Lilly Wachowski (pictured), known for The Matrix, Cloud Atlas and V For Vendetta, has come out as trans after receiving threats of being outed by major media outlets. Despite being out to friends and family for the past year, her decision to come out publicly was prompted by being doorstepped by a journalist from The Daily Mail. 

Wachowski released a lengthy statement to The Windy City Times, titled “SEX CHANGE SHOCKER—WACHOWSKI BROTHERS NOW SISTERS!!!” She explained her reasons from coming out now and blasted tabloid media for vilifying and mocking trans people, particularly in the case of Lucy Meadows, a trans school teacher who took her own life after she was outed in a Daily Mail article.

“There’s the headline I’ve been waiting for this past year. Up until now with dread and/or eye-rolling exasperation,” she wrote.

“The ‘news’ has almost come out a couple of times. Each was preceded by an ominous email from my agent—reporters have been asking for statements regarding the ‘Andy Wachowski gender transition’ story they were about to publish. In response to this threatened public outing against my will, I had a prepared a statement that was one part piss, one part vinegar and 12 parts gasoline.”

Wachowski went on to say that a journalist showed up at her house, trying to coax her into giving her story. She wrote, “Last night while getting ready to go out for dinner my doorbell rang. Standing on my front porch was a man I did not recognise. ‘This might be a little awkward,’ he said in an English accent. I remember sighing. Sometimes it’s really tough work to be an optimist.

“He proceeded to explain he was a journalist from The Daily Mail, which was the largest news service in the UK and was most definitely not a tabloid. And that I really had to sit down with him tomorrow or the next day or next week so that I could have my picture taken and tell my story which was so inspirational! And that I really didn’t want to have someone from The National Enquirer following me around, did I? BTW—The Daily Mail is so definitely not a tabloid.

“After he had given me his card, and I closed the door it began to dawn on me where I had heard of the Daily Mail. It was the “news” organisation that had played a huge part in the national public outing of Lucy Meadows, an elementary school teacher and trans woman in the UK. An editorial in the ‘not-a-tabloid’ demonised her as a damaging influence on the children’s delicate innocence and summarised ‘he’s not only trapped in the wrong body, he’s in the wrong job.’ The reason I knew about her wasn’t because she was transgender it was because three months after The Daily Mail article came out, Lucy committed suicide.

“And now here they were, at my front door, almost as if to say – There’s another one! Let’s drag ’em out in the open so we can all have a look!”

She continued, “Being transgender is not easy. We live in a majority-enforced gender binary world. This means when you’re transgender you have to face the hard reality of living the rest of your life in a world that is openly hostile to you.

“I am one of the lucky ones. Having the support of my family and the means to afford doctors and therapists has given me the chance to actually survive this process. Transgender people without support, means and privilege do not have this luxury. And many do not survive.”

In July 2012, Lilly’s younger sister Lana made her first public appearance after transitioning, and in the same year was honoured with the Human Right’s Campaigns Visibility Award.

READ LILLY’S FULL STATEMENT HERE.