My mission on Vine is to tell people there's nothing wrong with them. I grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania feeling isolated—I'd play in the woods alone in a cape and short shorts, pretending to be Wonder Woman and wishing I had gold bracelets that could deflect the bullying I was getting at school. But I survived, and now I'm happy; and I want others to know they deserve happiness, too. Since Vines are so short, I need to distill my messages down to their absolute essence, like "The world is constantly changing, and so are you" or "Being kind is always more important than getting it right." The speedy, simple element of the platform gives you a chance to witness people's humanity—I've definitely posted videos where you can see my dandruff.

At first, I assumed my audience would be just the queer community because I have a beard and wear lipstick. But I was wrong! I get emails from teens and their moms. I guess everyone has some aspect of themselves they've been told is unacceptable. But I know now that whatever you've been told you're too much of—too fat, too queer, too Jewish—is actually your superpower.



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