Dylan Mulvaney, 28, is ready to be 'Mother' for LGBTQ+ youth

Dylan Mulvaney is only 28 — but she's ready to be Mother.

In the new cover story for The Advocate — Out's sister publication — the transgender influencer opened up about how a vision she received on an ayahuasca trip inspired her to take on the role of mentor (and the other M word) for queer youth.

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“If I could be that for someone, I think it’s a hundred percent worth it, and I’m honored,” the young Mother says. “The first time I heard the term ‘Mother’ [applied to me], I thought, ‘Oh, my God, are they calling me old?’ But, no, apparently, it’s a compliment.”

“The people that I grew up with that Mothered me are Lady Gaga and Chris Colfer, and Fran Fine on The Nanny, and Charlotte York on Sex and the City,” she adds. “If I can be a part of someone’s Mother Rolodex, sign me up, I’m in.”

For the uninitiated, "Mother" is a term used by many in the LGBTQ+ community to describe powerful women. (Maya Rudolph memorably owned the term in a musical SNL skit timed to Mother's Day last year.)

The ayahuasca trip is also recounted in Mulvaney's first book, titled Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer. The influencer is widely known for going viral in response to a 2023 social media partnership with Bud Light that broke the internet — and drew conservative ire. She's also known for her 365 Days of Girlhood project that documented her transition journey for followers, which the actress later adapted for the stage.

As she told The Advocate, Mulvaney keeps busy, but she's not losing sight on the impact her visibility brings young people.

“So often I feel like I’m jumping to the next thing, but I’m hoping with this book coming out, I can live in the pride and joy of what feels like my baby going out into the world,” she says. “I’m Mothering this book, honey.”