JJ Totah in the News

JJ was part of our theater, and he refers to a small town in the story (which is Davis). His sister has tons of talent, but JJ is the one Hollywood made famous:

Former Disney star J.J. Totah has come out as transgender.

In an essay published by Time magazine Monday, the 17-year-old shared her news and announced her new name.

"My pronouns are she, her and hers," she wrote. "I identify as female, specifically as a transgender female. And my name is Josie Totah."

Totah wrote that while she is grateful for the acting opportunities she's had including in the TV series "Champions" and "Glee" and in films including "Other People," she feels "like I let myself be shoved into a box: 'J.J. Totah, gay boy.' "

"When I was really young, growing up in a small town in Northern California, people would just assume I was gay," she wrote. "On the playground, I was the type of kid who wanted to sing with the girls, not play soccer with the boys. Then I found myself playing that role once I got into the entertainment industry, and people kept assuming my identity."

That included being asked in interviews how it felt to be a young, gay man and being introduced as such while presenting an award for an LGBTQ organization.

"I understand that they didn't really know better," Totah wrote. "I almost felt like I owed it to everybody to be that gay boy. But that has never been the way I think of myself."