Taylor Swift’s new music video features a transgender man as her love interest, and her fan response has been overwhelming. Model Laith Ashley, born Laith Ashley De La Cruz in the Dominican Republic, began his transition in 2014.
He expressed his gratitude to Swift for including him in the “Lavender Haze,” music video, which premiered on January 27. Thank you for being an ally. Representation is important Ashley said in an Instagram post. “And love will always win!”
Who is Laith Ashley?
Ashley has appeared on the covers of several notable magazines including British GQ, Vogue France and Out. Well-known fashion houses for which he has modeled include Calvin Klein and Diesel. According to Them.us, he first gained widespread attention in 2015 after the transgender icon Laverne Cox posted one of his photos on Instagram.
You may be interested in reading the additional (transgender) articles we’ve included below:
Prior to that, GQ reported that Ashley had fallen into a deep depression after receiving transphobic messages in response to his modeling work for Calvin Klein. This season, Ashley made history on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” by becoming the show’s first transgender Pit Crew member. A group of shirtless male models known as “The Pit Crew” appear in several episodes.
In 2019, Ashley was featured in a Vogue article and called a “rising star.” “The hardest part of my journey has been coming to terms with who I am and my own personal religious beliefs,” Ashley told Vogue.
“Growing up as a Christian, I was taught that homosexuality and everything within that subgroup was sinful, so I internalized who I was. But I have now found peace in both.” Swift has praised Ashley as “incredible”, saying she “absolutely loved” working with him on the new music video.
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