Tyler Ford Is the Transgender Writer All Your Favorite Celebs Are Obsessed With

And we’re just as in love.

Ariana Grande's BFF Tyler Ford  Queer Agender Transgender LGBTQ Activist
Photo: Katharina Poblotzki

With the impact they're making on transgender and queer conversation in the media, Tyler Ford is on their way to world domination — and we're not the only one's who have noticed. This month, they're speaking on gender at SXSW. This year, they were named one of Dazed's 100 visionary talents shaping youth culture, and in 2015 they were one of MTV's best social media stars. Even your favorite celebs want a piece of the Brooklyn-based writer/activist — they've already walked the red carpet with Miley Cyrus on their arm, but only after BFF Ariana Grande made the intro. Our favorite part? Tyler is unfazed by star power. (They're too busy saving the world obv.)

Tyler, 25, contributes to Rookie and MTV, where they write about their experiences as a queer, transgender person of color, and their work can also be found in the Guardian, Poetry Magazine, and V Magazine. Tyler's voice has been vital in educating the next (and current) generation on gender fluency. They have unapologetically shed light on what oppression really looks like, and the real world forms it takes: parents, peers, subway passengers. Tyler is a force to be reckoned with, and if you're not woke yet: the alarm is ringing and it's time to wake up.

Teen Vogue: How do you describe your gender identity?

Tyler Ford: Agender, Trans

TV: What pronoun do you use?

TF: They/them

TV: What do you wish you could tell your high school self?

TF: I wish I could tell my high school self that there is nothing wrong with them and that they are not broken.

TV: What’s the biggest misconception about your gender identity?

TF: That it's "not real," "a product of the internet," or that it "doesn't exist."

TV: Do you have any advice for someone who is confused about their identity?


TF: You will make it through your confusion. Your confusion will blossom from one bud into a million flowers, and you will realize that once you fully understand something about yourself, there is always something else to be confused about or something else to discover and explore. None of us know what the hell is going on at any given time. That's OK. It's scary, but it's OK. Live your life. It's not a requirement to have everything figured out before you start living (or before you start defining/labeling yourself).

TV: What’s the hardest thing you’ve had to deal with as a result of being yourself?

TF: Oppression.

TV: Why is writing about and sharing your experiences important to you?

TF: Writing is my main and most natural form of self-expression. I write to understand myself. I write to survive. I share my writing so that other people can better understand me, and I always hope that it will help others better understand themselves and their experiences as well. There are many reasons why I write and share my words, but it's all just my way of navigating life and the world.

TV: What are you working on next?

TF: I'm currently speaking about navigating gender identity and non-binary experiences at colleges & universities across the country. Next, I'll be performing and speaking on these topics in Germany and elsewhere in Europe and the UK! I'm so looking forward to traveling abroad, meeting new people, and talking about gender and the future.

If you would like to have Tyler Ford speak at your school, visit their website for booking details.

