“It’s not just about the make-up. It’s about the movement,” affirms Courtnei Lee, the founder of OYT Cosmetics. Because in a union, there is strength. Meet the entrepreneurial Queen and her allies who aim to create a space where anyone in the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities can feel safe, supported, and comfortable in their own unique skin.
Back in the day, finding a space where trans communities could define beauty on their terms, access resources, and feel safe and supported as a united tribe may have been hard to find. But Courtnei is aiming to change that.
Today our world is recognizing that people are never more beautiful than when they’re doing something they love – especially when it involves feeling confident and beautiful in your own unique skin.
Even though we are nowhere near the desired outcome of both recognition and acceptance, it’s no question that LGBTQ+ youth today still require representation and strong role models to spread the message of love, equality, and community.
If you are reading this thinking, “hell, yeah, we do!” and agree on equality and fair treatment of people who identify as LGBTQ+, then congratulations, you’re an ally.
But really, as lovely and as comfortable as it may be for you to sit at home and wish the world to be a better, fairer, more inclusive place, there is more you can do than simply lend your passive support to these causes.
So, if you’re going to transform yourself from being a silent nodder to an engaged and active LGBTQ+ ally, it’s going to need something that the founder of trans-owned beauty line OYT Cosmetics, Courtnei Lee, believes starts with compassion.
“You’re never going to be able to be compassionate until you take the time to understand somebody else’s experience,” says Lee. “A quick way to learn the inclusive language is by following LGBTQIA2+ content creators. Most of us have some educational content on our page regarding conversations about trans people and LGBTQ+ rights.”
She continues, “to be an advocate, you have to put yourself out there and armour up as best as you can. You have to know that the impact you’re making for the LGBTQ+ community, specifically our youth, acts as a barrier for them to be able to walk through.”
But besides carrying compassion and conducting online research, there are so many little things that you can do to change somebody’s life who are having these experiences. And it was while undergoing immense judgment, isolation, and a lack of confidence during Lee’s transition that she discovered friendship’s true meaning.
Having spent a portion of her life trapped in her body with no language to express how she felt, Courtnei Lee embarked on her transition over five years ago, embracing and honoring the woman she is for the sake of her life and her mental health.
As a young trans woman diving into the foreign world of beauty and makeup, she struggled to find any educational content geared toward trans-women. Coming out is a personal experience, and the support needed will look different for each individual.
But for Courtnei Lee, her incredible support system felt like a luxury.
“My friends were just a godsend,” expresses Lee. “I have a friend who, when I transitioned, her first instinct was to change my name in her phone so that every time I called, she could see it as a reminder.”
It’s little steps of just making an effort. She continues, “after we go through a name change and our gender identity differs from what you’ve been calling us for years, it will take a minute. But even if you misgender somebody or use a dead name, you don’t need to make it a big event. Just correct yourself and move on with the conversation. It’s all about spending time with each other.”
You see, the fear is that when something like this happens, it’s spotlighting somebody’s ‘transness.’ And we want to avoid making people going through this journey feel uncomfortable. But teaching yourself how to incorporate inclusive conversations and gender identity – makes all the difference.
“My friends would come over and bring makeup with them and teach me things that they knew, or bring old clothing that they didn’t want anymore that was my size, and it was just so beautiful,” adds Lee.
“And the compliments they would offer me made me feel like such a strong, beautiful woman. Those are moments that I could only ever thank for the rest of my life because they got me to where I am today.”
“The process wasn’t really about me,” says Shalayne Scott, one of Lee’s close friends, “and I wasn’t worrying about myself at all throughout it. It was about Courtnei and her journey to finding self acceptance and happiness. Granted, there were things to get used to having known her most of my life, but it was more about correcting old habits than anything else.”
When it comes to her business ventures, Courtnei Lee knows how to make an impact.
With the words of authenticity, transparency, and inclusivity radiating from her aura, the founder and CEO of her new trans-owned all-inclusive make-up and skincare line, OYT Cosmetics (OYTC), is here to help redefine.
Started in the corner of a 400 sq ft apartment off of Davie St. In Vancouver, BC, fuelled by a boundless passion for impacting the world and making beauty and makeup approachable, OYTC is aimed at creating the products, representation, and educational content she wished she had access to when first beginning her transition.
“I moved there because it’s what you call our ‘Gaybourhood.’ It’s just predominantly LGBTQ+ people. It’s rainbow crosswalks and rainbows in every store. It’s our neighborhood, where the community finds and helps create safe spaces for each other,” explains Lee.
“It’s filled with so much hope and love and creative people and energy and everyone just being so kind and motivational and inspiring and helping each other. It’s just this crazy whirlwind of beauty in my eyes that helps create some of the best people that I’ve ever had the privilege to know.”
Three individual allies that helped Courtnei throughout her life were Chris Lawrie, Joshua Harding, and Ryan Craig – all three straight, white cisgender males that, according to Courtnei Lee, taught her everything she needed to know about managing a company.
“They just taught me through this real Gary Vee mentality how to build people up from the ground up, manage, and help staff succeed and meet their own goals by being a motivational leader,” reflects Lee. “It was such an important lesson for me. I have an incredible staff and I owe a lot of that to these mentors. I’m grateful to them, and I always will be.”
So how can you support your LGBTQ+ friends and loved ones as an ally?
It’s simple. Be inclusive to everybody, not just LGBTQ+ people, but to everyone, so that we can all sit down at a table and have conversations that will have a better impact on the greater good of humanity.
Be a friend, reach out, and do the little things that count.
For more information, tap into Courtnei Lee’s website and check out OYTC & her Instagram.
