I don't view myself as a 'trans actor' or a 'trans model.' I mean, I am - it's part of who I am - but it's not something that solely defines me.

When it comes to beauty, I try to teach my step daughters to embrace themselves the way they are,and to have fun.

I think that for a lot of people, I inspire them to be themselves.

I would say what's really interesting about me personally is that I've taken my transgender experience, and I've looked at it on the bright side, on the positive side.

If I ever feel like I don't know what to do next, I always think about WWJD, like 'what would J-Lo do,' 'cause J-Lo for me is like the epitome of feminine sensuality, mixed with show stopping beauty.

Respectable transwomen were not as visible and very unclear in how they defined themselves. I had no one to look up to, pre-transition.

My experience started in the gay nightlife/drag life. I was just as consumed in ignorance about what is offensive to transpeople because at that time I hadn't found myself. I was living as a drag performer only.

I'm not Laverne Cox. I'm not Janet Mock... I'm just a girl from New Jersey who has experience and lived.

I don't dedicate my whole life to being a trans advocate. But I do believe that me, and how I represent myself and how I am honest and open to everybody, I do feel like I'm doing something for the trans community.

I know during my transition it was difficult for me to stop believing I would be stuck unhappy forever, but that's not true. Physical changes take a while but internal feelings of changing and finding your peace can take way longer.

My family is very supportive, lucky for me.

I want to inspire strength. I also want to inspire people to create their own happy reality.

I've always had a 'stand up for the people' type of personality.

I want to be respected as a woman, as a mother, as a wife. That's why I transition.

I don't want to reclaim the word 'tranny.' I don't want anyone to refer to me as 'tranny.'

And I come from a very proud Hispanic family. We're proud to be Latino. We're proud to be Peruvian. And my dad's side is proud to be Puerto Rican.

All you have to do is respect me. Use the right words. If you don't consider me a woman, then use trans woman. Whatever works for you. But don't try to use something that's a slur or something that's meant to degrade who we are.

For me, I've tried to always live in the moment and I don't think that much about what is law, what is written down.

I like to jump around, and it takes a long time for people to catch up to me sometimes.

I want to just be able to act and be like the girl next door or the cute babysitter or the busy mom who's fun or who knows, maybe something super dramatic, somebody who's really insecure and angry.

Couples Therapy' is pretty big for me because it's opening the door to a new audience - a hip-hop following, which I feel is a bit more judgmental toward the LGBT community.

When I was a kid, I was really quiet.

I always try to think about what I can do to let people know that I'm just like everyone else. I have two girls here at home I'm trying to raise. I'm trying to be a good stepmom. I'm trying to stay fit and be a good model and break ground in the acting world. I'm working that same struggle every other woman is trying to work.

In my early 20s, I set out to kind of find myself. At that time, if you were different or if you ever questioned your gender identity or sexual orientation, society kind of put you in the gay club.