Colonel William A. Phillips

Dylan Mulvaney (born December 29, 1996) is an American social media personality who has detailed her gender transition in daily videos published on TikTok since early 2022. She gained a higher profile after her interview with U.S. president Joe Biden at the White House, during which they spoke about transgender rights. After Bud Light sent a can to Mulvaney for an Instagram promotion in 2023, American conservatives led a boycott of the brand.

By 2023, Mulvaney had more than 10 million followers on TikTok,[1] while her video series, Days of Girlhood, had received over one billion views.[2]

Early life and education

Mulvaney was born on December 29, 1996,[3] in San Diego, California.[4] She graduated from the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music[5] in 2019 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater.[6]

Career

2015–2022: Acting roles and social media fame

Following her graduation from college, Mulvaney acted in the role of Elder White in the musical The Book of Mormon;[2][7][8] the role led her to tour the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.[9] Other acting roles included How The Grinch Stole Christmas! at the Old Globe Theatre; 8 at the Birch North Park Theatre; Next to Normal at Arts Off Broadway; Legally Blonde; Spring Awakening; Bye Bye Birdie; and High School Musical at ACT San Diego.[10]

Around the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, Mulvaney began posting videos to TikTok, which usually garnered a few hundred thousand views.[4] She came out as a trans woman during the pandemic,[11][5] while living with her "very conservative family" at her childhood home in San Diego,[12] and she began to document her gender transition in a daily series of videos published on TikTok titled "Days of Girlhood" in March 2022, which began to gain in popularity.[4][13] She said in an interview:

When the pandemic hit, I was doing the Broadway musical Book of Mormon. I found myself jobless and without the creative means to do what I loved. I downloaded TikTok, assuming it was a kids' app. Once I came out as a woman, I made this "day one of being a girl" comedic video. And it blew up. I really don't know another place online like TikTok that can make a creator grow at the rate that it does. Some of these other apps really celebrate perfection and over-editing and flawlessness. I think with TikTok specifically, people love the rawness. They love people just talking to the camera. I try to approach every video like a FaceTime with a friend.[4]

In October 2022, Mulvaney appeared with genderfluid hairstylist David Lopez in a podcast for the cosmetics brand Ulta Beauty, during which she spoke about her childhood, her coming out as transgender, and her transition.[14][15][16] The video led to the appearance of the hashtag #BoycottUlta in Twitter's trending topics section, and Mulvaney was targeted with transphobic comments.[17][15][16] She also became a spokesperson for Kate Spade New York that year.[18]

2022–2023: Joe Biden interview and greater prominence

Mulvaney met with U.S. president Joe Biden in October 2022 for a presidential forum organized by the online news outlet NowThis News.[19][20] When asked by Mulvaney about recent legislation restricting gender-affirming care for transgender youth by Republican-led legislatures, Biden called it "outrageous" and "immoral".[19]

According to NBC News, the meeting with Biden led Mulvaney to become the target of a "vitriol campaign" by right-wing activists.[21] Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn shared a tweet in which she attached a TikTok video created by Mulvaney and said "Dylan Mulvaney, Joe Biden, and radical left-wing lunatics want to make this absurdity normal".[21][22] Conservative media personality Caitlyn Jenner, who is also a transgender woman, wrote on Twitter that she agreed with Blackburn's remarks and called Mulvaney's video an absurdity.[20][23] In a TikTok video, Mulvaney directly addressed being misgendered by Jenner and Jenner's comments about her body, as well as what she had learned from the experience, and left a written message: "To my followers, please do not send her any hate."[24][25]

In December 2022, Mulvaney confirmed on Instagram that she had undertaken facial feminization surgery.[26] She posted an image of her face on Instagram on January 27,[27] and made her debut on the red carpet at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards on February 5, 2023.[28][29] In late February, she accepted a Queerties Groundbreaker Award in Hollywood.[30]

Mulvaney hosted a livestreamed variety show at the Rainbow Room in Midtown Manhattan on March 13, 2023, to celebrate the first anniversary of her video series Days of Girlhood, entitled Dylan Mulvaney's Day 365 Live!, with L Morgan Lee and Reneé Rapp as guest stars.[31][32][33] An appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show that day in which Mulvaney spoke with Barrymore about "dealing with online hate" resulted in an "onslaught of online hate" directed at Barrymore, according to the Los Angeles Times.[34][35] On Instagram, Mulvaney shared a letter from U.S. vice president Kamala Harris congratulating her for the first anniversary of her transition.[36]

