Echoes of Equality: An LGBTQ+ Community Ally's Tale of Tenacity

Have you ever witnessed courage that leaves you breathless and admiration that swells your heart? 

In our latest clip episode, Gina Ortiz, an indomitable ally from the LGBTQ+ community pulls back the veil on the tumultuous evolution from the 1980s to the present day. 

Gina recounts the seismic shifts from the shadows of fear and secrecy to today's colorful tapestry of pride and connection. 


Connect with Gina ▶︎
WEBSITE: www.tgtransitions.com 
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/gina.jet.56

Transcript

Shelbe Chang: 0:00

You start um get involved in the LGBTQ community in the 80s, correct? So you I'm sure you've seen a lot of changes, a lot of um, so can you kind of share, like what's the difference between now and then, like maybe 80s, 90s? I?

Gina Ortiz : 0:16

don't know if you're if you're listeners are actually going to appreciate that, because I have. I'm divided right down the middle with that. In some ways, I think it's amazing changes for the better and then some changes are just suck, some changes are horrible, and I hate to say it, but I blame and credit social media for both, because in one way, I think that the community has uh come way out of hiding, which is great, and that they're blessed that now they have this huge community, they're not alone anymore, they're not in shame anymore, they're not living in this horrific dark place of shame and and suicidal feelings and alcoholism and all kinds of terrible destructive behaviors that that trans people were when they thought that they were alone.

Gina Ortiz : 1:04

that's what they centered toward. So they've been freed, Yay. And all of these terrible habits are falling off and now they're making friends and they're having a, because I know, Shelby, you have a lot of events. I know that you've had a lot of like gatherings and stuff at the beach and clothing swaps and stuff. And so Shelby here gives people somewhere to go. That isn't a bar, yeah.

Gina Ortiz : 1:26

Outside of and that's important, because sometimes some of us are in recovery and don't want to. We want to socialize, but we don't want to go to a bar, we don't want to hear.

Michelle Herman: 1:39

We're gonna have to scream at each other, and so to be outside at the beach or go to Don's for clothing swap or something like that.

Gina Ortiz : 1:46

is wonderful, she's been actually really important in that part of the community. So on that in that way. I think it's really helpful that social media has brought everybody out and let's let's get rid of all that shame and let's put on our fanciest dress and go out and go dancing. And now people aren't afraid to go to regular restaurants. And now people aren't afraid to go shinshopping.

Shelbe Chang: 2:07

I was just telling Michelle that she just came, came out starting transition two years ago. That's all, yeah, yeah, that's all. See, that's all, oh my God so so I've so I realized, like the newer generation girls, they are coming out fast and then they are totally know what to do. Like myself, you've seen 10 years ago, I have no clue.

Gina Ortiz : 2:29

That's because there was no information out there.

Michelle Herman: 2:31

And I would have been in the same place. I've had a few people that I've seen come out and even in the industry that I was in, in nonprofit and in ministry, where some key people came out and that just shown me that I could do it. And so back in the 80s you didn't have, there was no one that had come out and everybody was still in hiding and fearful. And that's how I think it's funny that people say, oh, it's so trendy now Everybody is becoming trend. No, we're just talking about it now because we haven't been able to be fine.

Gina Ortiz : 2:58

I want to slap you when they say that that drives me nuts. Oh, it's so in to be. No, it's not. That's bravery 101 that you're seeing. It's not trends or following anything. It's bravery.

Michelle Herman: 3:10

I talk a lot on social media about. It's not a choice. It is. If I had a choice, I would have not been chosen this. I would still be with my family, I would have a relationship with my kids and I would be doing what I would normally be doing. But I'm very happy with this now because it's who I am. But it's a costful, painful road, I know.

Gina Ortiz : 3:28

I know, and I guess, from a service provider's point of view, I hear and I don't mean to diminish anything that you're saying. I have to be really careful not to do that, but I hear that story every day, yeah, exactly, of how hard they fought and what they had to sacrifice and what they had to give up. Some people are really lucky and you know, do you remember TS Roadmap, the website, the one website that was like the first thing? Yes, I did the. Andrea James and Calpurnia Adams created this wonderful website called TS roadmap and I remember looking at that.

