Tyler Ford

Last updated
Tyler Ford
Born1990or1991(age 33–34) [1]
Boca Raton, Florida [2]
Nationality American
Education Vanderbilt University [3]
Occupation(s)Writer, activist, actor, public speaker
Known forTransgender advocacy
Website myfriendtyler.com

Tyler Ford is a writer, activist, actor, and public speaker who advocates for transgender and non-binary people. [1] Ford appeared as the first transgender contestant on The Glee Project in 2012. [3] [4] Ford lives and works in New York City.

Contents

Life

Designated female at birth and raised by a single mother in Boca Raton, Florida, Ford transitioned to male in college, but later came to identify as agender. [5] [6] Ford is of mixed black and white Jewish ethnicity. [3] [7] Their writing and speaking frequently addresses their challenges living as a transgender person of color. [8] [5]

Ford gained national attention when Miley Cyrus brought them as her date to The Foundation for AIDS Research (AMFAR) gala in 2015. [9] [10] [11] [12] Cyrus sought to raise awareness of people with non-binary gender identities as part of her LGBTQ advocacy work with the Happy Hippie Foundation; Ford and their friend Ariana Grande joined Cyrus in that effort. [13] [10]

Work and activism

Writing

Ford wrote an article for The Guardian in 2015 [14] and has written multiple articles for them. in 2017 [15] and again in 2018. [16] They have written for MTV, [17] Rookie , [18] and other web sites. [1] [19]

Public speaking

Ford has presented at South by Southwest (SXSW). [1] [20] They gave the opening remarks for New York Youth Pride parade in 2018, [21] in which they talked about their coming out and transition.

Television

In June 2017, Ford began voicing a non-binary character Milo on the Amazon Video animated series Danger & Eggs . [22] [23]

Awards and recognition

Ford was named as one of MTV's best social media stars in 2015, [24] and as one of the Dazed 100 visionary talents in 2016. [25]

Related Research Articles

<i>LGBT</i> Initialism for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender"

LGBT is an initialism that stands for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender". It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual, non-heteroromantic, or non-cisgender, instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. The variant LGBTQ adds a Q for those who identify as queer or are questioning their sexual or gender identity, while LGBTQ+ adds a plus sign for "those who are part of the community, but for whom LGBTQ does not accurately capture or reflect their identity". Many further variations of the acronym exist, such as LGBT+, LGBTQIA+, and 2SLGBTQ+. The LGBT label is not universally agreed to by everyone that it is generally intended to include. The variations GLBT and GLBTQ rearrange the letters in the acronym. In use since the late 1980s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for marginalized sexualities and gender identities.

The word cisgender describes a person whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth, i.e., someone who is not transgender. The prefix cis- is Latin and means on this side of. The term cisgender was coined in 1994 as an antonym to transgender, and entered into dictionaries starting in 2015 as a result of changes in social discourse about gender. The term has been and continues to be controversial and subject to critique.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-binary gender</span> Gender identities other than male or female

Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or female. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gender that is different from the sex assigned to them at birth, though some non-binary people do not consider themselves transgender.

Over the course of its history, the LGBT community has adopted certain symbols for self-identification to demonstrate unity, pride, shared values, and allegiance to one another. These symbols communicate ideas, concepts, and identity both within their communities and to mainstream culture. The two symbols most recognized internationally are the pink triangle and the rainbow flag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miley Cyrus</span> American singer and actress (born 1992)

Miley Ray Cyrus is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon, she has been recognized for her evolving artistry and style, having been dubbed the "Teen Queen" of the 2000s. Cyrus is also cited as one of the few examples of a child star with a successful musical career as an adult. As the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, she emerged as a teen idol at age 13 as the lead character in the Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana (2006–2011). As Hannah Montana, she achieved success on the Billboard charts with two number-one soundtracks and a US top-ten single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trace Cyrus</span> American musician

Trace Dempsey Cyrus is an American musician. The son of country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus and brother of recording artists Miley Cyrus and Noah Cyrus, he was the backing vocalist and guitarist of the band Metro Station. In 2010, he began providing vocals and guitar in the pop rock band Ashland HIGH. He also owns the clothing company From Backseats to Bedrooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender</span> Gender identity other than sex assigned at birth

A transgender person is someone whose gender identity differs from that typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Some transgender people who desire medical assistance to transition from one sex to another identify as transsexual. Transgender is also an umbrella term; in addition to including people whose gender identity is the opposite of their assigned sex, it may also include people who are non-binary or genderqueer. Other definitions of transgender also include people who belong to a third gender, or else conceptualize transgender people as a third gender. The term may also include cross-dressers or drag kings and drag queens in some contexts. The term transgender does not have a universally accepted definition, including among researchers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Newell</span> American actor and singer (born 1992)

Alex Eugene Newell is an American actor and singer. They are known for their role as Unique Adams on the Fox musical series Glee and Mo on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Newell also starred as Asaka in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island at the Circle in the Square Theatre in 2018. For their role in Shucked, they won the 2023 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Newell and J. Harrison Ghee were the first openly non-binary actors to be nominated for and win a Tony Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gigi Gorgeous</span> Canadian YouTuber, socialite, actress, and model (born 1992)

Gigi Loren Lazzarato Getty Known professionally as Gigi Gorgeous Getty, is a Canadian YouTuber, socialite, actress, and model.

Kat Blaque is an American YouTuber and LGBT rights activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy Hippie Foundation</span> Nonprofit organization founded by Miley Cyrus

The Happy Hippie Foundation is an American non-profit organization founded by American singer and entertainer Miley Cyrus on September 17, 2014, and officially launched to the public on May 5, 2015. The foundation focuses on youth homelessness, the LGBTQ community, and other vulnerable populations.

