Wiz Khalifa's Mom on Late Daughter's Coming-Out Journey: "Lala Really Gave Me Courage" (EXCLUSIVE)

Behind every global rap superstar is a tribe that supported them from the start. For Wiz Khalifa — that’s his mother, Peachie Wimbush-Polk, affectionately known as OG, and his late sister, Dorien "Lala" Thomaz.

The siblings had a close-knit relationship up until February of 2017 when Lala passed away. Years after Lala’s death, both Wiz and his mother are still grieving her loss.

Wiz paid tribute to his sister, who identified as a transgender woman, in Season 5 of The Masked Singer. And on the heels of what would have been Lala’s 37th birthday, Peachie opened up in an intimate interview with Distractify about how Lala’s legacy lives on.

Wiz’s mom is an outwardly supportive advocate for the LGBTQ community, and you can rest assured that Peachie practices what she’s preaching. She told Distractify that Lala was only a teenager when she began her transition — which Peachie welcomed with open arms.

“Lala really gave me courage, because she was the bravest person that I ever had the pleasure of knowing in my life. And the fact that she was my child, I had the pleasure of knowing her intimately,” she explained.

They say you can’t choose your family — but Peachie disagrees. According to the author, “your children pick you,” and “Lala knew who pick.” In her interview with Distractify, she described her reaction on the day her daughter came out.

“I offer everybody the dignity to be who they are. So when she came to me and said, ‘I'm LaQueen Cinderella — you can shorten it by calling me Lala,’ I'm like, all right, Lala,” Peachie said with pride.

Lala’s bravery inspired Peachie to begin her career as an activist and author. Despite fears that a hate crime would befall her daughter, she was elated to see Lala finally live in her truth. Lala's journey taught Peachie that fear "can paralyze you or it can propel you."

Lala’s sexual identity made her a target of harassment and discrimination, but it would be years before she got the devastating diagnosis that ended her life.

After Lala learned that she had lymphoma, she refused all lifesaving measures. In spite of her family's pleas for medical intervention, Lala ultimately died of natural causes.

According to Peachie, Lala made up her mind not long after her diagnosis, and Peachie had no choice but to respect her daughter’s decision. “She was like, ‘No, they're gonna kill me.’ Because she was cognizant. She's lives in this male-looking body. And she knows how she's been treated — or mistreated — by everybody,” Peachie explained.

Although she was given power of attorney, Peachie chose to let her daughter go on her own terms. She added, “Because I also believe that people deserve to live and die like they want to. I believe that people deserve to have dignity in death.”

Today, Lala’s legacy lives on by way of her mother, brother, and nephew, Bash. Every year in October, Lala's birthday month, Peachie and Wiz celebrate her life with an annual "Lalaween Party." Peachie shared that she hopes to one day launch her passion project, The CindereLala Foundation, to support LGBTQ kids in need.

To get more of the precious gems Peachie has to drop, sign up for her Elevate & Glow retreat on OmNoire.com