Faith Naff is a loving mother, partner, and community leader living in North Carolina. She is a transgender woman, meaning she was raised as a male but knew herself deeply for a long time to be female, and so she transitioned. It’s not always easy being herself, but that’s because of external factors and a lack of understanding among the general public, Faith said. “Getting acceptance from my parents is one of the biggest challenges I face as a trans person,” Faith said. “They haven’t disowned me, but family get-togethers are always really awkward and depressing. I don’t know if it will ever get better, but I try to stay hopeful.”

Faith is also a fiction writer, a labor analyst, and an active leader of Catawba Valley Pride and OUTright Youth. “The world is getting scary, especially for minority groups, and transgender people face a tough road ahead,” she said on her website. “There aren’t enough transgender voices in the world today, so I’m hoping to be at least one more joining the conversation.”