It was my first day at my new job today.

At midnight, I officially became the first trans Madam of a prestigious bordello.

For a moment, I thought of all the women who came before me. I thought of all the trans sex workers who never had a chance to lead.

Today, I spoke to the workers as a collective. I conducted several interviews. I climbed a small mountain of paperwork. I began enacting radical changes. Each aimed at improving the experiences of both worker and client.

If you had told me six months ago that I’d be doing any of this, I would’ve laughed in your face.

Oh, and I almost forgot, I got my hair and makeup done.

I don’t finish for another few hours, but I wanted to say this: it’s a privilege to be here. To lead. To protect. To make a difference in the lives of others.

It’s strange to stand where you once begged to belong. To realise that all the pain, all the hunger, was a kind of preparation for this. Every humiliation has taught me how to lead without cruelty and with humility.

I feel quietly powerful.

—Madam Füsun.