Living in 2015, we are so fortunate to have witnessed many "firsts" in history — especially when it comes to social and cultural issues.
The transgender community, for example, has strengthened its voice and cause in recent years. The conversations surrounding transgender rights are gradually becoming more widely known and less stigmatized. In fact, just a few months ago, a teen in Kansas City, MO, was crowned her school's first homecoming queen.
Many other stories of amazing young adults have surface in the news — including that of Anry Fuentes, of Denair, CA.
Born as a male, Anry decided to officially transition to a female earlier this year — just a little while after she made her high school's cheerleading squad.
With the support of her incredible friends, cheerleading coach, and school community, she hopes to inspire confidence in others who have walked in her shoes.
Scroll further to read about Anry's journey, and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
California high school senior Anry Fuentes, 18, recently became the first transgender member of her cheerleading squad, after succeeding in tryouts earlier this year.
The moment she put on her new uniform? “It was the best moment of my life,” she told TODAY.com. “I’ve been wanting to be a cheerleader forever.”
Anry was born a boy named Henry, and until a few years ago, had been identifying as a male.
When she first made the team at Denair High School, Anry was issued a male cheerleading uniform. But after telling her team about her decision to transition, she found that everyone was extremely supportive.
“I was really nervous about what words to use, but the cheerleaders were super sweet, saying, ‘We’re proud of you, and we love you for who you are,’ ” she said.
The entire school community had always been very accepting and understanding of Anry’s decision from the beginning. Many students have known Anry for a long time, as they all grew up together in the same town.
“My own daughter is on the cheer squad, and I can tell you that Anry is one of a group of remarkable kids,” said cheerleading coach Robin Hilton. “She’s been part of the Denair family for a long time. I don’t think we’ve learned anything we didn’t already know.”
And though Anry has yet to have any type of surgery or hormone treatments, she hopes to inspire others in similar situations.
“At first it was to help myself, because I wanted it to be done with,” she said of joining the team. “Now I feel like I want to help.”
Anry’s mother is still struggling to accept her decision to transition. “I don’t think she fully understands what it is, and I feel that maybe she is overwhelmed,” said Anry.
In the future, she hopes to try out for the cheerleading team at a junior college and to eventually study to become a dental hygienist.
For the time being, however, Anry hopes to encourage conversations about transgender issues, especially in the student sphere, so that it becomes less of a stigmatized topic.
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