This stunning trailblazer left doubters eating their words after she bagged a job as a Hooters girl, becoming what she claims is the first-ever trans woman to do so.
Coming out as transgender during secondary school at the age of 14, Erica Carosella recalls how her Hooters aspirations were knocked back by her teachers.
Determined to prove to her doubters, she landed the role five years later when she was 19, where she kept her sexuality hidden citing that ‘it doesn’t have anything to do’ with her work.
Erica, from Oxford, Pennsylvania, USA, said: “The reason I decided to apply to Hooters in the first place was that while I was in high school, I remember making a remark about wanting to become a Hooters girl to some classmates.
She said: “My two teachers laughed and were like ‘yeah as if that’s going to happen’ or something along those lines.
“So, when I graduated, I wanted so badly to just prove them wrong.
“Next thing you know I am the first trans Hooters girl.
“It wasn’t even a goal of mine, I just wanted people to know that I could do it and I could do it well.”
Erica decided to keep her true identity hidden from the vast majority as she believed she still fit the requirements to model the iconic orange shorts and white tank top.
During her time at the popular restaurant chain, Erika spilled her secret to her closest colleagues which left them gobsmacked.
The waitress adores her position and receives a plethora of comments from her regular customers but admitted that occasionally, patrons would cross the line with inappropriate touching.
Erica decided to unveil her secret on TikTok, when the Hooters branch was temporarily closed, where she openly claimed to be the first-ever openly transgender woman.
Before her big reveal, Erica claims she was assured her job was safe when the branch reopened.
However, when the doors finally swung back open, her colleagues were welcomed back with open arms but the company’s reaction was not so warm.
Not one to back down, Erica went to the restaurant in person, only to be told she’d need to reapply.
Reflecting on her time at Hooters, Erika explained: “I didn’t feel the need to tell the company that I was transgender as I am female, and it did not have anything to do with my work ethic or the ability to do my job.
“I was far into my transition, my records such as my driver’s licence and birth certificate, everything reflected me as Erica and female.”
She explained: “Everything they chose to hire me for such as my experience, my work ethic, and my appearance all lined up with what they wanted at the time, and I checked off all the marks on the list – none of which involved me being transgender.
“I remember the location I was working at closed down for some time due to suspected poor business, which is when I decided to post my initial video letting the world know I was the first ever openly trans-Hooters girl.
“I was promised my job back when they reopened; However, I never was reached out to upon opening, unlike the rest of the staff from what I’ve seen and heard from talking to them.
“My manager always was always thanking me for my hard work.
“I kept up my looks, the customers loved me so I didn’t understand why they wouldn’t rehire me, but one can only suspect.
Despite her disappointment, Erica proves that knowing your worth is more important than any job.