THE CATFISH: “Alyx,” a guy who began an online relationship with Kya, herself a former catfish. When the two met, the situation was ultimately more complicated than a fake name and photo. In reality, “Alyx” was Dani, born female but now identifying himself as a transgender man. (Kya, however, wasn’t deterred from the relationship.)
WHY HE DID IT: Anxiety over revealing his sexual identity. “I was just nervous and I didn’t want to lose you,” Dani says, explaining that most of the people he has told about his sexuality have walked out on him. Posing as a person of another sex or gender identity is a common theme throughout Catfish, as the Internet gives the people behind the false profiles a chance to inhabit personas that they may not be comfortable with off-line.