Lennon Torres is feeling “over the moon” after having breast augmentation surgery.
The Dance Moms alum, who came out as trans last year, opened up to E! News two weeks after undergoing the surgery to get "some boobs," which she describes as “the biggest step ever” of her transition journey.
"I feel, honestly, euphoric," the dancer and activist, 23, said. “I think a transition is really a transition. I've seen my body do these amazing things with estrogen and other hormone replacement therapy options, and my body has really been changing gradually. So it doesn't feel like a really huge, mind-blowing moment. It feels a little bit more like, we just made the next logical step and I couldn't feel happier about it."
Still, Torres understands what it means for other trans people to hear her story, noting the onslaught of anti-trans legislation that’s been passed in recent months.
"I really try to project trans joy when I can," she said, "because in the news there's a lot of heaviness when it comes to talking about the transgender community."
"Being transgender is so fulfilling and our stories can be so inspiring," she added. "Every day I wake up and I'm like, If I was younger than I am right now, or even just a little bit less confident, it would be really hard to go online these days while doing what I'm doing, because someone always is going to say something negative about you and your family and your choices, and where you're going after you die. It's always something, and luckily I feel really strong and grounded in who I am."
The dancer said she's always reminded of "how lucky I am to be given the opportunity, the resources and the capacity" to make such bold steps, and was sure to note that, "transitioning is so individual."
Knowing that others aren't as fortunate is the fuel that keeps her going, especially on TikTok, where she's racked up nearly 2 million likes on videos that have recorded her transition in real time.
"I want to see more joy around this narrative and that's why I share [my story]," she said. "I want to see more happiness. I want to see more positive things — although it's important to keep track of the negative stuff, really keep people in check, hold people accountable."
Starting on Nov. 3, Torres says she’ll be sharing videos of the day she had her surgery, details of which she has not yet revealed.
"I had my mom there, so that really helped a lot,” she said. “I also had one of my best friends there filming, so it did feel a little bit more intimate. And it was a really amazing experience. I wouldn't have wanted to do it any other way, honestly."
Having breasts may be "something so small and subtle,” Torres says of the surgery, but for her, “it gets you to where you want to be.”
“It doesn't matter what other people expect from you,” she explained. “This is what I want to look like and this is who I feel like is me — and being able to stand on a roof and just smile and have a strapless top on that's not slipping is bringing me a lot of happiness."
