Josie Totah Says Being Visible in LGBTQ Community Is 'Scary' But of 'Grave Importance'

Krissy Saleh and Crooked Media

Josie Totah is unpacking some of the biggest issues of current times.

The 21-year-old actress recognizes her "immense amount of privilege" when it comes to being visible in the LGBTQ community, as she tells PEOPLE about representing Gen Z with her new Crooked Media podcast Dare We Say, which premiered Thursday.

"I am a person who has money to pay for my transition, to pay for my health, to be able to pay to move to a place that will allow me to live in my truth and have people help me and fight with me," she explains. "And I will never know what it's like to be a kid in one of those states or in so many of those states who are being persecuted for just living their truth."

"And it is scary being so visible. But I also understand that there is grave importance for it and I wouldn't change that for the world," adds Totah, who came out as transgender in 2018.

Krissy Saleh and Crooked Media

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She says she's "proud to be so visible despite this very turbulent time," during which at least 13 U.S. states have signed anti-LGBTQ legislation into law in 2022 alone, according to HRC.

"And I think I'm reminded by that when I meet young people who tell me that they see themselves in me or I've helped them in a certain way," Totah continues. "Throw me on the front lines, you know? Give me that risk because that risk is worth saving one other person."

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Totah has teamed up with her two best friends, Saved by the Bell costar Alycia Pascual-Peña and Chapman University sorority sister Yasmine Hamady, to tackle human rights issues and other everyday topics on their mind for Dare We Say.

Krissy Saleh and Crooked Media

While celebrating her 21st birthday with her friends in Scotland, Totah recounts how the idea for the podcast came together while Pasqual-Peña, 23, and Hamady, 24, stayed with her at her family's house during the eventful summer of 2020.

"We just had these hours-long, extensive conversations on everything that was happening in the world, in pop culture, in politics and just human rights," Totah explains. "And we realized that there was value in the things that we were speaking about and that we didn't have a place to speak about these things that wasn't our home."

The Glee alum plans to explore topics like pretty privilege, hookup culture, oppression and performative activism, as well as "how many wigs does Nicole Kidman own and has she gotten a boob job."

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"We really take a lot of thought and time and consideration to what subject we're bringing to the table. And sometimes the best subjects are the ones where none of us agree and we can learn from each other, like in real time," she says.

Totah adds that she didn't feel like CNN, Fox News and other outlets were "doing our demographic justice," noting of Gen Z: "The majority of us do care and we want to be respected in that way. We want to be valued for our complexity, and we want to be given a voice and a place to speak up."

Josie Totah's podcast Dare We Say is available now wherever podcasts are streamed.