Trans-identifying TikToker dresses as Ms. Rachel to teach children about gender identity

A transgender-identifying TikToker named Lilly Tino posted a video dressed as Ms. Rachel, the popular children’s content creator, in an effort to explain gender identity concepts and transgenderism.

In the video, captioned “Ms. Lilly teaches parents!”, Tino appears in a similar outfit to Ms. Rachel and addresses the camera, first asking, “Can you say cisgender?” Tino went on to use a metaphor to explain gender identity, saying that when people are born, doctors give them a “hat” that tells the world “a lot about you,” holding up a blue hat labeled “boy.”

“Hopefully the hat that the doctor gives you fits. But for transgender people like me, it just doesn’t,” Tino said, later describing how transgender individuals “take off the hat” and choose one that “fits perfectly,” holding up a pink hat labeled “girl.” 

“Some people think that ‘trans’ and ‘cis’ are bad words. But they’re not. They’re just opposites,” Tino added. “Everyone uses trans and cis, even astronauts.”

Tino’s TikTok account, which has over 445,000 followers and includes the bio “Trans girl on a mission,” features a large amount of content related to transgender topics. He previously drew attention online for posting photos of himself in women’s bathrooms at Disney theme parks and sharing experiences of being misgendered.

More than a year ago, Tino posted a similar video dressed as Ms. Rachel, captioned as being “trans 101” for parents. In that video, he explained what it means to be transgender, gave an example of a child undergoing a social gender transition, and said, “It’s super easy to be friends with someone who is.” He also advised apologizing for misgendering transgender-identifying people.