Getting Real with Bionka & Nya from Fuse's 'Transcendent'

Fuse's reality show "Transcendent," largely set in the SF club AsiaSF, chronicles long-time AsiaSF performers Bambiana, Bionka, Nya, & Xristina as they navigate life as transgender women and performers. EDGE spoke to Bionka & Nya about the show that recently began its second season.

At the recent San Francisco Pride, the cloud of the Orlando tragedy was still in the air, but so was the feeling of community, strength and love, which made it all the more fitting the ladies of the Fuse reality show," Transcendent," were the Grand Marshals of this year's Pride Parade.

Bionka, Nya, Xristina, LA and Bambiana are not only the stars of the Fuse hit series, currently airing its second season, but they can also be seen in person at San Francisco club, AsiaSF, where much of the action of the show takes place.

EDGE sat down in Los Angeles recently with Bionka Simone and Nya Cruz to talk about the latest season, their childhoods and what is okay and not okay to ask any trans person.

Romance ahead?

EDGE: Any romance coming for either of you this season?

Nya Cruz: Actually spoiler alert, I'm not going to tell you who but there is one of the ladies of AsiaSF that is in a very, very serious relationship. Unfortunately, it's not me.

Bionka Simone: Or me.

Nya Cruz: There is a continuation somewhat of my dating life from the first season but I'm not going to disclose that and you're going to have to watch and see. This season I'm really dealing with the family that I was born with and then the family that I have chosen.

Bionka Simone: I think it's an interesting story to touch on only because being a part of the LGBT community, we often tend to make our own families anyway and most people don't understand that.

Nya Cruz: Even the production company was like, 'Why are we going to film with this particular person?' which is Tita Aida, which is my mother figure, my trans mother figure and I had to break it down for them. I said, 'We don't always connect with our blood family being LGBTQ and we choose our family.' So I almost have to convince them.

EDGE: Bionka, we see you and Bambi clash early on...

Bionka Simone: Yeah, so you see a lot more drama from the girls this season.

EDGE: She seems to enjoy pushing your buttons.

Bionka Simone: Bambi loves pushing anyone's buttons, let's just say that. But Bambi has a very strong personality and she's very adamant about certain things and being the oldest out of all of us, I can say that. She's definitely very set in her ways, so that's why you have a lot of drama from Bambi, I feel.

EDGE: Is there any point in the season where maybe you're getting along or is it always clashing?

Bionka Simone: Yeah, not to give away too much but we have a girl getaway so you see us all kind of bond. You see everything that you're supposed to kind of see. So you see the drama and you see the highs and lows and then you see us come back together.

Talking to Younger Selves

EDGE: Can you look back to when you were a kid and ever imagine that you'd be at the place you are now, and like who you are as a person or anything?

Bionka Simone: God, no. As a kid I didn't know that I would be living the truth that I wanted to be and actually an entertainer and doing the things that I'm doing now. I had no clue. I thought I would be stuck in the L.A./Anaheim area just trying to work a regular job just like anybody else. The fact that I've transcended beyond that and moved to San Francisco and I'm part of a cabaret club, and I have transgender sisters, and I'm living and speaking the truth and living my daily... I love it.

EDGE: Nya, what was your childhood like?

Nya Cruz: I always knew that I was a girl. I always knew I was a woman. I was wearing girls clothing in kindergarten. I went to school in girls clothing in kindergarten and that was years ago. So I always knew that I was going to be who I am, a woman, but I never thought I would be on TV. I'm actually a very shy private person, believe it or not. I kind of have an alter ego. When I'm on stage that is my outlet but I'm actually really shy.

EDGE: If you could tell something to your younger self, what would it be?

Bionka Simone: Hold on girl because it's getting better.

Nya Cruz: I had a really strong mother figure growing up so she really instilled a lot of good qualities in me. I used to get bullied all the time but I never let it get me, and I think that's why I'm so strong today is because I never let the haters affect me. I always knew that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and I always just knew that there was something right or out there for me. I didn't know what it was, but I've always just been a very optimistic person.

Questions to Ask and Not Ask

EDGE: What are the rules for people whether if somebody who just walks up to you on the street or press and when they want to know where you are in your transition.

Bionka Simone: It's not proper to ask.

Nya Cruz: It's nobody's business.

Bionka Simone: We don't walk up to you and go, 'So how big are you? Are you 12 inches above the floor or like what's going on?'

Nya Cruz: [Trans author/MSNBC host] Janet Mock did this interview with someone and she reversed the roles and she was asking this cisgendered woman questions that would be usually pointed towards a trans person. She would ask questions like, 'Do you feel that because you have a vagina that people discriminate you?' and the reporter had a whole new outlook on it. She was just like, 'Oh, my God, I did feel kind of violated by a lot of the questions that you were asking me' and it's nobody's business unless we decide to disclose that to you. And there are different types of trans people. There's some people that choose not to get any plastic surgery at all but that does not make them any less of man or any less of a woman.

Bionka Simone: I think importantly it's just good to remember that we're human so just think about that first. we're all people regardless if we're trans or not, we're just a person. Keep in mind questions that you wouldn't want to be asked.

Transcendent airs Wednesdays at 11:30 p.m. on Fuse. For more on AsiaSF, visit the website.