Meet Cameron Wilson: Certified Life Coach

TikTok can be space to share short videos where you can express yourself through music, dance, comedy, and more. From sharing fun facts to uplifting and empowering others, Cameron Wilson, an open and out transgender man, uses his social media platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ issues and empower those who are underrepresented through education, optimism, and guidance.

OFM had the chance to connect with Wilson to learn a little bit more about him

Can you start by sharing a bit about your journey on TikTok and how you first got involved with creating content?

My TikTok and social media journey is by far one of the most unexpected turns of my adult life. I never had any intention of creating content until I started dating my fiancé, Anna. When we first met, I had no idea they were involved in the social media world, so I took a seat as a “spectator” from behind the scenes to watch and support their work.

What I got to witness was an extremely authentic and impactful take on social media/content creation which was an absolute breath of fresh air. They began filming some moments and interactions between us and asked for permission to share on the platforms they used. Since it was all our normal day to day lives/moments, I was happy for them to share because there were no characters developed or false narratives being portrayed.

Your content often features random fun facts while cutting up fruit. What inspired you to combine these elements into your videos?

This actually started from a trend on Anna’s channel—the “watch my boyfriend” series. They set me up in the bathroom, and my natural state is “just go with it” sometimes, so I started sharing some random fun facts that I know. This was then paired with a second video where I was cutting up a mango and they set me up again for the internet to “babysit” me, and it was well received again. So I took that and started my own series on my TikTok page of trying new fruits (I love trying new things!) and sharing more random facts.

Anna (they/them) plays a significant role in your content. How does your partnership influence your approach to content creation and mental health advocacy?

My partnership had a huge impact on my approach to content creation and mental health advocacy because it has completely opened my eyes to that world. I was very unaware/uneducated on so many stigmas around mental health and how people with various diagnoses are treated prior to dating Anna. It has made me want to work 1,000 times harder to help people feel seen, validated, and accepted just as they are.

After learning more about Anna’s content and their story/experiences and seeing how many people are impacted by the authenticity and realness of their message, it has inspired me to show people how to show up for others that are struggling in that space. I may not have the lived experiences with mental health struggles outside of ADHD, but that doesn’t stop me from putting the work in to learn and show up with empathy, patience, and understanding to support and advocate to the best of my abilities.

How do you balance creating content that is both engaging and supportive of mental health?

When developing content that checks both of these boxes, I take a lot from conversations I’ve had with my partner, research into what other people are sharing as their experiences, my own lived experiences, and what people may find relatable. A key approach that I continuously go back to with my mental health and LGTBQ+ content is, “What would my younger self, or Anna’s younger self, or someone feeling alone right now, need to hear?” Then I try and balance this with plenty of light-hearted content so that hopefully I can provide some smiles and laughter in between some of the heavier content.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone who is struggling to have a relationship after coming out?

The most important relationship you’ll have first and foremost is with yourself. I’ve come out several times in my life and each time comes with more love and self acceptance. The stronger my bond has become with myself and who I am and who I want to be, the better my external relationships have gotten because I set better boundaries and what I will and will not allow in my life. As for a romantic partnership/relationship—never, ever settle. Set the bar sky high because I guarantee your person is out there and can’t wait to love you and support you just as you are.

How do you handle the balance between sharing personal experiences and maintaining privacy in your content?

This ends up being a pretty blurred line. My boundary right now is safety, I won’t share content that’ll put my family or myself in any dangerous situations; however, outside of that, I’m very open about what I share. I’ve found it so rewarding and important to be transparent about mental health and my transition journey because I know what I was missing as I navigated my own. I felt for so long that I needed to check certain boxes and follow a predetermined path in order to feel valid as a transgender person—but that is absolutely not the case. The more open I’ve become about my journey the more I’ve seen similar stories about people having that same mindset and now saying they feel seen and validated as they are. 

What was the process like for you when you first started exploring drag, and how did you develop your drag king persona?

I had my first drag experience as a performer in college and absolutely loved it but then didn’t come back to it for about eight years; however, it was always something that lingered as an interest in the back of my mind. Fast-forward to 2019, and I had established strong friendships in the LGBTQ+ community, especially the drag scene, where I was living (Des Moines, IA) and was encouraged to pursue it.

My process with starting drag as a drag king was very much blurred into exploring my gender identity. The first time I had my makeup done as a drag king (Jamison DeMornay-Sanchez) was the first time I looked in the mirror and saw what I liked looking back at me, which was both euphoric and absolutely overwhelming. My drag persona was very much tied into my transition journey when I first started and the lines between Cameron and Jamison were hard to navigate. The more confident I’ve become outside of drag, the more confident I’ve become in drag.

What message or takeaway do you hope your viewers gain from your videos, particularly regarding your personal journey?

One thing I’ve learned since Anna and I got together is, there is a common misconception that you need to have similar lived experiences in order to successfully support others. In my opinion, that couldn’t be further from the truth. What you need is a desire to educate yourself, communicate, and lead with empathy and respect. I had very little exposure to the mental health diagnoses that my partner has and that others have, but as someone who loves them, it was immediately important to me to learn and have healthy conversations around what support looked like for us and how I could best provide that as a partner. No one is less than because of a diagnosis, and that also doesn’t define their entire person—It’s a part of them, not all of them.

As we wrap up, is there anything you’d like to mention that we didn’t talk about?

I’m appreciative of the opportunity to share more about my journey around mental health and LGBTQ+ advocacy. It’s taken a lot of mental work to get to where I am today and work to constantly grow and learn to be better for myself, my family, and my friends and I’m thankful for having the chance to share with you and the readers.

Follow Cameron on TikTok @meetcameronwilson

Photo courtesy of social media