Here’s why you’ve definitely seen more trans people than you think

Just because you can’t tell if someone is trans doesn’t mean they aren’t — a fact that musician and influencer Sasha Allen says cis people need to realize.

Allen, best known for appearing on Season 21 of The Voice and working with coach Ariana Grande, broke the topic down on TikTok, telling a story of an all-too-common misconception.

“Someone commented on my video and they were like, ‘You’re the first trans person I’ve ever seen that I really can’t tell that you’re trans,’” Allen recalled. “Brother. Brother! Are you a f*cking idiot? You have seen trans people that you don’t know they’re trans, because they never f*cking tell you. Are you f*cking dumb?”

“That’s like saying to someone, ‘You’re the first person I’ve seen wear a wig that I can’t really tell that it’s a wig,’” he continued. “No! You’ve seen other wigs, they just look like f*cking hair!

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“They just pass, because there are f*cking surgeries and hormones,” Allen added. “Brother! Lock in!”

Allen’s comments section was full of folks pointing out the trans celebrities and influencers they never realized were trans until they were explicitly told, including musician Ethel Cain, TikToker Leo Macallan, makeup artist NikkieTutorials, singer Wesley Tucker, and actor Elliot Fletcher.

There were also plenty of trans folks relating to Allen’s experience: “‘I never would have guessed’ THANK YOU I’VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY TO GET HERE,” wrote one commenter.

“No one at work knows I’m trans,” commented another. “I told one coworker and she didn’t believe me at first until I showed her pics.”

“People always tell me to stop joking,” wrote a third. “Why would I joke about being trans?”

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Allen concluded his video with an important message about what cis folks expect trans people to look like — and why they can’t help but defy expectations.

“Passing doesn’t even f*cking matter. But some cis people just cannot comprehend that they will interact with trans people in their lives and never f*cking know that they are transgender,” Allen said. “Part of that is also because they expect transgender people to be ugly, and we are not. We’re very hot, and that’s key. Honestly, next time you see a hot person, you should be like, ‘They might be trans,’ ‘cause they probably f*cking are.”

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