Ever since I was little, I could never be who I wanted to because I didnt want to hurt my family.

Since childhood, Ive always been very fragile and very feminine.

Everything made me cry, and it bothered my siblings and my parents.

But something very important tha my dad always told me was: look, kid!

You have to work this way.

I want to teach you to work an because I know youre different, in life to push you aside in the and I dont want any son of a b**** or anybody because you dont know how to do things.

Whoever you are, teach yourself to work, and Ill be proud.

And that marked me for life.

I wanted to survive because I knew that my dad would proud of me in heaven, no matter who I was.

I work as a painter.

Im in charge of the group.

Men and women collaborate to support each other and get the job done.

We should apply synthetic here, - Where?

- In those big cracks.

The idea is to finish up to the and start with the other side.

- Do you have your caulking gun?

- Yeah, I have it over there.

- And mine?

- I dont know.

Where did you chuck it?

- I had two of them.

Didnt you bring one?

- No - You know you have to bring your caulking gun.

- Look, buy it for me, and Ill bring it.

- Cheto, you know you have to bring your caulking gun.

- Why do you need another one?

- For Don Francisco.

- What?

- Another caulking gun.

- Oh yea?

- Yes, give him one.

When I was 16, my sister had her Quinceañera.

I looked at her and said: Oh, how Id like to be that quinceañera!

But it was just a dream that faded and didnt come true.

Look at that!

It was tough for me to introduce myself as a woman.

It started at home ever since I was a child.

My dad was sexist, and so were my brothers.

I was the weird kid, right?

Just as I didnt identify as a man, I didnt identify as gay or queer.

And I couldnt be a woman either.

I just didnt know.

At that age, you dont know who you are.

At 16 or 17, I allowed myself to come out of the closet and began to use eyeliner, tight pants, and tops that people used back then.

I was that person at work.

But when I went home, I would remove my makeup and change my pants.

In 2015, when I encountered an organization that began talking to me about sexuality and gender identity, I understood why I felt different from a gay person I said no wonder I never felt like them.

Just imagine, I was already over 40 when I finally knew I was a woman and say: Yes, I am Karyna.

I was no longer afraid of what people would say because I could answer why I was a woman.

Happy birthday, dear Karyna.

Happy birthday to you.

From then on, I fully felt myself as the woman I am—the woman I always wanted to be.

I earned the respect that I alwa to have as a woman.

And thats when the idea started again, and I said: Im not 15 anymore, but Im over 40.

And I think I have the courage to carry a message.

The message that even if I couldnt at 15, my age doesnt matter, and it doesnt matter how I look I want to fulfill that dream I had when I was 16.

They are my sisters.

Nice to meet you, Im Beatriz.

When Karyna mentioned she wanted to do her quinceañera, I told her it had already passed, this is not it.

And she said no, my dream is to have my Quinceañera.

We all said, ok, this dude is really crazy, but its his decision, so well support him if he wants to do that.

And I said to them, I want to ha This is what Ive always wanted, and Im telling you because I want you to be with me that day.

That day is going to be very important for me.

My brother just kind of crouched and said youre crazy.

Its a little hard for me to refer to my brother as a sister now because he was always my brother to me, right?

And now hes what he wants to be.

Now hes her.

Its hard for me, but we seem to be getting over it little by little There have been times Im like, just stop already.

Dont call me he, dont use male pronouns because it bothers me, especially in public.

So, Ive told them, but that also irritates them.

Theyre like, dont tell us to do something we dont want to.

We know you like that.

So, Ive tried to tone things down.

I dont demand it anymore.

I just tell them to try it, and maybe itll become easier.

And little by little, theyve been changing their ideas.

I know my family loves me, but society doesnt allow them to accept me as I am.

And when we are rejected, many times we take refuge in alcoholism or drug addiction.

Done?

What?

I hope you have many, many more Im going to have thousands.

Millions.

- Hi, little sister.

- Hi Margie.

- How are you?

- Good.

Pretty, as always.

Good evening friends, Im Karyna and Im an alcoholic, and I havent drunk or taken drugs or gone hoeing around.

I needed alcohol for everything, to get up, to shower.

I needed that incentive to shower, eat, or do anything.

I couldnt keep going without alcohol.

When I came to Alcoholics Anony I didnt plan on stop drinking.

I thought they were going to teach me how to drink.

But when they told me that I would never drink again, I was like, oh wait, I didnt come for that.

I refused to admit that I had an alcohol problem.

I started to drink at around 16.

And I think I was looking for an escape an escape so I could feel better But something very important is that in the beginning, alcohol is your best ally, but in the end, it becomes your worst enemy because you cant stop.

Ive lost jobs, Ive lost friends.

Ive distanced myself from my family.

It made my life hard.

I stopped drinking when I was around 39.

I wasnt going to stop drinking on my own.

I had to ask for help otherwise, I dont think I would be alive right now.

Wow, youre such a bad b**** friend!

Damn Jorge, you and your ways.

Are you coming to my party?

Having a quinceañera is an act of gratitude, love, and dreams.

These are dreams that many of us transgender women, have had.

But my Quinceañera is also a celebration of resistance to everything Ive resisted throughout my life because I have faced a lot of abuse which for over 40 years have not allowed me to be the woman Ive always wanted to be.

Im going to get a little closer Look, he even blushed.

Thank God, many of my friends and I are still here, but many have had their lives taken.

And what better than to celebrate ourselves while were alive?

Because part of resistance is fighting and having the courage to face society and all the systems of oppression that dont allow us to live a full life.

Because we need to live.

We need to get out of where we are.

And we need to be more visible to the world.

Lets hear that loud applause again.

Lets hear it loud for the celeb The diva, Karyna.

Lets hear that loud applause for Karynas triumphant entrance To reach the inner peace I have right now, I had to join Alcoholics Anonymous to lead a life without alcohol.

But also the community, LGBTQ organizations have guided me in fighting for my identity as a transgender woman.

And my family.

These have been the three critical pillars for me to live in peace and feel more fulfilled and secure in life.

Im going to do one more number.

Im stealing the show.

I only want to say that this song is in gratitude to lif everything I have experienced, everything that has happened, and all the gifts and graces God has given me.

This song is for all of you.

I loved as much as I could, enjoyed everything in abundance.

I enjoyed life and never denied myself anything.

Im someone who learned to live in such a way and without mysteries My family has been and always will be very important in my life.

I want them to fully accept me.

I want them to see me as a woman, for them to see me as Karyna, and change their whole past concept of me.

That wherever I show up, they dont feel ashamed and introduce me as their sister.

She is Karyna.

Thats what Id like.

That we reconcile.

And that in those family gatherings, they refer to me as a woman.