A profile of Dani Anufriev by Sasha Sobol
A
n uneven rope of smoke weaves past my nose and blankets the empty living room, its source emitting an herbal scent. I wonder if this will give me a headache. The witch is seated on the floor, wearing all black, holding a candle and matches. They’re closer to nature than lighters, she explains. As she strikes the matches, the flickering fire illuminates her blue bangs and matching eyeshadow. I’m presented with a deck of cards and instructed to ask a question.
The witch’s shorts are sprinkled with skulls and her t-shirt reads “DAVID BOWIE.” She’s sixteen years old and her name is Dani Anufriev. Had she been born a few hundred years earlier, she would likely have been ostracized for going against established order, tortured or killed for who she is (Jones, O’Neill). When it comes to social acceptance in 2014 California, her witchcraft might not be the most important factor to consider. Dani is transgender, or trans. She
identifies as female, but the outside world tends to disregard that fact or use it against her. With the explosion of public awareness of transgender issues in the last couple of years—what Time Magazine called the “Transgender Tipping Point”— trans is surely becoming the new gay: a new group of people is shifting from caricatures to three dimensional characters in movies and on TV, a new set of legal protections are being demanded, and a new vocabulary is being adopted.