, Cosmopolitan

Caitlyn Jenner’s highly anticipated new reality show, I Am Cait, premiered Sunday, and while the show was a celebration of Caitlyn’s life, it was also a sobering reminder that for many in the transgender community, being honest about who they are doesn’t come with glamorous perks or publicity. Now, one such Latina shares her story with NBC Latino.

[pullquote]Elia Chino is the founder and executive director of a Houston-based nonprofit which provides HIV counseling and screening services.[/pullquote]

Elia Chino, formerly known as Elías Chino, grew up in Mexico, and is the founder and executive director of Houston-based nonprofit organization Fundación Latinoamericana de Acción Social (FLAS), which provides HIV counseling and screening services. She says she always knew she was different, but it wasn’t until she saw an interview of herself with a local news station more than10 years ago that the idea of transitioning “materialized” in her mind. “I told myself, ‘That’s not me,'” she said. “That’s when I decided to change.”

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[Photo courtesy of Cosmolpolitan]
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