Cyrus has already begun posting stories to her Instagram featuring Leo, a 19-year-old transgender man who is a college student at the University of Michigan. “I have a lot of different identities. I’m a writer, a filmmaker in the works, a sometimes photographer, a good public speaker, a social media junkie, a Gleek, a feminist, an activist, a movie buff, a dutiful Netflix fan,” he says. “The list goes on and on. As for my gender, I identify as a trans man.”
Of course, Cyrus’ nonprofit for homeless LGBT youth Happy Hippie is also behind the campaign, which launched yesterday. The hope of the campaign is to draw attention to the issues LGBT youth deal with and also make their lives and struggles more visible to a public that might otherwise not see them. “For someone that famous to say, ‘Hey, I’m looking at you. I know who you are, and I celebrate you;’ that means the world,” Mariana Marroquin, a participant in the campaign said. You’ll also find familiar faces like Brendan Jordan and YouTube sensation Gigi Gorgeous in the campaign, whose stories will be highlighted as #InstaPride continues.
Cyrus is particularly passionate about the cause, noting that her celebrity affords her many freedoms that might elude others. “There are women miles away from me right now that are only allowed to show this much of their eyes. I can stand on a stage with my tits out,” Cyrus says. “It’s so unfair that I’m allowed to be like this and there are two men that can’t get married in f—ing Nashville right now.”
[via TIME]
