This feminist just became the first transgender face of a CoverGirl beauty campaign!
FEMINIST sat down with Madison to learn more about what feminism means to her as well as her groundbreaking role as the first transgender face of a Covergirl beauty campaign.
Madison Werner @madisonwerner
In conversation with @FEMINIST, transgender beauty model and self-proclaimed “trans glam girl”, Madison Werner explores what feminism means to her as well as her groundbreaking role as the first transgender face of a Covergirl beauty campaign. She discusses the impact of harmful beauty standards on the trans community, shares her journey towards self-confidence through makeup, and highlights the importance of inclusivity and representation. Madison envisions a future where intersectional feminism prevails, grounded in open-mindedness, equal access to education, and an understanding of gender literacy.
What does feminism mean to you?
I define feminism as gender empowerment, through education, until gender equality is achieved for those who are not men. It’s the reformation of a centuries-long system that places men above all others — mainly women. If men are aware of this harmful system, and productively acknowledge their privilege, we can work together to enact change. It’s all love.
Congratulations on becoming the first transgender face of a Covergirl beauty campaign! Can you tell us more about what this campaign means to you?
The Covergirl and Sally Hansen teams are among the kindest, most inclusive people I’ve ever met in the industry; I’ll scream it from the mountaintops. I’ve worked with them for years now. After conducting my own research and conversing with the brand before this campaign launched, we can confidently say I am the first transgender face that we know of.
I’m honored, floored, and filled with nostalgia. My early-transition self would never believe I’d be worthy of such an experience. It’s proof that people see importance in who you are even if you can't see it yourself.
You do a great job of educating the public while sharing glam makeup looks. What drew you towards posting about makeup and beauty in the first place?
Don’t make me blush…! I’ve always been a glam girl. But, upon meeting me, people used to assume I was just “some dumb girl who likes makeup.” While that’s a blatantly misogynistic concept, I actually understood why they got that vibe from me. I was a quiet, naive girl who’d twirl my hair in a corner. I was insecure. But through self-reflection and inspiration-seeking, I found value in my voice. I’ve always had intelligence and nuance to share, but I didn’t know how. That’s when I started posting infographics on Instagram.
My biggest beauty inspirations are Nicole Guerriero, Carli Bybel, Madison Beer, Maggie Lindemann and Kylie Jenner; my chosen brother Matt Bernstein and my first-cousin Adam Eli inspired me to post online.
You’ve been vocal about speaking out against beauty standards as they directly harm the trans community. Could you dive into how harmful beauty standards impact trans women?
Trans women experience the same harmful beauty standards that cis women do, but with an added perspective. Trans women are often expected to be hyper-feminine in order to prove that we’re “real” women. To put bluntly — most of our cis-centric world automatically believes that trans women are cis men who perform some delusional version of womanhood. Therefore we’re expected to go an extra mile to prove who we are.
When hyper-femininity is expected of us, we stare deeply into our perceived flaws and masculine-leaning features. It strengthens any gender dysphoria we may have, and can sometimes traumatize us into looking for every possible intervention to make ourselves fit the hyper-feminine mold.
How has your definition of “beauty” evolved?
I’m thinking of an age-old quote we’re all tired of: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” But it’s true. Beauty is a perception that is informed only by your own mindset and by the people who surround you. The current harmful standards of beauty are based on comparison to what you could look like; one could have smoother skin, bigger eyes, shinier hair, and an hourglass figure. But so many women who represent the epitome of beauty don’t have any of those features. It’s all subjective.
When I’m not feeling beautiful, I look at gorgeous cis women who confidently rock the physical features that I’m insecure about.
What advice would you give to a young person who wants to explore and learn more about their identity?
Take your time. You’re going to make mistakes and you’re going to cringe at them later. You don’t even have to understand your feelings while you’re exploring them; as long as you’re physically safe, go for it. You’ll reach wherever you want to be even if you don’t know what that looks like for you.
What would an ideal, intersectional feminist future look like to you?
I’d like the future to be populated with open-minded people who are all given the same access to education, history, and gender literacy. We all need to start from the same, well-informed playing field. The largest sources of bigotry are fear of the unknown and unwillingness to have difficult conversations.
