Lilly Craig describes her first experiences wearing hijab as freeing: as a trans woman in a tall, lanky frame, she was used to being ogled at and treated like a monster. But covering her hair and wearing modest flowy silhouettes helped her feel beautiful and safe moving through the world exactly as she is. This interview was originally recorded on TikTok live, and you'll hear a point during our discussion where the live pretty much blew up and got flooded with a ton of really hateful comments. Thanks to a few very kind folks who started overwhelming the comments with hearts and kind words, things did die down, but suffice it to say that this is only a fraction of the hate that Lilly gets for being a trans Muslim online. I am so grateful to her for keeping her composure and being vulnerable and honest with me throughout, which led to a really lovely conversation. After listening Today's episode does touch on topics some listeners might find upsetting, including religious trauma, mental health issues, disordered eating, navigating life while trans, and bullying. Please use your best judgment to decide if you'd like to listen.