Aura Tao's Life Journey from Thailand to Milan in Vogue Taiwan June 2021

Trans model Aura Tao [IG] covers the June 2021 issue of Vogue Taiwan. Tao seeks to be known as a trans model, a factor AOC considers in how we write about her beautiful cover story styled by Joey Lin. Chou Mo [IG] photographs Tao in ‘Live Bravely’./ Hair by Miley Shen; makeup by Shin Tsai

Known also as Mimi Tao, the Thailand-born human attended school at a Buddhist temple, where she was eventually ordained as a monk.

Aware of her trans status at a young age, Tao understood that her family would not approve of her increasingly clear life path. Known then as Phajaranat Nobantao, Tao was born to a comparatively well-off family in Khon Kaen, writes the Bangkok Post.

In those days the young Tao attended Catholic school — a life that collapsed in 2000, when Thailand suffered an enormous financial crisis. She was sent to a Buddhist temple — the only one to be sent away — because her parents believed she would learn self-discipline — presumably concerning her sexual identity.

The Bangkok Post article is dated with its 2015 publication date. But it’s very well-written and informative about Aura Tao’s life journey as a transgender person.

Fast forward now to Vogue Taiwan in Milan, where Tao, now 26, has lived for three years. She speaks to her operation in the interview. Note that if you use the Google translator, which is programmed to make just about everything a he, the pronoun confusion can become overwhelming in this Vogue Taiwan cover story. There’s a reason why I began using s(he) long ago. Reading two articles in-depth, I’m not sure that Aura’s modeling career is “just starting” at age 26.

She is already a UN ambassador, however, so who knows where her large spiritual wings will take her. Tao speaks to this reality, as it relates to her father. Tao lost her mother at a young age — another traumatizing event in her young life.

[Translated with Google]: “My dad has told me since I was a child that you are a big peng bird, and the time to spread your wings may be later than others, but what you fly over is not just the branches, but the entire Pacific Ocean. Every time he takes me to the airport, When I leave the country, I will say that the Dapeng bird is going to fly. I used to not know the exact prototype of my dream, but now I know that I want to help children like me. Because whether it is in Asia or the world, Diversity children are easy to be caught Become a critical reason. I have always known that the model will not be my final stop, it is more like a process."