Social Media

Montoya worked as a full-time makeup artist and manager at a department store's cosmetics counter until she was laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.^[6][11] During this time, she focused on turning her social media platforms into a full-time job.^[6] Montoya uses their social media to create educational content regarding transgender issues, experiences, and rights.^[6] She has made sponsored posts with FX Networks, New York City Pride, Planned Parenthood, Fenty Beauty, Parade, and Fluide.^{[13][14][15][16][17]} In 2022, Montoya was nominated for Favorite TikToker at the 10th annual Queerty Awards.^[7]

Motivational Speaking & Advocacy

Montoya has spoken and presented on transgender rights at the Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference, the Downtown Emergency Service Center, the University of Pittsburgh, Stanford University, and Yale University.^[18][19][20] She launched the educational website The Trans 101 to spread awareness regarding issues faced by transgender people.^[21] Montoya is also a board member of the non-profit, Aadya Rising.^[22] She was one of the activists featured in Out's 18 LGBTQ+ Policy Makers and Advocates Changing the World.^[6] In June 2023, Rose also spoke at the National Press Club to advocate for policy change in support of transgender rights.^[23] In November of 2023, Rose published an op-ed in TIME Magazine about the over-sexualization of trans bodies and the desire-to-cruelty-pipeline. ^[24]

Modeling

Montoya began modeling in 2018, after she was discovered by the undergarment company TomboyX.^[2][6] She was scouted by Tricia Romani of League Models and InspirationALL Talent ^[2] through her TikTok channel and is signed to them for acting and modeling. She has modeled in advertisement campaigns for Savage X Fenty, Yandy.com, Adore Me, Toms Shoes, and oVertone.^[2][3][4][5] In June 2021, Rose was featured on a billboard in New York City as one of the faces of LGBT telehealth group Folx Health's launch campaign for PreP.^[25][26]

Viral TSA video

In March 2021, Montoya had a difficult experience with the Transportation Security Administration at an airport in Phoenix, Arizona.^[33] A TikTok video about it received over twenty million views.^[34] Montoya said her documentation recognizes her as female, but airport scanners, which categorize travelers as male or female due to genitalia, set off alarms.^[33][35] After disclosing to the TSA attendant that she is transgender, the agent asked if Montoya would prefer to be "scanned as a man instead."^[33] Montoya stated that then, after triggering the alarm again, the TSA tried to assign a male agent to pat her down despite her being a trans woman.^[33]

White House Pride controversy

In June 2023, Montoya attended a Pride month celebration at the White House in Washington DC where she was among the hundreds greeted by US President Joe Biden.^[36] She elicited controversy due to a TikTok video she shared with her nearly 800K followers. After a full day, the TikTok video was then shared by Libs of TikTok which caused the video to go viral on far-right Twitter and was then picked up by conservative media.^[37][38] Fox News wrote three articles about the incident in one day.^[39][36] The video included 3 seconds in which she and two other attendees removed their clothing above the waist in a video. Rose covered her nipples the entire time.^[36][40] The White House called the act "disrespectful" and said that the individuals in the video "would not be invited back to future events."^[41] Rose has since issued an apology video.^[42] While in DC, Rose also spoke at the National Press Club to advocate for policy change in support of transgender rights.^[23]

Television

Film