[Music]
well the song that we’re going to do is
an original that I had written which is
very appropriate for today was I haven’t
received this call from this father to
do a birthday party many many years ago
for a girl with special needs and he
asked me to do her birthday the
interesting thing was her birthday was
in Atlanta and I thought you’re gonna
fly me all the way down to Atlanta to
just sing do a birthday song and then he
told me this girl who has special needs
has no motor skills no verbal skills and
they used my music to motivate her and
help her walk to turn on my music and to
me that was the most moving thing I mean
I want people to sing my song but if you
have that kind of use for motivation it
was just thrilling so on the plane back
as I’m in tears I wrote this song about
what does this little girl see when she
looks in the mirror her best friend who
has Down syndrome here in town it was a
wonderful huge influence for me what do
they see when they look at each other
and when you look in a mirror you see
the reflection that is dictated by the
outside so other people are telling you
what religion you are what color what if
you’re at a wheelchair and I think we
just lose that innocence of in that
purity of who we are especially in the
time like today that’s so divisive we
just lose the innocence so the song is
called keeping the innocence
[Applause]
[Music]
I had a dream I kept the innocence we
all know bones that male create shapes
for better day circle surrounds us
[Music]
by someone else’s what do you see
[Music]
disability
a reflection not caught in society’s
woes you’re simply watching a child grow
I had a dream I kept the Edison
I can really help us get along keeping
our innocence from the needs long
[Music]
stop me your best friend
[Music]
what do you see no belief or disability
I’m reflection not caught in society
simply watching a child girl I had a
dream I kept me innocence I had a dream
I kept it
I had a dream
[Music]
awesome job guys thank you both so I
have a couple questions for you and then
we can pass it on back to Ruth so Maya I
know you’re a senior you’re gonna be
graduating this spring will you share a
little bit about your journey I know
it’s been a very unique journey and so
share with us just a little bit well my
high school experience has been a lot
different than a lot of people at the
beginning of my junior year I came out
as a proud transgender woman thank
and I think it’s definitely a lot
different than a lot of people I mean
not everyone does that Hill he’s been
there in high school so something I
think that is really cool is that even
though it’s different than what a lot of
people have gone through we all have had
one thing or multiple things that we’ve
had to deal with while we’ve been in
high school or college or work or
anything whether it be if you’re LGBT or
if you’re having relationship troubles
or family troubles and it’s something
that influences the way that you see
people and that you live your life and I
think that it’s helped make me the
person I am today thank you
and so dad I know you also went through
a journey during this time is there
anything you’d like to share with us
about that yeah I think well the most
amazing thing about this journey is that
it’s not done by yourself it takes a
village it takes a village to not only
just start at home where the acceptance
the understanding the humor about it but
it goes outside that to your family your
circle of friends it goes even further
than that we are fortunate enough to go
to the greatest High School in Columbus
Ohio
Johana Lincoln High School and the
reason be is that they were so open to
it and so accepting of it that it made
the transition that much easier where
you just look at my and you go that’s
just Maya and so it takes a whole
village and just you applauding today is
that affirmation that makes it so real
for us so I thank you thank you so I
have one more question for you you’re
here in a room full of your peers and
more is there any last advice that you
would like to leave with them well for
people that aren’t going through
something as interesting as the
transition is I mean it’s it’s
definitely a lot and one thing that I’ve
learned and that I always try and tell
my friends is don’t be afraid to ask
questions and don’t be afraid with any
situation to speak up because you never
know what’s gonna happen you never know
what challenges you’re gonna face then
I’m the kind of person where if anyone
has any questions about anything well
there whether it be any LGBT issue I
always want to answer because if I can
cure one misconception about anything
that I can help someone else in the
future and
so that’s what be my advice to anyone
but if you’re specifically going through
something that is an LGBT related
definitely just make sure you surround
yourself with allies and surround
yourself with people that you love
because you’re gonna need them thank you
both thank you
well the song that we’re going to do is
