Vlogger Nikkie de Jagerβbetter known as YouTuber NikkieTutorials who specializes in makeup tutorialsβcame out to fans as a trans woman in an emotional 17-minute-long post to her channel.
The video came after she received blackmail threatening to out her to the press.
De Jager explained her journey to her audience in the video below.
I'm Coming Out. www.youtube.com
She began:
"Today I am here to share with you something that I always wanted to share with you one day, but under my own circumstances. It looks like that chance has been taken away from me so today I am taking back my own power."
By the time de Jager was 6, she already knew she was ready to start taking steps to transition.
"By the age of 6, I grew my hair out. ... By the age of 7 or 8, I fully wore girls' clothes only and it felt amazing."
@NikkieTutorials Cis female here. Due to flukes in my design I cant have children. Ive been assured by many that itβ¦ https://t.co/KJhKRpiv6zβ CelestialSpider (@CelestialSpider) 1578946176
@NikkieTutorials so proud of you Nikkie <3β YouTube (@YouTube) 1579027235
NikkieTutorials coming out as trans is a big moment for trans people. She's someone that cis women of all politicalβ¦ https://t.co/Es71eqOXbGβ Erin, Trail Mom (@Erin, Trail Mom) 1579014395
Sadly, de Jager explained why the chance for her to come out was "taken" from her:
"I have been blackmailed by people that wanted to leak my story to the press....I've always wanted to share this."
I love you @NikkieTutorials β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ https://t.co/wYim9PLjVmβ Vβ³LKY BARLOW (@Vβ³LKY BARLOW) 1578984516
When the name of the person who was blackmailing Nikkietutorials finally gets dropped https://t.co/Cp46PW7v0eβ Department of Just-Ass (@Department of Just-Ass) 1578999851
to whoever blackmailed nikkietutorials.. you tried it https://t.co/prw9GLXKOEβ LAPP (@LAPP) 1578996027
Me finding out nikkietutorials is trans and then me finding out someone tried to blackmail her into coming out https://t.co/lvj0vBBlSsβ β Local Plague Dr β (@β Local Plague Dr β) 1579005155
The way she told her blackmailers to shove it is so ICONIC. Proud of @NikkieTutorials for taking her power back. https://t.co/Trfdlo0Vi1β β‘ (@β‘) 1579005600
Many of Nikkie's fans had no idea she was a trans woman...
At first I thought Nikkie was coming out as a trans man like Trisha paytas but she's a trans woman omg π proudβ Sam Avery π (@Sam Avery π) 1578948785
Nikkie: Iβm coming out Me: Oh cool sheβs bi? lesbian? ... wait I thought she was engaged? Nikkie: Iβm transgenderβ¦ https://t.co/j0W2n1f4kUβ Lπ (@Lπ) 1578954947
...but that didn't affect their support for her...
.@NikkieTutorials is number one on trending as she should be ππ» https://t.co/2kaQnXYlciβ Dustin Dailey (@Dustin Dailey) 1578987420
...or their ire for the people who threatened her.
Me after watching nikkietutorials coming out video https://t.co/4eWC5hl2Jk https://t.co/TBr2prWVrXβ traaaaaaannnnnnnnnns (@traaaaaaannnnnnnnnns) 1579000983
The overwhelming support of Nikkie has far outweighed the negativity.
All her stans made it clear that blackmail was a completely unacceptable way for her to be scared into coming out.
I donβt wanna hear βI never wouldβve guessed Nikkie Tutorials is trans! Iβm shook!β I wanna hear βwho the fuck threβ¦ https://t.co/GhRbZ0OuRuβ donβt worry, darling (@donβt worry, darling) 1578944753
@KatiePepperoni/Twitter
nikkie tutorials was just forced to come out as trans due to blackmail... cis people are literally weaponizing ourβ¦ https://t.co/P3AiPdwChaβ sofie halili (@sofie halili) 1578948225
@remembersolo/Twitter
The decision to come out is an individual choice for many reasons, including the safety of the person. Forcing someone to come out is a despicable attack against the person being targeted.
Nikkie de Jager has not revealed the identity of those who threatened her.
