Thank you Liz Pena for connecting me with Robyn Reeder. Her story is super amazing and inspiring. I met Robyn first online, and then again at the Exclamation! Magazine Gala last week. She gave an awareness speech that was very touching, and gave a little insight to her struggles, and maybe some struggles to what others are going through. The day after I got to do a shoot with her and ask a ton of questions about her, her mission, and what she plans on doing next. Hint: she has some books coming out soon! Keep an eye out for this woman.

Thank you so much for doing Project Strength Robyn! Speaking with you the other day, I learned a lot. This meant the world to me!

1) Please share a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do, and what are your passions?

Robyn Elaine Reeder, post op transgender female, born July 16th 1966 in Kokomo Indiana. Former Professional Wrestler before transition. I am a transgender advocate and activist, public speaker for the transgender community, spoke at Columbia University in New York City, Mount Diablo Unitarian Universality church in California as well as 2019 River City Pride in Jacksonville Florida. My passion is to prove that every woman both cis gender or transgender can be strong and confident and has the ability to be their true self along with the passion for protecting our transgender community including everyone from trans children to elder trans adults.

2) In your own words, what does strength mean to you? Please feel encouraged to use personal examples of situations in your life where you were required to demonstrate your strength.



Strength means being your true self and being confident in who you are. Example, on July 16th 2017 at 51 years old, I came out at transgender and decided to start transitioning from Male to Female. Strength is looking at things that you have such as homes, cars, and family and realizing that they don't make you the person who you are. Strength is sitting down with your wife and telling her that you are a transgender female and knowing that you are getting ready to loose everything you have worked for but knowing that this is what you need to do. It is being honest with your two daughters and telling them that their Dad is actually a woman. Strength is telling your family that for the last 51 years you have been living and pretending to be someone that your not and that you are a female trapped in a mans body. Strength is listening to your sister tell you that you should die and not letting it take hold of your life. That's what strength means to me.

3) What would you describe as the source of your strength?



My source of strength is going through what I have went through for the past 53 years, going through what I went through has made me the strong confident woman who I am today. Dealing with the bullies at school, dealing with the name calling, dealing with having to hide who I truly was, all of that has given me the strength to become the woman you see before you today.

4) What keeps you from giving up?

Knowing that I am an inspiration to other trans women, trans youth, and trans children, having them hear my story and what I have been through and knowing that what I am doing is going to help them in their future as they become their true beautiful self. Somebody once said, "your true life has yet to be lived" that is what keeps me from giving up, I continue to be an inspiration of strength, confidence, and beauty to all women, all children, and all teens, in every community.

5) Please share something that you never imagined you have the strength to do but you managed to accomplish anyway?

If you would have told me 10 years ago that one day I would be living and thriving as the woman I have felt like I always should have been since birth I would have never believed you. I never thought I would have that kind of strength. If you would have told me I would be an inspiration, a role model, be looked up to by hundreds or thousands of children, teenagers, and adults in the transgender community I would have never believed you but I had to dig down deep to find that strength and confidence to be the person I am today.