Dylan Mulvaney reflects on lessons learnt in 2023: ‘There were details that got missed’
"In that first video, I just remember hoping that people could see my intentions were good"
Dylan Mulvaney has reflected on some of the key things she’s learnt amid a rather turbulent 2023.
The TikTok star and trans activist has been updating fans online through her transition via her ‘365 Days of Girlhood’ series.
Earlier this year, she faced a disgusting, transphobic backlash to a brand partnership with Bud Light. She posted a promotional video for Bud Light dressed as Audrey Hepburn.
But there’s been much room for celebration too, and Dylan was named Attitude’s first Woman of the Year, supported by Virgin Atlantic.
“In reality, my voice is my most powerful thing,” – Dylan Mulvaney
On Saturday (18 November), she spoke on a panel at the Teen Vogue Summit 2023, and admitted some regrets she had about posting online.
She told the audience: “In that first video, I just remember hoping that people could see my intentions were good and I was the truest version of myself and I was ready to learn.”
But Dylan saw the main takeaway from this year as having”rushed a lot of things” when it came to speaking out.
“I talked about a lot of things really fast, and I think there were some little minute details that got lost in the mix, and I’m doing those now,” she added.
The content creator made it very clear that while she was subject to “an extreme amount of hate”, she isn’t going to stop using her voice.
“When I was experiencing an extreme amount of hate earlier this year, I started to shut down and stopped using my voice. I was just like, ‘I’m just going to get really pretty, and that will keep me successful, and I’m just going to stay quiet because I don’t want to be experiencing this vitriol anymore,’”
“I just remember hoping that people could see my intentions were good and I was the truest version of myself”
“What I realised was it made me kind of a shallower version of myself, when in reality, my voice is my most powerful thing.
“And I thought about ageing to become a woman in my forties and fifties, and I want to look back on this time period and think like, ‘Oh my god, yeah, I wore the cute dresses, but I also said some really important things too’,” Dylan shared.
Back in July, Dylan marked 500 days since coming out as a trans woman online, after having to “scale back” on her series.
She told followers : “It’s day 500 of publicly coming out as a woman, and that’s a win.
“Whatever your take on my series was, at its core, it was about me learning new things. And I think I’ve learned more since day 365 than I did during that whole first year,” she said.
Speaking exclusively to Attitude on the red carpet of the Attitude Awards last month, Dylan gave a message of support to the trans community.
“To the trans youth out there in America, in the UK, and beyond I love you, I support you, stay with us. You are so worthy of love and I’m so proud of you. I love ya!”