Tommy Dorfman

“It's challenging to find self-love when there's confusion and you're living in a world that's seemingly very binary and black and white.”

“I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, the youngest of five. There's something about being the youngest and wanting to be seen. You're like, 'I want attention, notice me.'”

“This idea that you can 'cure' homosexuality is appalling and simply not true.”

“I loved having bonfires in the winter with my friends in the backyard.”

“Be kind to yourself and take the time you need to define your gender and sexuality in a way that feels safe and right for you.”

“I love New York. I love to people watch. I can't leave.”

“In the beginning, editorial always inspired my beauty looks, but we're living in a primarily digital age, and Instagram is a great source - as is Pinterest - to find brilliant ideas that spark new ideas in me and the talented makeup artists I work with.”

“I love just being in the moment, and the most present I feel in my work is with theatre.”

“When I was in high school, there weren't a lot of out gay actors playing gay roles. I didn't see myself represented truthfully in the media.”

“I've been wearing makeup for as long as I can remember. I started by playing with my mom's lipsticks, then in ballet I would apply my own stage makeup.”

“Maybe I've limited my opportunities by being so open about my sexuality, but my thinking is that, if I come out of the gates this way, then it's not really going to be a big deal in a couple of years.”

“It's so important to have a brand as big as UGG celebrating young LGBTQ-plus people and giving them a safe space to feel worthy and loved.”

“When I wear makeup, it's never intense; I don't do drag. My style has always been naturalistic and then a pop of color for the eye.”

“I decided that I was going to stop trying to convince older, more established heads of studios or networks to understand me and get me, and focus more on developing relationships with people who already do.”

“Being young is hard. Being young and queer is even harder, regardless of how accepting your parents or community are.”