I used to pretend in order to hook up with people, I would do a character because that's what they were asking me for.

They didn't want to see me.

You know, they weren't trying to like come for this body.

They were like, we want this version of what we think a black person is, you know.

That's Travis Coles, one of these stars of the new TV show, David Makes Man. It's a new series

on the own network from Terrell Evan McCraney, who won the Academy Award for the movie

Moonlight. Now, like the character that Travis plays, Travis is also gender nonconforming,

and they talk today about how coming to terms with their gender

has been a lifelong process,

one that's really been accelerated with this new role.

Their gender and their gender performance, like you just heard,

is something that's always been influenced by who they're around and what

that person expects from them and all of their different identities.

From Luminary Media, I'm Jeffrey Masters and this is LGBTQ and A.

Thanks for being here.

Yes. Thanks for having me.

Of course.

So since David Makes Man is a new show, can you just explain to everybody who your character is, who Miss Elijah is?

Yes. Miss Elijah is a gender non-conforming person of color who lives in the community that also the projects called the Ville. And Miss Elijah is David's like mentor because she is Gloria, David's mom's best friend.

And they raised them in this project.

And Miss Elijah is one of those people who basically, if you are just living in a community, you know someone who is like the best person in the community.

And you're like, oh, my God, I love this person. Like everyone talks about them. But then, you know someone who is like the best person in the community and you're like, oh my God,

...