A Kapiti College student has won the top prize at the Wellington Pride Awards for her YouTube channel that gives others an insight into her life as a transgender teenager. Year 11 student, Te Awarangi ‘Awa’ Puna, was recognised as the Most Inspiring Young Person of the Year at the Wellington Pride Awards and also took home the creativity and innovation award. The Pride Awards recognise and celebrate the successes, achievements and contributions of young people in the Wellington region. Her Youtube channel ‘C X J’ has 19 videos exploring her life as a trans teenager and includes videos that hope to explain to others her journey as well as makeup tutorials and film trailers. Her video ‘I am Transgender (mtf)’ has been viewed almost 10,000 times. The aspiring filmmaker hopes to be a positive role model and inspire other young transgender people, giving hope to those who are battling with discrimination. Check out one of her videos below:
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 28th October 2015 - 9:19am