Nikkie de Jager and 5 other YouTube influencers who have opened up on video about their transgender and LGBTQ+ journeys

Nikkie de Jager, better known by her YouTube channel NikkieTutorials, came out as a transgender woman this month.

According to her recent video titled I’m Coming Out, the beauty YouTuber underwent hormone replacement therapy when she was a teenager and fully transitioned from male to female when she was 19 years old.

The 25-year-old beauty influencer has been filming make-up tutorials on YouTube since she was 13.

Although Nikkie said that finally opening up to her 12.7 million strong audience was “liberating”, she also said that she was blackmailed about her identity – which led her to film a “coming out” video on her own terms. The video has garnered over 14 million views, most of which have been supportive.

One Twitter user commented, “Love you Nikkie! You’re a beautiful soul and deserve the world. And to the person trying to blackmail you? May they stub their toe every day. In the same spot.”

Another wrote, “I came out to my family a few months ago, and I remember how great/terrifying it felt to finally say it. I wish you could have done it on your own terms but I’m still happy for you.”

NikkieTutorials is not the first transgender influencer to speak up about her experience with gender identity. While traditional media has been lagging behind in LGBTQ+ representation, the world of YouTube and social media celebrity has helped pave the way for transgender visibility.

Here are five other influencers who have opened up about their transgender journey.

Julie Vu