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Stef Sanjati

Stef Sanjati, born Stephanie Luciana Peloza, is a Canadian video game streamer, video blogger and YouTube personality known for her advocacy and creative content. A prominent transgender activist and digital creator, she has built a substantial online community through her candid discussions on identity, mental health and beauty. Sanjati's personal journey, marked by her experiences with Waardenburg syndrome, bullying and self-discovery, forms the core of her impactful public presence. She was born Stefan Peloza and is of Croatian and Scottish descent, later coming out as transgender after college.

Early life and education

Stef Sanjati was born and raised in the small town of Wallaceburg in southern Ontario. She attended Wallaceburg District Secondary School, where her formative years were shaped by severe bullying that began in the ninth grade. The harassment escalated after she came out as gay at age thirteen, a label she used before having the vocabulary to understand her transgender identity. The bullying included physical threats in the school parking lot, vandalism like slashed tires on her mother's car and a constant fear that made the cafeteria and school bathrooms feel unsafe. Her childhood was also marked by her experience with Waardenburg syndrome, a genetic condition inherited from her mother's side of the family.

The syndrome gave Sanjati distinctive physical features, including a forelock of white hair, very pale blue eyes set wider apart than typical and the absence of a cupid's bow on her upper lip. She is also deaf in her left ear due to the condition. During her youth, she perceived these features as a barrier to safety and acceptance, leading to intense self hatred. A key source of refuge during this time was her high school art teacher, Mrs Simpson, who provided a safe classroom where Sanjati could eat lunch, create art and escape her tormentors, an act of kindness for which she remains grateful.

From Pixels to Pride: Stef Sanjati’s Journey Through Games and Identity 🎮 Welcome to another episode of Saved by Gaming! Today, we sit down
Photo: Saved By Gaming / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

Online beginnings and YouTube career

Seeking community and safety, Sanjati turned to the internet as a teenager, where she began to explore her identity and find her voice. She was drawn to online makeup tutorials, finding them a comforting and artistic outlet that felt like an extension of the art she created at school. This interest led her to start her own YouTube channel, where she initially gained recognition for her educational videos on transgender identity, mental health, relationships and fashion. Her makeup tutorials, specifically tailored to help other trans women, became a central part of her content and helped her build a loyal following known as the Bread Squad, a name derived from Sanjati's love of bread. Her channel grew to over 594,000 subscribers at its peak, with her videos offering a blend of advocacy, personal storytelling and practical beauty advice.

In December 2016, Stef Sanjati underwent facial feminization surgery. She did not allow her surgeon to alter any of her Waardenburg syndrome features. Sanjati shared the healing process on her YouTube channel. In April 2020, Sanjati retired her YouTube channel. On January 25, 2021, Sanjati posted a video announcing she was changing the topic of her content. She said she was retiring from fashion and beauty to focus on gaming and tech.

  • December 2016: Underwent and documented facial feminization surgery.
  • April 2020: Announced retirement of her main YouTube channel.
  • January 2021: Returned to announce a content pivot to gaming and tech.
  • Primary content themes: Trans identity education, mental health, relationships, fashion and makeup tutorials.
  • Community: Followers collectively named the Bread Squad.
  • Peak subscribers: Over 594,000 on YouTube.
Video: A Face Full of Popcorn | Stef Sanjati (Stef Sanjati, YouTube)

Transition to gaming and Twitch

Following her return to content creation in 2021, Sanjati shifted her primary focus to video game streaming and technology. She established a consistent presence on Twitch, where she streams live for four days each week, engaging with her community through gameplay and interactive discussions. Her content covers a wide range of games, with a noted passion for titles like World of Warcraft, and she has attended major gaming events such as BlizzCon in 2026. This transition allowed her to merge her lifelong interest in gaming with her role as a creator, building a new space for her existing community and reaching new audiences. Alongside her Twitch streams, she maintains a secondary YouTube channel dedicated to gaming content.

Her online persona evolved to encompass both her gaming expertise and her background in beauty, often describing herself as a gaming and beauty creator. This approach reflects her varied interests and allows her to connect with followers across different creative domains. The move to gaming represented a deliberate step towards creating content that aligned more closely with her personal passions while continuing to provide a platform for advocacy and community building. Her activities in the gaming sphere include several notable public engagements.

  • Streaming schedule: Live on Twitch four days a week.
  • Notable game: World of Warcraft.
  • Event attendance: BlizzCon 2026.
  • Public appearance: FanExpo Canada 2026.
  • Content shift: From beauty and fashion to gaming and tech.

Activism and public advocacy

Stef Sanjati's work is deeply rooted in activism for transgender rights, mental health awareness and kindness. She uses her platforms to educate her audience on a wide array of topics, including trans identity, complex post traumatic stress disorder and recovery from bulimia and addiction. Her candid discussions about her own struggles with bullying, body image and trauma provide a relatable and supportive resource for her followers. In 2026, she was profiled as the first participant in Instagram Canada's The Kindness Project, an initiative focused on empathy, compassion and amplifying diverse voices. Her advocacy extends to public appearances and media interviews where she shares her journey to promote understanding and acceptance.

Stef Sanjati has shared the importance of creativity and self kindness to leading your best life. She is an articulate advocate and activist for human rights. Her activism draws from her experiences as a pansexual trans woman born with Waardenburg syndrome. She is known for her educational videos on trans identity, mental health, relationships, and fashion. She uses her platform to foster inclusive communities.