an original that I had written which is
very appropriate for today was I haven’t
received this call from this father to
do a birthday party many many years ago
for a girl with special needs and he
asked me to do her birthday the
interesting thing was her birthday was
in Atlanta and I thought you’re gonna
fly me all the way down to Atlanta to
just sing do a birthday song and then he
told me this girl who has special needs
has no motor skills no verbal skills and
they used my music to motivate her and
help her walk to turn on my music and to
me that was the most moving thing I mean
I want people to sing my song but if you
have that kind of use for motivation it
was just thrilling so on the plane back
as I’m in tears I wrote this song about
what does this little girl see when she
looks in the mirror her best friend who
has Down syndrome here in town it was a
wonderful huge influence for me what do
they see when they look at each other
and when you look in a mirror you see
the reflection that is dictated by the
outside so other people are telling you
what religion you are what color what if
you’re at a wheelchair and I think we
just lose that innocence of in that
purity of who we are especially in the
time like today that’s so divisive we
just lose the innocence so the song is
called keeping the innocence
[Applause]
[Music]
I had a dream I kept the innocence we
all know bones that male create shapes
for better day circle surrounds us
[Music]
by someone else’s what do you see
[Music]
disability
a reflection not caught in society’s
woes you’re simply watching a child grow
I had a dream I kept the Edison
I can really help us get along keeping
our innocence from the needs long
[Music]
stop me your best friend
[Music]
what do you see no belief or disability
I’m reflection not caught in society
simply watching a child girl I had a
dream I kept me innocence I had a dream
I kept it
I had a dream
[Music]
awesome job guys thank you both so I
have a couple questions for you and then
we can pass it on back to Ruth so Maya I
know you’re a senior you’re gonna be
graduating this spring will you share a
little bit about your journey I know
it’s been a very unique journey and so
share with us just a little bit well my
high school experience has been a lot
different than a lot of people at the
beginning of my junior year I came out
as a proud transgender woman thank
and I think it’s definitely a lot
different than a lot of people I mean
not everyone does that Hill he’s been
there in high school so something I
think that is really cool is that even
though it’s different than what a lot of
people have gone through we all have had
one thing or multiple things that we’ve
had to deal with while we’ve been in
high school or college or work or
anything whether it be if you’re LGBT or
if you’re having relationship troubles
or family troubles and it’s something
that influences the way that you see
people and that you live your life and I
think that it’s helped make me the
person I am today thank you
and so dad I know you also went through
a journey during this time is there
anything you’d like to share with us
about that yeah I think well the most
amazing thing about this journey is that
it’s not done by yourself it takes a
village it takes a village to not only
just start at home where the acceptance
the understanding the humor about it but
it goes outside that to your family your
circle of friends it goes even further
than that we are fortunate enough to go
to the greatest High School in Columbus
Ohio
Johana Lincoln High School and the
reason be is that they were so open to
it and so accepting of it that it made
the transition that much easier where
you just look at my and you go that’s
just Maya and so it takes a whole
village and just you applauding today is
that affirmation that makes it so real
for us so I thank you thank you so I
have one more question for you you’re
here in a room full of your peers and
more is there any last advice that you
would like to leave with them well for
people that aren’t going through
something as interesting as the
transition is I mean it’s it’s
definitely a lot and one thing that I’ve
learned and that I always try and tell
my friends is don’t be afraid to ask
questions and don’t be afraid with any
situation to speak up because you never
know what’s gonna happen you never know
what challenges you’re gonna face then
I’m the kind of person where if anyone
has any questions about anything well
there whether it be any LGBT issue I
always want to answer because if I can
cure one misconception about anything
that I can help someone else in the
future and
so that’s what be my advice to anyone
but if you’re specifically going through
something that is an LGBT related
definitely just make sure you surround
yourself with allies and surround
yourself with people that you love
because you’re gonna need them thank you
both thank you
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