In a very personal essay with Time, Josie went in depth about how she hid her true self because she wasn't ready to be more specific about it. She was afraid she would be embarrassed and not accepted. A major concern she shared was that fans who watched her star in Disney shows would be confused.
She wrote, "My pronouns are she, her and hers. I identify as female, specifically as a transgender female. And my name is Josie Totah."