Malik Yoba has been fighting the good fight against homophobia and transphobia.
Now, the actor is dealing with criticism after revealing he is trans attracted (attracted to transgender women) and some media outlets ran with it.
Reese later took his own life from an apparent drug overdose.
Malik shared the revelation via Instagram when he posted a viral video of the heartbreaking hatred 20-year-old Maurice “Reese” Willoughby received because of his trans girlfriend.
[Read Also: Malik Yoba Celebrates His Boo On Her Birthday: ‘It Took Me 48 Years To Find My Match’]
Malik, who will be hosting a workshop called, “LOVE + TRAUMA: The Trans Experience” during the Trans March on DC, wrote:
Clearly as evidenced in this video this young man was confident in his choice to love who he loved but the uninformed young men around him haven’t been taught BY US that love is love and acceptance of Trans love is ok and bullying has nothing to do with masculinity or HETEROSEXUAL behavior.
Ultimately his mental and emotional health was not intact enough and the fragility of his life as he saw it was too much to bear. Often times this type of shame and ridicule can lead to the murders of women of the trans experience. NOT OK!!
Clearly he didn’t get the support of his peers who think that toxicity = masculinity and humanity. That being a “real man” means we must disrespect and demean those that FIND themselves attracted to women of the trans experience. The fact that he was trans attracted presumably meant that he had no safe space to go to find the support he needed to learn to navigate love of a woman of the trans experience in a world that constantly tells you you’re wrong.
TRANS PEOPLE DESERVE LOVE AND RESPECT AS DO THOSE OF US THAT LOVE THEM!!
I love ALL women AND count MYSELF among those that find themselves trans attracted and I too have felt the self imposed shame that comes with that truth but it’s time to speak up. It is NOT about GENITALIA OR SEX but about attraction to the soul and humanity of an individual and often the beauty that is in the courage and conviction to live ones truth! As a self identified cis heterosexual man I too am learning what it means to be trans attracted.
Many of us famous and otherwise that have struggled with accepting our attraction so we do NOTHING. This MUST change ??
See the original post below:
Since Malik Yoba’s transparency was flipped into messy headlines, the actor has come under fire and he even revealed his children have received hateful messages on social media.
Watch below.
I appreciate Malik Yoba for living in his truth and for the work he’s doing in the fight against homophobia and transphobia.
