Trace Lysette tells why trans actors should get first dibs at transgender roles

Drag queen personality Monét X Change asks actress Trace Lysette — known for her roles in Transparent and Hustlers, as well as for being the one to call out her Transparent co-star Jeffrey Tambor in 2017 for alleged sexual harassment — on her virtual Yahoo series The X Change Rate.

Video Transcript

MONET X CHANGE: Hey y'all, it's your girl Monet X Change here. And today I am super excited to have literally one of the most beautiful women in the world. Make some noise for the fabulous Trace Lysette.

TRACE LYSETTE: Hey, baby. How are you?

MONET X CHANGE: I was just scrolling through my Twitter, minding my own business and there pops up the link for your "SMB" music video, "Self-Made Bitches". Was rapping and music a passion for a while or is this like a new COVID found love? What's the tea?

TRACE LYSETTE: I shot a movie last year. The film is called, "Venus as a Boy", and I wanted to do a track for the movie. They asked me to and I was like, well, let me give them something with a message, something that related to me and my trans sisters. And that's how "Self-Made Bitch" came to be.

MONET X CHANGE: Is there another message in the song?

TRACE LYSETTE: I mean, I think it's kind of a double meaning. Being self-made in terms of career and also in terms of like, well, nobody gave me permission to exist in the world like the woman that I am, but this is me and I'm going to take up space and this is how I feel comfortable.

MONET X CHANGE: And I love the styling in the video. They have that shot where you turn around, when you make your ass do that thing. I said work. I need a class. I want to learn how to do that.

TRACE LYSETTE: I can show you how to do it. It's just the muscle isolation. I was a stripper for almost a decade, so that was paying the rent for a long time.

MONET X CHANGE: Thank you so much for being here. You are a trailblazer.

TRACE LYSETTE: For sure.

MONET X CHANGE: You are steadfast immovable and you have millions of fans that adore you. So thank you so much for being here today.

TRACE LYSETTE: Thank you so much.

[MUSIC PLAYING]