Tommy Dorfan, '13 Reasons Why' star, reveals she is a a trans woman

Tommy Dorfman, who starred as Ryan Shaver in Netflix' '13 Reasons Why' has revealed she is a transwoman. Dorfman is all set to direct an adaptation of Mason Deaver's 'I WIsh You All The Best'.

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 clarifying to the world who she is.

"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 admitted that she looked to others who had recently "come out as trans," and stated that she doesn`t consider her journey a transition. "Just that I am actually myself."

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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.

"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."

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 never shied away from publicly discussing her gender, and has been documenting her identity on Instagram.

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 agencies)