Rose Montoya
Early life and education
Montoya was born on October 10, 1995. She grew up in rural southern Idaho in a family with four siblings. 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. Montoya realized she was attracted to men in Middle School and outed herself as gay in 2010 while in high school. She then began performing in drag shows which led to her coming out as a transgender woman in 2015. She started transitioning on June 23, 2015, and changed her legal name in September 2015. In 2016, she came out as bisexual and, in 2019, as a non-binary transgender woman using both feminine and non-binary gender pronouns.
Montoya graduated in 2015 from Seattle University with a bachelor of arts degree in film studies at 19 years old.
Career
Social Media
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. During this time, she focused on turning her social media platforms into a full-time job. Montoya uses their social media to create educational content regarding transgender issues, experiences, and rights. She has made sponsored posts with FX Networks, New York City Pride, Planned Parenthood, Fenty Beauty, Parade, and Fluide. In 2022, Montoya was nominated for Favorite TikToker at the 10th annual Queerty Awards.
Motivational Speaking & Advocacy
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. She launched the educational website The Trans 101 to spread awareness regarding issues faced by transgender people. Montoya is also a board member of the non-profit, Aadya Rising. She was one of the activists featured in Out's 18 LGBTQ+ Policy Makers and Advocates Changing the World. In June 2023, Rose also spoke at the National Press Club to advocate for policy change in support of transgender rights. 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.
Modeling
Montoya began modeling in 2018, after she was discovered by the undergarment company TomboyX. She was scouted by Tricia Romani of League Models and InspirationALL Talent 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. 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.
Personal life
Montoya has spoken publicly about gender-affirming surgeries she underwent, including a breast augmentation, a tracheal shave, and a genioplasty. She has also opened up about her experiences living with chronic anxiety and depression.
Montoya is polyamorous and frequently uses her platforms to educate people about different relationship structures. Montoya used to be Bob the Drag Queen's metamour and joined him for a podcast episode.
Viral TSA video
In March 2021, Montoya had a difficult experience with the Transportation Security Administration at an airport in Phoenix, Arizona. A TikTok video about it received over twenty million views. Montoya said her documentation recognizes her as female, but airport scanners, which categorize travelers as male or female due to genitalia, set off alarms. After disclosing to the TSA attendant that she is transgender, the agent asked if Montoya would prefer to be "scanned as a man instead." 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.
White House Pride controversy
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. 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. Fox News wrote three articles about the incident in one day. 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. The White House called the act "disrespectful" and said that the individuals in the video "would not be invited back to future events." Rose has since issued an apology video. While in DC, Rose also spoke at the National Press Club to advocate for policy change in support of transgender rights.
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Drag Race Latina | Herself (Special Guest) | Season 2, Episode 6 | |
| 2023 | Jennifer Hudson Show | Herself (Audience Member) | Season 1, Episode 92 | |
| 2023 | The Q Agenda | Herself (Guest) | Season 8, Episode 11 |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Agents of Change: Project Polymer | Waitress | Short |
Awards, nominations, and honors
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Los Angeles Blade Best of LA | Favorite Influencer | Herself | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | GLAAD Media Award | Special Recognition | Herself | N/A | Revry TV's Drag Latina was Recognized | |
| 2022 | Queerty Awards | Favorite TikToker | Herself | Nominated |
- 2021 - Out Magazine's Out 100 Honoree honoring the magazine's selection of 18 LGBTQ+ Policy Makers and Advocates Changing the World in 2021
- 2021 - One of 18 Latinx Creatives to Follow from Arizona Republic