2023: Bud Light advertisement and boycott

Further information: 2023 Bud Light boycott

On April 1, 2023, Mulvaney promoted the beer brand Bud Light in an Instagram video commemorating March Madness,[22] a college basketball tournament held by the NCAA.[37][38] According to The Washington Post, the advertisement led figures in right-wing media, such as Fox News, to refer to Mulvaney in "disparaging and often in transphobic terms nearly a dozen times over the next three days".[9] Calls for a boycott of Bud Light from conservatives in response to the advertisement also followed.[22] Several Budweiser factories also received bomb threats.[39] On social media, singer Kid Rock published a video of himself shooting several cases of Bud Light with a submachine gun.[40][31][41]

Mulvaney also promoted a Nike sports bra in a sponsored post on Instagram in April 2023,[22] and in response, Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies called for a Nike boycott.[42] This was shortly thereafter followed by backlash and calls for a boycott against makeup company Maybelline after Mulvaney posted a short video of herself applying the company's products.[43]

In response to the events, Mulvaney stated: "What I'm struggling to understand is the need to dehumanize and to be cruel. I just don't think that's right. Dehumanization has never fixed anything in history ever."[44] She explicitly discussed the events for the first time in a video posted in late June, speaking about the stalking and personal attacks she experienced and the lack of contact from the maker of Bud Light in view of the events.[45] She stated, "I'm not telling you this because I want your pity. I'm telling you this because if this is my experience from a very privileged perspective, know that it is much, much worse for other trans people."[46]

In August 2023, Mulvaney won her first Streamy Award for breakout creator.[47] In October 2023, she won the Woman of the Year award from the LGBTQ magazine Attitude.[48] In November 2023, she was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.[49]

2024–present

On March 11, 2024, Mulvaney released her debut single, "Days of Girlhood".[50]

Personal life

According to her social media profiles, Mulvaney uses both she/her and they/them pronouns.[51][52][a]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ This article uses she/her pronouns for editorial consistency.