Yet.
Just A Reminder That 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' Features Two Out Trans Actors π
The only hero his age in the popular Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-man needs to represent the morals and attitudes of the upcoming generation. With Gen Z proving to be very open with regards to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, it would make sense their hero supports those ideals.
That is why the new Spider-man film is making waves as the first superhero film to cast out trans actors, according to the Advocate.
The news was first seen in a Twitter post, and confirmed with an Instagram photo from Tom Holland.
Spider-man: Far From Home has cast Zach Barack as a high school friend of Peter Parker. This is Barack's first feature film. The actor shared initial hints about his involvement on social media.
Tyler Luke Cunningham is also in the film as a featured extra. Cunningham is known to British audiences for his work in Boy Meets Girl, a BBC sitcom. The actor had also teased his involvement with the film on social media.
This is some pretty great news!
However, Marvel hasn't had the best record with representation. Both Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther were going to have characters who were LGBTQ+ but had references to their sexuality cut out of the film.
While there's been talk about including queer characters, it seems at the very least Marvel is now taking a step in the right direction by casting trans actors.
But their past record still worries some people.
While they aren't at the forefront yet, Marvel Comics does have trans and non-binary characters. Ken Shiga AKA. Koi Boi in the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl series has been confirmed to be transgender. Other heroes such as the Skrull Xavin are aliens without a societal attachment to gender.
Which has led some to call for Spider-man to be transgender, if he isn't already.
As the MCU continues on, new actors and roles will be brought on. While we don't know when superhero films will start casting LGBTQ+ actors in bigger roles, or when they will start bringing those characters to audiences, this kind of casting announcement is definitely a positive move.
It's not easy to be transgender. Any gender non-conforming expression is scrutinized by the general public and, as we talk more and more about the rights everyone should have, trans people come under fire.
That's why it's great that Twitter user @wondyful started the #TransLooksLikeThis hashtag last week. Their experience within the trans community led them to feel that they were being pushed out for not fitting a specific look.
The tag took off, with others posting photos of themselves to explain what being trans looks like.
And it looks pretty great!
#TransLooksLikeThis Iβm a trans guy through and through but Iβm still super feminine in my physical expression. I lβ¦ https://t.co/95NC9OxtUzβ πBugπ ACAB!!! (@πBugπ ACAB!!!) 1546493500
lol I really just saw someone who said theyβre sure this tag is mostly cis ppl and that you need to experience dyspβ¦ https://t.co/6efzh61cxVβ our beautiful rat king (@our beautiful rat king) 1546491285
#TransLooksLikeThis still unpacking my identity and relationship to femininity but we out here π€π€(nb they/them ayyyβ¦ https://t.co/W5QanbeFEWβ niko (@niko) 1546491853
#TransLooksLikeThis no matter how i express myself, im non-binary as FUCK https://t.co/Fi8frPHJAUβ star tissue (@star tissue) 1546497849
While the visibility of trans rights has increased, trans people themselves can feel very left out.
That's why it's important for trans people of all backgrounds to have a voice.
Smells like recycled selfies.... Anyway Iβm 2 years and some change on T and feeling good (he/him)β¦ https://t.co/4lqfN8hEwGβ π³οΈβππ§π»ββοΈMichelangeloπ§π»ββοΈπ³οΈββ§οΈ (@π³οΈβππ§π»ββοΈMichelangeloπ§π»ββοΈπ³οΈββ§οΈ) 1546494774
Trans issues have been in the news lately, especially with attacks from the Trump administration. President Trump is trying to roll out limits on transgender people in the military. Additionally, his administration is looking to establish a legal definition of gender that ties it to sex under Title IX protections.
But many are speaking out against this erasure. With the control of the House of Representatives shifting sides, a new task force on transgender rights is working to fight the administration's attempts to invalidate the very lives of trans people. And across the globe, people are protesting inhumane treatment and the reductions in rights for those who are transgender.
In all this, it's important to remember not every trans person can transition, nor does every trans person want to transition. Their gender identity and gender expression are not tied to the binary most are used to. People have their preferred pronouns and it's important to respect them.