Courtnei Lee experiences hate and judgment daily due to her gender identity, like so many others, and has made it her mission to break the silence and stand up for who she is. She noticed a gap in the beauty industry, and even though in recent years there has been an increase in the representation of the LGBTQ+ community, conservative perspectives towards gender are still prevalent.

There are roughly over 1.5 million people that identify as trans in the US, but the battle for non-binary beauty advertising continues especially with worldwide beauty brands.

“There’s still a lack of LGBTQ representation. Even in brands owned by LGBTQ people,” Lee says. She uses her platform to make a difference for not only herself, but everyone struggling with being seen and accepted.

Pride month is only a small part to pay for recognition and support of LGBTQ+ rights, especially for the trans community. And even though beauty lines are showing support, it’s only to a certain extent. They are using a surface-level approach through packaging and infrequent appearances of gender-diverse models, but as a whole, most beauty brands remain the same at their core and are not authentically supportive of gender-diverse individuals.

Discrimination against trans people is ongoing, and the only way to break from these outdated and regimented beliefs is to spread love and kindness to everyone, no matter your differences in religion, race, and gender identity. These are morals Lee lives by and even though it has been an uphill battle to get to where she is today, she continually strives for a more inclusive and loving world.

Courtnei Lee is an entrepreneur, trans and indigenous woman, and founder of OYT Cosmetics. A disrupter in the beauty industry, her cosmetic line was made for the LGBTQ+ community, especially for trans people who face discrimination and segregation daily.

Lee transitioned 5 years ago, and throughout most of her young life, she struggled with being her true self. Now, a driven trans woman and supporter for the trans community, Lee is knocking down societal differences and belittling beliefs and paving a way for a more diverse society.

“The importance that comes with this brand is that we are going to be developing products that are made directly for us,” Lee says, meaning that all of her products, which are in the process of formula development, are designed for trans feminine people that are early in their transition and will be available soon. There is no makeup brand dedicated to formulating products specifically for the LGBTQ+ community, and Lee knew she had to change that. She provides useful resources on her website for things like the process of hormones and how it changes your skin or foundation that works well with facial hair.

She knows how hard it is to show the rest of the world your true authentic self, especially if it’s different from your gender assigned at birth. For transgender individuals, makeup is a big part of expressing themself, and for Lee, “my first step of armor was makeup… it was my way of saying to the world that I identify as female,” she explains. Growing up, she had little resources on how to wear and apply makeup as a trans woman. Lee describes her first experience going to a Sephora in West Vancouver, B.C, and it was a life-altering experience. Even though Lee was still in the process of transitioning and was male presenting, she received the utmost respect and assurance from a female employee that further validated who she is.

“When I walked out, I felt like myself. I didn’t feel like somebody that was trapped in the wrong body. At that moment, I didn’t feel like somebody that was scared of transitioning or scared of the world. I really just felt like Courtnei,” Lee shares.

“There are people that are in stealth, which just means that they are living their life authentically and they don’t address the fact that they’re trans. And they message me saying you’ve given me the courage to come out and say who I am and be proud of it and not be hiding my identity anymore,” Lee shares.

Lee is a revolutionary individual and has created a safe and supportive community for trans and non-binary people. Making a change involves more than simply showing face. Getting out there and supporting others through a platform or company, like Lee, can impact thousands of people’s lives.

Become part of Courtnei Lee’s disruptive cosmetic line by visiting her website and supporting makeup that enhances your beauty while standing for inclusivity and diversity for the trans community.