Hollywood actor Tommy Dorfman, who starred as Ryan Shaver in Netflix's '13 Reasons Why' and is set to direct an adaptation of Mason Deaver's 'I Wish You All the Best', has recently confirmed that she's a trans woman.
According to E! News, in an interview with novelist Torrey Peters for an entertainment outlet, the star opened up about her transition publicly for the first time and said that she's not coming out but merely clarifying to the world who she is.
Talking about it, she said, "It's funny to think about coming out because I haven't gone anywhere. I view today as a reintroduction to me as a woman, having made a transition medically. Coming out is always viewed as this grand reveal, but I was never not out. Today is about clarity: I am a trans woman. My pronouns are she/her. My name is Tommy."
Dorfman also revealed that she looked to others who had recently "come out as trans," and stated that she doesn't consider her journey "a transition," at least "not as an idea of going somewhere. Just that I am actually myself."
Dorfman said that she's clarifying her gender now after realising that without asserting who she is, she can lose control of her own narrative, something that has already emotionally affected her.
She divulged, "I've learned as a public-facing person that my refusal to clarify can strip me of the freedom to control my own narrative. With this medical transition, there has been discourse about my body, and it began to feel overwhelming."
Dorfman shared that she will not be changing her name, as it holds a special significance to her. The star was named after her mother's brother, "who passed a month after I was born," Dorfman said. For that reason, she's connected to her first name, which was given to her as a way to honour "an uncle who held me as he was dying."
Instead, she said, "This is an evolution of Tommy. I'm becoming more Tommy. I love my name, I want to keep my name and give new life to my name. I'm really proud of the person that I was, too. I think that's important to acknowledge. I'm proud of who I've been for the last however many years."
The actor has historically not shied away from publicly discussing her gender, and has been documenting her identity on Instagram.
Talking about it, she said, "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. But I recognize that transitioning is beautiful. Why not let the world see what that looks like?" adding, "So I kept, on Instagram, a diaristic time capsule instead -- one that shows a body living in a more fluid space."
As per Variety, following Dorfman's announcement, GLAAD issued a statement on Thursday, applauding the artist and activist, who has been awarded by the organisation for her work as an advocate of the LGBTQ community.
GLAAD's head of talent, Anthony Allen Ramos, in the statement said, "Tommy Dorfman sharing that she's a transgender woman will inspire so many trans young people and also reminds us that when it comes to queer identity there is not a specific timeline or roadmap to follow."
Appreciating Tommy for her work for the LGBTQ community, Ramos added, "Tommy received GLAAD's Rising Star Award in 2017 for using her platform to draw attention to important issues affecting LGBTQ people, and she continues that work at a time when the trans community is facing attacks in states all over the country. Tommy is a talented artist, and we look forward to the stories that she will tell about the trans community."
( With inputs from ANI )
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