References

  1. ^ Biggs, Jade (January 9, 2023). "Dylan Mulvaney says she's the "happiest" she's ever been after face surgery". Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Shafer, Ellise (November 15, 2022). "TikTok's Discover List 2022: Meet 50 Creators Who Are Making a Global Impact (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  3. ^ @dylanmulvaney (August 19, 2018). "The things I would tell this baby…" – via Instagram. image reads Name Dylan James Mulvaney Born at 10:10 am On Dec. 29, 1996
  4. ^ a b c d Jones, Rachyl (September 10, 2022). "TikTok Watched Dylan Mulvaney Become a Woman One Day at a Time". The New York Observer. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Miller, Julius (June 1, 2022). "Dylan Mulvaney On Transitioning and Becoming a TikTok 'Trailblazer'". Lamag - Culture, Food, Fashion, News & Los Angeles. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  6. ^ Butts, Rebecca (June 14, 2021). "School, Stage & Screen Season Finale: Luck be a Lady Gaga". UC News. University of Cincinnati. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  7. ^ "TikTok Star Dylan Mulvaney's Tiffany Necklace Is a Gift to Her Younger Self". Elle. September 27, 2022. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  8. ^ Sitton, Kendra (October 26, 2022). "Dylan Mulvaney on Transitioning in Front of Millions". San Diego Magazine. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Bellware, Kim; Javaid, Maham (April 6, 2023). "She's on Bud Light cans and all over the internet. Who is Dylan Mulvaney?". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  10. ^ "Dylan Mulvaney". Cygnet Theatre. December 7, 2017. Archived from the original on November 2, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  11. ^ Billson, Chantelle (October 17, 2022). "Beauty giant Ulta bombarded with transphobic hate over video of trans woman". PinkNews. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  12. ^ Malkin, Marc (March 9, 2023). "TikTok Star Dylan Mulvaney Recalls Coming Out as Trans at Age 4, Tells Trans Youth: 'There Is a Light at the End of the Tunnel'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
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  15. ^ a b Cohen, Danielle (October 17, 2022). "TERFs Are Boycotting Ulta Beauty". The Cut. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  16. ^ a b McDougall, A. J. (October 16, 2022). "Transphobes Slam Ulta Beauty for Featuring TikTok Star Dylan Mulvaney". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  17. ^ Petak, Tessa (October 17, 2022). "Here's Why #BoycottUlta Is Trending On Twitter". InStyle. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  18. ^ Malach, Hannah (October 12, 2023). "Dylan Mulvaney Opts for Dark Glamour in Dramatic Tulle Dress by Millia London at Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Thurston, Joshua (October 25, 2022). "Anti-trans laws are immoral, Biden tells Dylan Mulvaney". The Times. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  20. ^ a b Iftikhar, Asyia (October 27, 2022). "Caitlyn Jenner joins right-wing pile-on of trans TikToker Dylan Mulvaney". PinkNews. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  21. ^ a b Lavietes, Matt (October 25, 2022). "GOP senator targets TikTok influencer with anti-transgender taunt". NBC News. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  22. ^ a b c d Murray, Conor. "How Trans TikTok Star Dylan Mulvaney Became A Far-Right Target After Scoring Deals With Bud Light And Nike". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  23. ^ Jones, C. T. (October 26, 2022). "Caitlyn Jenner Piles on Trans TikToker, Calls Body Positive Video 'Absurdity'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  24. ^ Jones, C. T. (October 31, 2022). "'I'm Not Going Anywhere': Dylan Mulvaney Gives a Masterclass in Grace After Caitlyn Jenner's Transphobic Comments". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  25. ^ Rosenblatt, Kalhan (October 31, 2022). "Dylan Mulvaney responds to Caitlyn Jenner misgendering her". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  26. ^ Dodgson, Lindsay (December 22, 2022). "Trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney posted photos after facial feminization surgery, giving a raw glimpse into her transition". Insider. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  27. ^ Hines, Ree (January 27, 2023). "Fans praise trans TikToker Dylan Mulvaney after facial feminization reveal: 'Stunning'". Today. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  28. ^ Chung, Gabrielle (February 5, 2023). "TikToker Dylan Mulvaney Makes Grammys Red Carpet Debut After Facial Feminization Surgery". E! News. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  29. ^ Factora, James (February 5, 2023). "Dylan Mulvaney Gave Old Hollywood Glamor on the Grammys Red Carpet". them. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  30. ^ Malkin, Marc (March 1, 2023). "TikTok Star Dylan Mulvaney Celebrates Transition While Accepting Queerties Groundbreaker Award: 'It's Day 352 of Being a Girl!'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
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  33. ^ Masseron, Meg (February 23, 2023). "L Morgan Lee, Reneé Rapp, More Will Join Dylan Mulvaney for Live Streamed Variety Show". Playbill. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  34. ^ St. Martin, Emily (March 14, 2023). "Drew Barrymore sat on the floor with trans TikToker Dylan Mulvaney. Online turmoil ensued". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  35. ^ Walsh, Savannah (March 14, 2023). "TikTok Star Dylan Mulvaney Shares Laverne Cox's Advice With Drew Barrymore". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  36. ^ Duncan, Charlie (March 23, 2023). "Kamala Harris enrages bigots after sending TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney a beautiful birthday note". PinkNews. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
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  42. ^ Coen, Susie; Corless, Blathnaid (April 7, 2023). "Sharron Davies calls for Nike boycott after trans influencer promoted its sports bra". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
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  44. ^ "Dylan Mulvaney Breaks Silence Amid Bud Light Backlash". HuffPo. Archived from the original on April 28, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  45. ^ Yoon, John (June 29, 2023). "Transgender Influencer Speaks Out After Backlash Against Bud Light". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
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  47. ^ Garvey, Marianne (August 28, 2023). "Dylan Mulvaney wins breakout creator at Streamy Awards, calls out transphobia". CNN.
  48. ^ Vargas, Ramon Antonio (October 14, 2023). "Dylan Mulvaney says woman-of-the-year award 'means so much more' after Bud Light backlash". The Guardian. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  49. ^ Moorman, Taijuan (November 28, 2023). "Kendall Jenner, Latto, Dylan Mulvaney, Matt Rife make Forbes 30 Under 30 list". USA Today.
  50. ^ Denis, Kyle (March 15, 2024). "Dylan Mulvaney Drops Debut Single 'Days of Girlhood,' Shares Summery Music Video". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 16, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  51. ^ "Dylan Mulvaney (@dylanmulvaney) Official". TikTok. Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  52. ^ "Dylan Mulvaney (@dylanmulvaney) • Instagram photos and videos". Instagram. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2023.

External links

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylan_Mulvaney