Trans comedian shares her transition journey with a twist. It's both hilarious and uplifting.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on April 20, 2022.

Transitioning can be a scary experience, especially when you are wary of the response of the people you know, including your family and friends. Dylan Mulvaney, a comedian and actor from Los Angeles, documented her transition as a way to help herself, but the videos she posted to TikTok resonated with others and she now has more than 2 million followers. Mulvaney knew she was a girl when she was as young as 4. "When I was 4 years old, I came to my mom and said, 'Mom I'm a girl trapped in a boy's body. Help!'” she recalled telling her Mom, reported Good Morning America. She eventually got to be her true self and started transitioning at the age of 25.

"Ultimately, I had to do that to honor who I truly am. And now I've never been happier," she said. "And it feels so good to know that, like, all of the darkness throughout my life, all of the experiences that I've gone through ... the hard conversations have all been worth it." She started out making videos of her transition to document her journey like a diary. Even as she made the videos, she infused comedy into all of them. What she didn't expect was their positive reception. It gave her immense confidence and belief in herself. "I didn't know I was this worthy of love or this worthy of attention, and there's something really affirming in the fact that, like, I now know that like I am a good person. I have good to put out in the world," said Mulvaney. "I am grateful for every single human being that's along with me."

She titled her transition series “Day ___ of Girlhood,” where she documents her journey and all the things she hadn't anticipated before transitioning, also making it an excellent resource for those wishing to learn about the transition. In one video, she recalls a woman asking if she could borrow a tampon. She froze and had never thought about being asked for a tampon and has since made it a point to carry one in her purse all the time. 

Mulvaney said she has received countless messages from people who she has inspired to come out as trans. Parents of trans children also message her, telling her how informative her videos can be. Some say they watch the videos along with their children. "Anytime that a trans person reaches out and says that, like, I'm going through the same thing ... that is, like, such a gift because I want to represent the trans community in the best light possible," she said. "The support from cis women has been insane and magical because it feels like I really am part of something new and they've like accepted me into womanhood." She often shared videos on her transition, applying makeup and talked about therapy, brands, and so on.

When asked about her message to people who are mustering the courage to transition, she responded, "First of all, I'm proud of you," she said. "Second of all, take your time. This is not a race. It is probably one of the biggest decisions you'll ever have to make in your life and one of the craziest journeys that you'll go on." Mulvaney urged them to find people who'll back them. "Start with people that you know, 100%, will support you and love you," she said. Mulvaney is thankful her transition journey and subsequent videos on TikTok have helped destigmatize what it means to be trans.