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‘I want to show people it’s fine to be trans’

Israeli transgender model Stav Strashko hopes her move to acting will send a positive message to society

November 21, 2019 15:06
Stav Strashko
6 min read

A coffee date with Stav Strashko goes something like this: we arrange to meet at The Norman, Tel Aviv’s most exclusive boutique hotel, but there’s no space at the bar. The first rains have just descended on the city so the outdoor terrace is closed. But Strashko wants to sit out there, so she takes control of the situation, politely speaking with staff. Within minutes, a table is found, coffee is brewed, wet chairs are wiped and we begin our interview. All the while, heads are turning in our direction and I can tell you they’re not looking at me.

At 5 foot 10 inches tall with razor sharp cheekbones and flawless skin, Strashko cuts a noticeable figure, but she’s also very famous in Israel. As the country’s most successful transgender model and actress, her profile is on the rise. She takes all the attention on the chin, not flinching when people come closer to listen in on our conversation and to soak up some of her ever increasing star power.

But life wasn’t always like this for the 27 year-old. Born in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Stav moved to Israel aged two, when her parents decided the time was right for a new life in the Jewish state.

“It was two years after the Soviet Union broke apart,” Strashko explains. “My family was looking for an excuse to move out and run away as fast as possible. My grandfather moved here first and a year later he sent the message “come here,” so we came. I was a little child so I had no say in it.”