NikkieTutorials Blackmailed

Nikkie de Jager, the Dutch Youtuber famous by the name of NikkieTutorials, came out as a transgender a few weeks ago. She started her new year with a different resolution. However, some nasty people who knew her truth could not see her succeeding in her life. Nikkie is happily engaged to her boyfriend/fiance Dylan. But she mostly keeps her personal life private. Nikkie’s social handles, as well as her YouTube channel, mostly focuses on makeup and her love for art. Unfortunately, she was blackmailed. To prove that only she has the right to reveal her true self, NikkieTutorials shared ‘I’m coming out’ video. All across the world fans and celebrities were ready to accept her, and she couldn’t be happier. While people appreciate her for speaking the truth, a very few are focusing on the dangers all transgender people face when they are blackmailed.

Nikkie de Jager was blackmailed over her identity by someone who knew her past struggle with the transition. She is a transgender woman, and no one could really believe it. Even though some people now claim that they could tell she was born as a boy. Just some inhumane people looking for fame and clout.

Outing a transgender is a serious threat. Especially when the transgender person is living in an area people do not accept transgenders. Truth be told, you cannot guess how people will react to the “outing”. In her coming out video, NikkieTutorials said:

It was frightening to know that there are people out there that are so evil that they can’t respect someone’s true identity. It is vile and it is gross. And I know that you are watching this.

Unfortunately, Nikkie is not the first transgender who was blackmailed.

The Dangers For Transgender

Blackmailing a transgender and trying to expose their identity can hurt both their career as well as personal life. While talking to Buzzfeed News, GLAAD’s director of Transgender Media & representation, Nick Adams, said:

As a society, we’ve all learned especially over the last few decades that it’s not appropriate to out someone who is lesbian, gay, or bisexual. The same holds true for trans people, but there is less understanding of the harmful and violent consequences of outing a trans person.

There are real-life examples when a person’s gender history is disclosed or outed, the person can lose the job, social circle, friends as well as life.

Caroline Cossey appeared in a James Bond movie ‘For Your Eyes Only’ in 1981. However, she was later outed as a transgender. This destroyed her career. Caroline Cossey was born with male sex organs and named Barry Cossey. In her teenage years, she was a male with a thin and tall body. Even before transitioning, people would confuse her as a female.

Though her acting career ended before it even started, Caroline has appeared in some documentaries. She is also filming a documentary titled ‘Trans Rights Are Human Rights’.

In 1999, a biography-crime-drama, ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, came out. The plot revolves around the life of Brandon Teena, a young man. How he navigated his love life as a transgender in rural Nebraska. Teena was actually born as Teena Brandon, a woman. However, when his friends find out the truth, his life was ruined. Teena was assaulted, raped and murdered in 1993.

The Trauma

The threats and blackmailing agendas can be really traumatizing for transgenders as well as other members of the LGBTQ+ Community. In the case of NikkieTutorials, her blackmailers had a firm belief that she is lying to the world by keeping her identity a secret.

Unlike some other beauty Vloggers and makeup artists who encash on their identity instead of their true talent, Nikkie’s channels were always about her talents and makeup. She always identified as a *tall bitch* and a tough woman. And we will always respect that.

Instead of traumatizing people, the world should stop interfering.