  • Core advocacy: Transgender rights and visibility.
  • Mental health topics: Complex PTSD, bulimia, addiction, alcohol abuse.
  • Campaign involvement: Instagram Canada's The Kindness Project (2026).
  • Personal identity: Speaks as a pansexual trans woman with Waardenburg syndrome.
  • Key message: Promoting creativity, self kindness and empathy.

Public profile and media features

Sanjati's distinctive appearance and compelling story have made her a recognizable figure in digital media. Her elf like features, resulting from Waardenburg syndrome, along with her skilled makeup artistry and stylish presentation, are frequently noted in profiles and interviews. She has been featured in publications like Faze, which highlighted her role in The Kindness Project with Instagram Canada. Her social media reach extends to close to two hundred thousand followers on Instagram, complementing her substantial YouTube subscriber base. She continues to engage with broader cultural events, such as FanExpo Canada in 2026, and maintains an active presence across multiple platforms including Instagram Reels, where her content garners significant viewership.

Stef Sanjati's content includes personal life updates, advocacy, and gaming. She is a Canadian video game streamer, video blogger, and YouTube personality. She streams gaming on Twitch four days a week. She has been featured in media interviews and has appeared at events like BlizzCon and FanExpo Canada. This establishes her as a visible advocate and commentator in digital culture.

Personal life and identity

Sanjati publicly identifies as a transgender woman and is pansexual. She has spoken about the evolution of her understanding of her own gender and sexuality, noting that she initially came out as gay at age thirteen due to a lack of vocabulary and awareness about transgender identities. Her transition included facial feminization surgery in 2016, a process she shared with her audience. She has been open about her complex health history, which includes Waardenburg syndrome, single sided deafness, complex post traumatic stress disorder and a history of bulimia and alcohol abuse. As she entered her thirties in November 2026, Sanjati reflected on feeling wiser, more grounded and more open to discussing difficult topics.

Stef Sanjati's YouTube subscribers are collectively known as the Bread Squad, due to her love of bread. She is affectionately called Breadmom by her community. Her personal narrative involves resilience and self discovery after being bullied. She used the internet to find her true self and express her emotions. She came out as transgender after college. Key details include her Waardenburg syndrome and being deaf in one ear.

  • Birthday: November 27.
  • Age milestone: Entered her thirties in November 2026.
  • Coming out: Came out as gay at age 13. Later identified as transgender.
  • Medical history: Waardenburg syndrome, deaf in left ear, complex PTSD, history of bulimia and alcohol abuse.
  • Surgery: Facial feminization surgery (December 2016).
  • Family background: Of Croatian and Scottish descent.

Questions about Stef Sanjati

What is Stef Sanjati known for?

Stef Sanjati is known as a Canadian video game streamer, YouTube personality and transgender advocate. She initially gained a large following through her educational videos on trans identity, mental health and makeup tutorials tailored for trans women. She later pivoted to focus on gaming content, streaming regularly on Twitch. Her distinctive appearance due to Waardenburg syndrome and her candid discussions about her personal journey with bullying and identity have made her a prominent voice in online communities.

What condition does Stef Sanjati have?

Stef Sanjati has Waardenburg syndrome, a genetic condition she inherited from her mother's side of the family. This syndrome causes several distinctive physical features, including a white forelock of hair, very pale blue eyes that are set wider apart than average and the absence of a cupid's bow on her upper lip. The condition has also left her deaf in her left ear. Sanjati has chosen not to alter these features through surgery, embracing them as part of her identity.

Why did Stef Sanjati retire from YouTube?

Stef Sanjati initially retired her main YouTube channel in April 2020. However, she returned to the platform in January 2021 to announce a major shift in her content focus. She retired from creating fashion and beauty videos, deciding instead to concentrate on gaming and technology content. This led to her establishing a strong presence on Twitch, where she now streams live four days a week, and maintaining a separate YouTube channel for gaming related videos.

What is the Bread Squad?

The Bread Squad is the name for Stef Sanjati's dedicated online community of followers. The name originated from Sanjati's well known love of bread. Her subscribers on YouTube and viewers on Twitch collectively identify under this moniker. Sanjati often refers to herself as the Breadmom of the Breadsquad, fostering a sense of family and belonging among her audience through interactive streams, shared inside jokes and supportive discussions.

Where is Stef Sanjati from?

Stef Sanjati is from Wallaceburg, a small town in southern Ontario, Canada. She has described growing up there as extremely difficult due to severe bullying she faced for her appearance and her sexuality. She attended Wallaceburg District Secondary School. Despite the challenges of her childhood, she has also expressed fond memories of her hometown and credits a high school art teacher there with providing a critical safe haven for her during her teens.

What games does Stef Sanjati stream?

Stef Sanjati streams a variety of video games on her Twitch channel, which she operates four days a week. She has expressed a particular passion for World of Warcraft, and her attendance at BlizzCon 2026 shows her involvement in that gaming community. Her content spans different genres and consoles, appealing to a broad audience of gamers. The shift to gaming allowed her to merge a personal hobby with her career as a content creator and advocate.

Sources and further reading

Checked by the Novello Desserts desk. Last updated 2026-10-30.

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