Blossom Brown is a self-described “trans health advocate, HIV/AIDs advocate, actress, activist, and motivational speaker, along with being a Greater Than Aids ambassador.” She is an accomplished advocate and transgender woman. She makes these facts of her identity openly now, but had not always felt at ease is sharing who she was. Our Editor-In-Chief, Griffin Gram, had the opportunity to sit with Blossom Brown and discuss her real life struggles and activism.
“I completely felt like I was in the wrong body.”
Going back to the beginning, Blossom was born in Greenwood, Mississippi and raised in the City of Jackson. Regarding her elementary years, Blossom stated, “I always knew I was different.” She described how she would play with her sisters’ dolls and gravitate more towards girls in play and feminine things. As she grew older, she began to have both psychological and physical feelings that she was different. “I completely felt like I was in the wrong body.” In 2002, she had reached high school age and had been bullied and made fun of for being gay or bisexual. This experience led her to develop suicidal thoughts. Then, in 2003, two weeks after her 17th birthday, she found out that she was HIV positive. She discovered this through a school blood drive when her blood while being tested for blood type.
“Every day I would go outside, change in my car, dress as a woman every day going to school.”
Between 2005 and 2008, around age 20, Blossom decided that she was ready to begin her transition. She began ordering hormones from Europe and dressing as a woman. She hid her gender identity from her family until the age of 26. “Every day I would go outside, change in my car, dress as a woman every day going to school. Then, by the time I came home, I would have to be a boy.” It was around this time that Blossom turned to drinking and sex work, until she became the victim of assault, by a close-friend.
Later on, Blossom was injured at work, resulting in her accidentally coming out to Mom. Rainwater had leaked into her office, where she was dressed as a woman, and she was knocked unconscious. When she came to, her mother was there. Blossom received a response from her mother that she never expected; she embraced her. She reports that it was here that she learned a great deal from her mother throughout her transition.
Although Blossom faced her fair share of heartache in college years, (she was rejected from nursing school because of her transition), by the time of she graduated, she became the first transgender woman of color to graduate from Mississippi University for Women. Blossom graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Health Education.
Fast-forward to today, Blossom currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, and continues to do work with film, advocacy, and motivational speaking. She has appeared on “I Am Cait” and “Ellen.” She recently finished a short film (which she has to be very hush-hush about). She has done work with the Greater Than Aids Campaign and the Human Rights Campaign, speaking at national dinners.
“It breaks my heart every time a trans kid doesn’t want to eat lunch because they’re afraid of going to the bathroom because someone is going to come in there and shame them.”
Blossom now speaks on a variety of topics and states that transgender acceptance starts with an open conversation and building tolerance. On transgender youth, she speaks out against bullying and states,“It breaks my heart every time a trans kid doesn’t want to eat lunch because they’re afraid of going to the bathroom because someone is going to come in there and shame them.” When asked if she had a message that she wanted to share with today’s transgender youth, she gave this message ““I would honestly tell them to continue to be who you are, be proud of who you are. You have a journey in this world and you are made to fulfill that journey. There will be bumps along the way. We all have to go through those bumps. But just know that there are people out there who are fighting for you each and every day. Stay focused on your goals. If you wake up everyday and you have a passion, a dream, or if there’s something that you like to do, then go for it. Do not let people stop you and try to talk you out of it. People may think it’s a foolish idea that you even want to go after this. But if you’re passionate enough and you love it enough go for it. You will be successful.”