Shelbe Chang: 4:04

Mm-hmm.

Gina Ortiz : 4:05

I think when it first I can't tell you the date that it launched, but it was around the time and there was almost no information on it but the fact that there was a voice Coming through a computer screen for someone to follow and to read and I thought, okay, this is gonna help me even as a service provider, because Sensitivity and just knowing a little, having a little bit more information to work with when a client comes and knowing how to talk to them, and now they're everywhere. You know those websites come and go, they're up and down. Every week it's a different one and then they fold and but you know what? Your original question about how the community has changed I think that half of it has been a really great, positive, empowering change and the other half isn't so nice. And I think that narcissism and exhibitionism and vanity and I've seen that a lot because I'm a makeup artist and I'm kind of like, well, that's not really. It's not really what I meant when I started. It wasn't about I wanted to give people confidence, not egomania.

Gina Ortiz : 5:06

I wanted to make them feel good about themselves, to where they could go out and enjoy their life. I didn't want to turn them into a duck lift selfie.

Shelbe Chang: 5:18

So so what kind of clientele do you have right now? Like because I kind of notice, probably like 10, 15 years ago, or Club growers, right, because like that at that time, that we only still have only clipping to go in our little Community so what about now? Like if people come to you, ask for your service. What? What did they planning to do?

Gina Ortiz : 5:42

I do about half and half. I do cross-dressers and I do trans women. Almost all of them are in their 40s. I have a very small percentage that are under 40. Most of them are older. Even I have one that's 82. I know it was just a wonderful story actually was, because her wife died.

Gina Ortiz : 6:07

Oh, and it's so sad. But at the same time she says I'm just glad that I was able to come out before I died Like that. And she goes honey, I'm 82 and it could happen to me anytime. And I said I'm so sorry about your wife and she says I am too.

Gina Ortiz : 6:22

God bless her heart, she left me some of the best dresses, because now I don't have to worry about going out looking for wardrobe and I said you know, I'm glad that you could turn this into a positive thing, but my clientele has changed so drastically since I first started because you know you met us. We were all these club tramps.

Shelbe Chang: 6:41

Yes.

Gina Ortiz : 6:42

You know it was Tiffany, amber roads and Luanne and all of us would get to get and everybody had these hot pink short skirts and Fishnet stockings in the big platform. Boots now almost knit like that's not that thing?

Gina Ortiz : 6:55

not at all, it's it's older, sophisticated, uh, usually highly educated trans women. I do get some youngsters every now and then, not very often, um, not very often I, because I think that they started so young, you know, when they started so much younger the older generation, there's like a 25 or 30 year gap, I don't mean in their age, I mean like when it was okay to come out. So the kids that are out today, it's been okay to come out for the last 10 years or something, but before that and then you grew up with makeup as a normal part of your life.

Michelle Herman: 7:34

I intentionally stayed away. I did a few times where I would just try to practice or whatever, but I was trying to be a man and so I didn't let myself. And so when I transitioned to 52, I have a steep learning curve.

Gina Ortiz : 7:47

So, like all these brands and choices and what is my skin color and what's an undertone, and I know so much, I hear that so much and I don't wanna talk about future plans, but let's say that I'm working very hard on getting something really special going that's gonna help with that teaching and because that is it, that is 90% of it. Any client, no matter if they are white or black, or young or old, or from wherever, or whatever culture background they're from, always have the same questions how do I know what my skin type is?

Shelbe Chang: 8:20

How do I find out you?

Gina Ortiz : 8:22

know I don't wanna go on YouTube and watch 700 videos that you're gonna tell me Completely conflicting information. One video tells you one thing and the very next video tells you the complete opposite, and I'm like well, there actually are tricks that you can do. Take a shower, wait a couple of hours and then get a piece of paper and stick it on your face. Does it stick Most?

Michelle Herman: 8:43

likely your oily skin.

