Carmen Carrera (@carmen_carrera/@carmen_carrera) joins me on this episode of the show and we cover a lot of ground. From her blossoming acting career, her Showgirl show, her tireless work as an activist within the LGBTQ community as well as how she navigated her own transition. 

I first came to know of Carmen when she appeared in series three of RuPaul's Drag Race, but a lot has changed since then. Immediately after the show finished filming Carmen began to transition and her birth certificate now reads 'female', a change she admits made her feel 'powerful' and 'validated'. 

In this episode of the show we talk about her early years in high school, how she navigated the school halls while knowing that she wasn't being her true self, how her friends and mother played a crucial role in her accepting and believing in herself. We talk about her acting career and starring alongside Meryl Streep, being friends with J.Lo and life after Drag Race. 

Carmen also talks to me about her tireless work as an activist and the documentary Outpost and highlighting the fact that rates of violence against the LGBTQ community in Sao Paolo are among the highest in the world. She also tells me about supporting Gavin Grimm, the transgender teen who was prevented from using the boys' toilets in his school, and why a curriculum of LGBTQ history in schools is a positive step to creating safety and protection for the community.

She also tells me about motherhood, breaking down stereotypes and how yoga and meditation have played a crucial role in her journey.

To find out more about Carmen visit her website carmencarrera.com 

To find out more about Gavin Grimm this piece on TIME.com is great read, supported by a brilliant video >> Gavin Grimm: Battle over Bathroom Use should never have happened.

For the NARS Audacious lipstick in Carmen click here. It's an online exclusive so don't miss out...

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This episode of the podcast was recorded at L'Escargot Restaurant & Club in the heart of London's Soho.

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