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She’s a rhinestone-soaked showgirl on Friday night and an IV tech preparing chemo and dialysis meds during the day, and somehow both roles make perfect sense when you hear her story. We’re joined by Cyleste Entity, a transgender burlesque performer from Virginia Beach who’s built a name in Norfolk-area bars and clubs by treating glamour like a craft and self-expression like a necessity.

We talk about where she performs, how her striptease style evolves from classic inspirations, and what goes into acts that look effortless but require serious planning, rehearsal, and costume work. Cyleste also shares some of her earliest memories of wanting to wear what felt right, and how growing up in a Christian home shaped the silence, the boundaries, and the decision to lean on chosen family when support at home doesn’t show up.

From there, we dig into the bigger cultural conversation around transgender visibility and the claim that schools or social media “create” trans people. Cyleste offers a grounded perspective: visibility changes how safe it feels to exist, not whether people exist at all. We also get real about mental health in the trans community, including depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, and the pressure to meet impossible beauty standards, plus the small daily rituals that help her stay here and keep going.

If you care about LGBTQ stories, trans identity, workplace bias, burlesque performance, or building resilience without losing softness, this conversation delivers. Subscribe to Listen Up, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.

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