Dylan Mulvaney is going under the knife.
The TikToker and trans activist is undergoing facial feminization surgery and giving her fans updates every step of the way. One day after sharing a video from a pre-op doctor's appointment, Dylan posted a clip of herself excitedly getting out of bed on Dec. 16, captioned, "It's surgery day!!!" Hours later, she shared a video getting dropped off at a surgery center by a friend.
Moments before her procedure, Dylan also posted a "duet" video of herself wearing a medical gown and hair cap, split with a pep talk she received from her friend Mercury Stardust, known on TikTok as the "Trans Handy Ma'am."
"I'm really proud of you for taking matters into your own hands when it comes to your gender affirmation," Mercury said, as Dylan tearfully reacted with gratitude. "I want you to take time today or tomorrow and reflect on how much you've grown in your own transition. As a fellow sister, I know it's very hard to do those things for ourselves. We sometimes forget about us when we're trying to give so much to the world."
She continued, "I'm going to tell you right now, you are a light for this community. You showcase the trans community in its most authentic form and I can't tell you how much that means to me and so many other people. I love you, we love you. You fight for us every day, even if we do not see it."
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Dylan, 25, has gained a massive following on TikTok, affirming to her nearly 10 million followers back in March that she is a transgender woman. The daily videos in her "Days of Girlhood" series, which documents her transition, have received over one billion views.
Dylan's surgery day comes nearly two months after getting into a public feud with Caitlyn Jenner over a TikTok video she made earlier this year that urged people to "normalize the bulge" after experiencing people stare at her crotch while she was shopping.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians alum, 73, later denounced Dylan's video, writing on Twitter in October, "Let's not ‘normalize' any of what this person is doing. This is absurdity!" Another tweet from Caitlyn's account also misgendered Dylan, adding, "He is talking about his penis!"
Dylan fired back at Caitlyn's tweets on TikTok, stating her surprise at seeing such comments from another trans woman.
"We are two of the most privileged trans women in America at the moment and with that comes a lot of responsibility," she said. "Although we have very different views on most things, a few days ago I probably would have still been willing to sit down with you and try to connect with you in some way because I automatically have a lot of respect for you as a fellow trans woman."
She added, "but then you decided to ridicule me very publicly."
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Caitlyn's rep addressed the misgendering of Dylan, explaining that an "individual on Ms. Jenner's team haphazardly misgendered Dylan" and that the team was taking "appropriate actions to rectify the situation internally." However, the statement said, "Ms. Jenner has no further comment on the matter and stands by her statements, otherwise."
And while Caitlyn may not be on board with her messaging, Dylan plans to continue using her platform to share her authentic self with the word. During an interview with E! News over the summer, the social media star reflected on her journey thus far and the outpouring of support she has received from fans.
"I think the coolest part has been seeing people feel inspired to be themselves and getting these messages of hope, acceptance and support," she told E! News in June. "As overwhelming as this whole experience has been, and as exhausting as it's been, I do feel very much energized by my followers and by all the love."