A lovely segment on Suelta la Sopa Extra on Telemundo featured an interview with Abigail, an Uruguayan trans woman who competed on the channel's reality show Yo Soy El Artista. Although Abigail was eliminated, she was given an opportunity to share her thoughts and experiences with the audience on Suelta la Sopa.
The co-host Jorge Bernal made a touching introduction to the portion of the program devoted to Abigail's personal story. Bernal thanked the producers and iconic singer Lucero, who is one of the judges, for allowing Abigail to present her story to encourage other struggling artists.
Abigail herself talked on camera about how hard it was for her to shake off the emotional response she had to one of the judge's questions. She explained that talking about her family, especially her beloved great-grandmother whose picture she carried with her to the interview, left her unable to gather the breath she needed to make it through the ballad she was given to sing.
She also spoke powerfully about her past including her mother's initial rejection of her when she was a teen to her current acceptance. Abigail turned to the camera and spoke directly to viewers asking them to "support their children's happiness and in that way find true happiness themselves."
We applaud the show and Abigail herself for presenting her story, as an artist leaving behind a career in her home country, a woman deeply rooted in her traditions and ancestors—and someone who also happens to be trans and can educate others about gender identity issues.