Tommy Dorfman has slammed cis influencers and celebrities for the appropriation of make-up techniques developed by the queer community. The 29-year-old actress recently came out as a trans woman, and has spoken passionately about how make-up allowed her to change the way she was viewed in the world.
The 13 Reasons Why star called make-up “a powerful way to transform everything from your bone structure to how you’re viewed in the world to your own aesthetic,” telling InStyle that it “can be an amazing tool for affirmation.”
But Tommy also believes that there has been an “appropriation” of certain techniques by cis women, specifically influencers and celebrities, and she slammed their inaction in supporting the women who paved the way.
“I think a lot of the makeup techniques that trans women developed to hyperfeminize their faces have been appropriated by certain cis influencers, celebrities and makeup artists,” she said, referencing the “carved-out big face” as an example.
“It’s funny to see cis women beat their faces and not know the process behind it,” she added, “but none of those women are standing up for trans women.”
Tommy “reintroduced” herself to the world in July, sharing that she had “made a transition medically.” “Coming out is always viewed as this grand reveal, but I was never not out,” she stated. “Today is about clarity: I am a trans woman. My pronouns are she/her. My name is Tommy.”
She began using they/them pronouns and identifying as non-binary publicly around 2017. But the Time interview marked the first time she spoke publicly about her transition. “I’ve been living in this other version of coming out where I don’t feel safe enough to talk about it, so I just do it,” she revealed. “I recognize that transitioning is beautiful. Why not let the world see what that looks like? So I kept, on Instagram, a diaristic time capsule instead—one that shows a body living in a more fluid space.”