<i>Danger & Eggs</i> Television series

Danger & Eggs is an American animated series created by Mike Owens and Shadi Petosky that premiered on Amazon Video on June 30, 2017. The show focuses on the adventures of a cyan-haired teenaged girl and her giant anthropomorphic egg friend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intersex and LGBT</span> Relationship between different sex and gender minorities

Intersex people are born with sex characteristics that "do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies". They are substantially more likely to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) than endosex people. According to a study done in Australia of Australian citizens with intersex conditions; participants labeled ‘heterosexual’ as the most popular single label with the rest being scattered among various other labels. According to another study, an estimated 8.5% to 20% experiencing gender dysphoria. Although many intersex people are heterosexual and cisgender, this overlap and "shared experiences of harm arising from dominant societal sex and gender norms" has led to intersex people often being included under the LGBT umbrella, with the acronym sometimes expanded to LGBTI. Some intersex activists and organisations have criticised this inclusion as distracting from intersex-specific issues such as involuntary medical interventions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Tobia</span> American LGBT activist

Jacob Tobia is an American activist, writer, producer, television host, and actor. In 2019, they published their memoir titled Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story. They are also the voice of Double Trouble in DreamWorks' animated series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Tobia has been recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 and Out100.

Nina Chaubal is the co-founder and former Director of Operations at Trans Lifeline, the first transgender suicide hotline to exist in the United States and Canada. As a leading LGBTQ+ activist and trans woman, when Chaubal was held in immigration detention, the story made national headlines in publications such as The New York Times and Chicagoist. In 2019, Chaubal was the subject of the first episode of America in Transition, a documentary about transgender people of color.

Non-binary or genderqueer is a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine‍—‌identities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities can fall under the transgender umbrella, since many non-binary people identify with a gender that is different from their assigned sex. Another term for non-binary is enby. This page examines non-binary characters in fictional works as a whole, focusing on characters and tropes in cinema and fantasy.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Vera Papisova (March 14, 2016). "Tyler Ford Is the Transgender Writer All Your Favorite Celebs Are Obsessed With". Teen Vogue . Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  2. ↑ Kim Hoffman (May 15, 2012). "Why You Should Watch Season Two of The Glee Project". Curve . Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Megan Townsend (April 4, 2012). "Glee Project Second Season Cast Includes Transgender Man and Out Lesbian". GLAAD . Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  4. ↑ Crystal Bell (June 27, 2012). "'The Glee Project' Season 2: Tyler Ford, Transgender Contestant, Talks Sexuality Week, Naya Rivera And More". The Huffington Post . Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Sarah Childress (June 30, 2015). ""I Like to Exist as a Person": What It Means to Live Beyond Gender". Frontline . PBS. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  6. ↑ Tyler Ford (August 7, 2015). "My life without gender: 'Strangers are desperate to know what genitalia I have'". The Guardian . Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  7. ↑ "The Glee Project: Meet The New Cast!". EOnline . Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  8. ↑ Tyler Ford (May 7, 2015). "I Am A Queer, Agender Person Of Color In New York -- And This Is My Diary". MTV . Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  9. ↑ Megan Friedman (June 15, 2015). "Miley Cyrus Raises Gender Awareness by Bringing Agender Date to the AMFAR Gala". Seventeen . Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  10. 1 2 Jessica Goodman (June 17, 2015). "Miley Cyrus raises agender awareness by bringing Tyler Ford as date to amFAR Gala". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Miley Cyrus brings agender date to amfAR gala". CBS News . June 17, 2015. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  12. ↑ Caitlyn Hitt (June 16, 2015). "Who Is Tyler Ford? Miley Cyrus To Bring Queer, Agender Writer As AmfAR Inspiration Gala Date". International Business Times . Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  13. ↑ "tyler ford is teaming up with miley cyrus for LGBTQA advocacy". i-D . June 15, 2015. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  14. ↑ Ford, Tyler (2015-08-07). "My life without gender: 'Strangers are desperate to know what genitalia I have'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2019-04-06. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  15. ↑ "These Earrings Know No Gender, and Neither Do We". them. 10 November 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-12-05. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  16. ↑ "Hell No to the Memo: Trans People Continue to Rally for Our Human Rights". them. 22 October 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-01-31. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  17. ↑ Ford, Tyler. "I Am A Queer, Agender Person Of Color In New York -- And This Is My Diary". MTV News. Archived from the original on 2019-03-19. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  18. ↑ Straub, Emma. "Rookie » Archives » Tyler Ford". www.rookiemag.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-26. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  19. ↑ Tyler Ford (June 5, 2015). "Tyler Ford Is Here To Answer Your LGBTQA Questions". MTV. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Generation Z and Gender: Beyond Binaries?". SXSW. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  21. ↑ "One of the NYC Pride Grand Marshals Has an Inspiring Message for Nonbinary Folx". Teen Vogue. 27 June 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-04-06. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  22. ↑ Mey (July 24, 2017). "The Cast and Crew of "Danger & Eggs" Chat About Their Super Weird, Super Queer Kids Show". Autostraddle . Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  23. ↑ Bendix, Trish (July 3, 2017). ""Danger And Eggs" Is The Queer Cartoon We've Been Waiting For". NewNowNext . Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Best Social Media Stars Of 2015". MTV. December 8, 2015. Archived from the original on November 7, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  25. ↑ "Tyler Ford". Dazed. 2016-02-08. Archived from the original on 2016-12-04. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
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