“I know who I am:”⁩ Survivor star Teeny Chirichillo opens up about embracing his true identity

Survivor cast member Teeny Chirichillo, who was part of season 47, has discussed embracing his true identity. At first, Teeny was unsure about being nonbinary as well as his pronouns. However, he soon reflected back on major moments from his life and explored his identity.

In the April 9, 2025, Cosmopolitan essay, Survivor star Teeny Chirichillo revealed that he is a transgender man. Opening up about his identity and how he came up with this realization, Teeny shared that he felt relieved and at ease with this. Looking back at moments from his life, Teeny felt he knew who he was, but it took some time for him to explore the "boyhood." Teeny continued:

“I don’t expect everyone to reach the same level of ease with my gender that I’ve arrived at after a lifetime of suppressing and then exploring the boyhood in my soul. But I know who I am."

Survivor star Teeny Chirichillo opens up about being a transgender man

Being on Survivor, Teeny opened up about not being sure of his identity and being in the process of figuring out his nonbinary label. In his statements, Teeny reflected on his journey on the show as well as discovering his true identity in the process. He opened up about his preferred pronouns and the realization about questions regarding that.

Chirichillo continued by mentioning that he felt sure of coming to a conclusion about his true identity. However, he didn't expect everyone to understand the "same level of ease" with his gender. The Survivor contestant continued:

"Now begins the process of bridging the gap between my private and public identities, of surrendering myself to the fact that trying to please everyone as this moldable gender putty isn’t pleasing me. And it’s not what anyone is asking of me."

Recalling previous moments from his past, Teeny admitted that he was aware of his identity however, it took him some time to come to terms with this realization. Despite feeling relieved about being sure of himself, Teeny felt it would impact his personal and professional life. He shared that he had lived a "double life," stating:

“I have lived this double life, where my inner world is at peace and aware of how I want to grow older and my outer world remains in this label limbo brought upon by me."

Toward the end of the essay, the Survivor cast member discussed being part of his community. He concluded by recalling his time on the show and how that affected the process as well:

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"My noncommitment to a label like nonbinary and my lack of attachment to the policing of my own pronouns is because until right now, I had been a closeted trans guy. Throughout all of this sudden visibility, a large part of me has wanted to be palatable to everyone, maybe to counteract my polarizing character on the show."

Fans can stream Survivor exclusively on CBS to see Teeny's journey on the show. Viewers can follow the cast member on his Instagram account.

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