Rosalynne Montoya, known professionally as Rose Montoya (born October 10, 1995), is an American transgender rights activist, model, and social media content creator.[1] She[a] began modeling in 2018, and has since modeled for Fenty Beauty, Savage X Fenty, Fluide, Yandy.com, Adore Me, and TOMS Shoes.[2][3][4][5] Montoya, who is a non-binary transgender woman, was featured in 18 LGBTQ+ Policy Makers and Advocates Changing the World by Out Magazine in 2021.[6] In 2022, she was nominated for Favorite TikToker at the 10th annual Queerty Awards.[7]
Montoya was born on October 10, 1995.[1] She grew up in rural southern Idaho in a family with four siblings.[8] She learned American Sign Language as a child due to her mother working as a sign language interpreter. Her father worked as a worship pastor at their church and her mother worked as a Christian missionary.[8][9][10][11] Montoya realized she was attracted to men in Middle School and outed herself as gay in 2010 while in high school.[8][11][9] She then began performing in drag shows which led to her coming out as a transgender woman in 2015.[8][11][9] She started transitioning on June 23, 2015, and changed her legal name in September 2015.[8] In 2016, she came out as bisexual and, in 2019, as a non-binary transgender woman using both feminine and non-binary gender pronouns.[8][10]
Montoya graduated in 2015 from Seattle University with a bachelor of arts degree in film studies at 19 years old.[12]
Montoya worked as a full-time makeup artist and manager at a department store's cosmetics counter until she was laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.[6][11] During this time, she focused on turning her social media platforms into a full-time job.[6] Montoya uses their social media to create educational content regarding transgender issues, experiences, and rights.[6] She has made sponsored posts with FX Networks, New York City Pride, Planned Parenthood, Fenty Beauty, Parade, and Fluide.[13][14][15][16][17] In 2022, Montoya was nominated for Favorite TikToker at the 10th annual Queerty Awards.[7]
Montoya has spoken and presented on transgender rights at the Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference, the Downtown Emergency Service Center, the University of Pittsburgh, Stanford University, and Yale University.[18][19][20] She launched the educational website The Trans 101 to spread awareness regarding issues faced by transgender people.[21] Montoya is also a board member of the non-profit, Aadya Rising.[22] She was one of the activists featured in Out's 18 LGBTQ+ Policy Makers and Advocates Changing the World.[6] In June 2023, Rose also spoke at the National Press Club to advocate for policy change in support of transgender rights.[23] In November of 2023, Rose published an op-ed in TIME Magazine about the over-sexualization of trans bodies and the desire-to-cruelty-pipeline. [24]
Montoya began modeling in 2018, after she was discovered by the undergarment company TomboyX.[2][6] She was scouted by Tricia Romani of League Models and InspirationALL Talent [2] through her TikTok channel and is signed to them for acting and modeling. She has modeled in advertisement campaigns for Savage X Fenty, Yandy.com, Adore Me, Toms Shoes, and oVertone.[2][3][4][5] In June 2021, Rose was featured on a billboard in New York City as one of the faces of LGBT telehealth group Folx Health's launch campaign for PreP.[25][26]
Montoya has spoken publicly about gender-affirming surgeries she underwent, including a breast augmentation, a tracheal shave, and a genioplasty.[11][27] She has also opened up about her experiences living with chronic anxiety and depression.[28][29]
Montoya is polyamorous and frequently uses her platforms to educate people about different relationship structures.[30][31] Montoya used to be Bob the Drag Queen's metamour and joined him for a podcast episode.[32]
In March 2021, Montoya had a difficult experience with the Transportation Security Administration at an airport in Phoenix, Arizona.[33] A TikTok video about it received over twenty million views.[34] Montoya said her documentation recognizes her as female, but airport scanners, which categorize travelers as male or female due to genitalia, set off alarms.[33][35] After disclosing to the TSA attendant that she is transgender, the agent asked if Montoya would prefer to be "scanned as a man instead."[33] Montoya stated that then, after triggering the alarm again, the TSA tried to assign a male agent to pat her down despite her being a trans woman.[33]
In June 2023, Montoya attended a Pride month celebration at the White House in Washington DC where she was among the hundreds greeted by US President Joe Biden.[36] She elicited controversy due to a TikTok video she shared with her nearly 800K followers. After a full day, the TikTok video was then shared by Libs of TikTok which caused the video to go viral on far-right Twitter and was then picked up by conservative media.[37][38] Fox News wrote three articles about the incident in one day.[39][36] The video included 3 seconds in which she and two other attendees removed their clothing above the waist in a video. Rose covered her nipples the entire time.[36][40] The White House called the act "disrespectful" and said that the individuals in the video "would not be invited back to future events."[41] Rose has since issued an apology video.[42] While in DC, Rose also spoke at the National Press Club to advocate for policy change in support of transgender rights.[23]
For my 27th birthday this year, I had a vision: an elegant image of myself in old fashioned Hollywood glamor displaying my body as it is, trans and beautiful.
Who's ready for a GNO!?
Happy #TRANSDAYOFVISIBILITY 🏳️⚧️ Join us in celebrating and uplifting the voices of trans and non-binary people
@parade just launched their new Taffy line and I'm in love.
PrEP has never been this easy to get
I'm on a billboard in New York City!?!! Thank you @folxhealth for inviting me to model for your PrEP launch! It's truly an honor. I'm so proud of myself.
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