5 TikTok-ers Making a Difference for Trans Youth
And why you should go follow them now!
If you’re not sure what TikTok is, you must not be one of the 689 million users it has worldwide. TikTok is a video-sharing platform people use to create, edit, and post short videos often less than a minute with viewers all around the globe. The tools TikTok provides make it easy for anyone to hop on and like, share, and save videos made by users. You can even “duet” someone else’s video to add your own perspective to its content.
It’s not only easy to navigate, but it’s also fun and extremely addicting whether you’re simply watching what others have made or creating your own funny, educational, or insightful content.
Getting to know many of the beautiful souls on this platform who create videos that promote equality, stand up for the human rights of several marginalized groups, and act as amazing representation of the LGBTQ+ community has been wonderfully insightful and enlightening — and also a lot of fun.
Here are just five individuals who choose to make the world a better place by creating short videos where they express themselves and their compassion for others. If you’re an ally or want to understand the LGBTQ+ community better, these folks are who you want to start watching and listening to.
Martie Sirois
Ms. Sirois is an amazing human being who writes about much of the political scene including the recent push toward so much anti-transgender legislation. Her words can be read all over the place, including here on Medium.
Martie Sirois is one of the people I go to when I want to better understand what is going on in Washington here in the U.S. as well as state and local governments.
She has made several TikTok videos regarding the Equality Act and the wave of proposed anti-trans legislation all across this country. She explains what these bills would mean for all of us and what we can do to fight them.
As the mom of a trans nonbinary teen, this is personal. — Martie Sirois, TikTok, April 12, 2021
Martie Sirois also hosts lives on TikTok in order to answer any questions you might have regarding any of this.
JannaTransMama
Janna is the single mom of a trans child named Cody. She shares her parenting experiences with her TikTok viewers including recent posts regarding her transgender son’s top surgery. She is the loving, accepting, supportive parent every kid deserves.
She has accepted many invitations to become viewers’ TikTok mom. She shows so much love to these individuals whose own families have tossed them aside due to their LGBTQ+ identities.
Abso-fricken-lutely I can be your mom! That’s totally fine! There’s only one condition: That I love you unconditionally. — Janna, TikTok, March 24, 2021
If I ever need a TikTok mom, Janna will be the first one I ask.
Bec and Brier
This TikTok-ing duo creates content specifically promoting LGBTQ+ education. Under the handle MI Rainbow Yard, you’ll find lots of videos by the creative duo cooking, painting, and sharing personal stories as well as explaining to their viewers what certain LGBTQ+ terms mean.
Bec shares many insightful details about their own exploration of gender and growing up with anti-LGBTQ+ family members.
Sadly I’ve been experiencing a lot of transphobia from one side of the family mostly…But something I’ve learned recently that I think everyone needs a little reminder of sometimes…You’re not obligated to show them respect just because they’re family. — Bec, TikTok, March 3, 2021
Monica the Teacher
This content creator teams up with her nonbinary lesbian teen, Ash, to answer questions so many parents have but don’t know who to ask or even how. They are a family team on TikTok who discusses so many different topics that impact the LGBTQ+ community and specifically kids and young adults.
Hey, Mom. A lot of people still use my deadname. — Ash
I’m sorry. I know that creates a lot of dysphoria for you…Maybe a lot of people just don’t know what a deadname is. — Monica
A deadname is a name a trans person was assigned at birth that they no longer use. — Ash, TikTok, April 8, 2021
This conversation ends with Monica acknowledging that it takes time to get used to change, but she stresses the importance of trying.
If you are a parent of an LGBTQ+ child, or an ally wanting to understand more, Monica and Ash are wonderful people to learn from.
Jeffrey Marsh
This writer, actor, artist, and social media influencer discusses what it means to live as a nonbinary individual along with the importance of mental health in their TikTok videos.
Their compassion for human beings is even apparent in the videos addressing hateful comments directed toward them. Their candid conversations with their viewers give us invaluable insight into what it’s like to be part of the LGBTQ+ community.
I think it’s hard to understand the psychological and spiritual weight of being trans in a world where everyone feels entitled (encouraged even!) to weigh in on whether we should exist. That part is not easy. — Jeffrey Marsh, Twitter, April 15, 2021
I don’t understand how it’s possible not to love Jeffrey Marsh for who they are. Their beautiful soul is present in every piece of content they create.
TikTok is a fun platform where I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know several LGBTQ+ individuals and allies. The video format gives me more opportunity to express certain things in more detail than simply writing about them. And it certainly lends itself to a more personal connection with others than many other social media platforms.
Here are 10 Questions Every Parent Should Ask Their Transgender Teen.
Zada Kent is creator of LGBTQueer-ies & proud parent to her transgender son.