Gina Ortiz : 8:45

Does it leave a mark. You know you can tell if your skin is oily or dry Obviously by a couple hours after your shower. If you feel your nose here and it feels oily, you got oily skin, and I know that it sounds really obvious, but it's actually not, because sometimes we're oily in some places and dry in others. I have what's called combination skin. Most people do so, things like that, and the most idiotic what they think is an idiotic question actually isn't idiotic to me, because it's totally common sense. How are you supposed to know what mascara? How are you supposed to know what foundation? You can't ask, you can't like look commercially, because every foundation company tells you theirs is the best.

Gina Ortiz : 9:27

Every mascara tells you that theirs is the best. It's a load of BS. I have a basket at home that has about 100 different types of mascara in it and I call it the mascara graveyard, exactly Because I literally it's an addiction. I literally will go out to the store every time I see a commercial for a new mascara. I'm in the car shooting flames out of my butt. Get there in time and I buy it and I put it on and it's awful and it goes in the mascara cemetery.

Michelle Herman: 9:53

And waterproof is a lie. I haven't found anyone that is actually waterproof.

Gina Ortiz : 10:01

They don't mean you can go swimming in the ocean for a month.

Michelle Herman: 10:05

Just lasting throughout the day. Yeah well, there's a trick to putting it on.

Gina Ortiz : 10:10

There's a way that you're supposed to put it on, but to me, waterproof mascara is awful because it's too hard to get off. It's really hard on your lashes and your lashes will actually break off. It's not good for your lashes. It comes with conditioning. It has a lot of bullshit. No, it doesn't. I know, rick, I can read the damn ingredients and if it does, it's got such trace amounts of it. It's trying to convince you that it's not going to rip your lashes out when you put it on. It's not true, wow?

Michelle Herman: 10:40

See, this is why we need you.

Gina Ortiz : 10:42

There are so many millions of little tricks and I thought you know I charge people per lesson and I don't. I think we've just gone past this area where we can keep doing that. I don't think that's. That's not a business model. It's going to last very long. Everything is online now. Zoom happens totally yes. So it's all going on. Zoom now.

Shelbe Chang: 11:06

So do you help your client face off, like meaning, after the night's over do they come to you and take everything off Hell no, no, they used to, but I don't want people come to my house at three o'clock in the morning, drunk Exactly. Do you remember what we used after the ox, when we used to?

Gina Ortiz : 11:22

bring people over For example, do you then?

Shelbe Chang: 11:24

do you give them like a wipe or a come?

Gina Ortiz : 11:26

for us. Yes, yes, yes.

Shelbe Chang: 11:27

Tell them what to do.

Gina Ortiz : 11:29

Well, first of all, before anybody even sits in my chair, I asked them where they're going and what they're doing, and they I request them to be honest with me, because if you're going to be engaging in a little kissing and stuff, you're going to be fooling around. You've got to date with a man or something. You better tell me, because that means you're going to have a different set of products.

Gina Ortiz : 11:47

You're going to have, you know, the smudge kiss proof lipstick, you know, smudge proof makeup, and Casey ruffs you up a little bit. You've got to be able to still look good when you get up in the morning. Are you just going to go out dancing, you know? Are you wearing a corset and breast forms? Because if you do, you're going to sweat more. You need this, these set of products, now. But yes, I used to have people come to my house after the club and I would take their makeup off because we were all at the bar too and dark. So here comes Mayor Phil with a girl at each arm.

Gina Ortiz : 12:17

I'm like oh, they need their makeup off. Oh, they do.

Michelle Herman: 12:20

And my jammies have drunk a little.

Gina Ortiz : 12:23

But yeah, you know, no, I bring them. I give away little things of coconut oil. That's how I remove. All my makeups is with coconut oil. Little, even remove adhesive, so it's really really good on the skin.

Shelbe Chang: 12:36

Okay. So if anybody listening or watching this show, if they want to inquire your business, where can they find you?

Gina Ortiz : 12:46

Yeah, so I actually have two websites. One is called TGTransitionscom, the other one is called TSTransitionscom. You can probably guess which one was launched first. Tstransitions was first, that's when it was okay to say that, and now it's not so. Now it's TGTrans. I forgot my own brand new website, tgtransitionscom.

Michelle Herman: 13:09

Awesome, that would be good. Thanks for watching.