Director Lilly Wachowski comes out as transgender

Following in the footsteps of sister Lana Wachowski, Matrix director Lilly Wachowski has come out as a transgender woman — but not entirely on her own terms.

In a lengthy statement provided to the Windy City Times, Lilly Wachowski told the story of being approached in her own home by a reporter. The man in question urged her to speak with his publication about being trans for his story.

"He proceeded to explain he was a journalist from the Daily Mail, which was the largest news service in the U.K. and was most definitely not a tabloid," she wrote in her statement. "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?"

Read more: Marc Jacobs Casts Trans Director Lana Wachowski for Ads Celebrating "Beauty of Equality"

Despite the Wachowskis' aversion to press, Lilly Wachowski said, she knew she had to take control of the narrative. In her statement, she specifically referenced the Daily Mail's part in outing trans teacher Lucy Meadows. Meadows killed herself after the Daily Mail's editorial ran.

"The reason I knew about her wasn't because she was transgender," Lilly Wachowski wrote. "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!'"

Much of the reaction to Lilly Wachowski's statement on Twitter has been both supportive of the Sense8 director and furious with the Daily Mail.

GLAAD's director of transgender media programs, Nick Adams, released a statement in which he said the organization is "thrilled" Lilly Wachowski can live openly, but that being forced to do so spoke volumes.

"Journalists must learn that it is unacceptable to out a transgender person, in the same way it is unacceptable to out a person who is gay, lesbian or bisexual," he said.

Read Lilly Wachowski's full statement at the Windy City Times.

Related: Meet Lilly's older sister, Lana:

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