Why TikTokers Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan Want to Be Trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ Community

The way Francesca Farago and Jesse Sullivan look out for future generations is too sweet to handle.

In an exclusive interview with E! News, the influencers shared why it's important for them to be the representation in the LGBTQ+ community that they never had growing up.

To be honest, there's not a lot of out trans men," TikTok personality Jesse explained. "Luckily, living in L.A., I had a strong queer community that were showing me the way and I was looking up to what they were doing. Elliot Page coming out was a huge, huge moment for me, because he's so in the public eye, and I was like, 'Oh that must have not been easy.' And it made me feel that extra boost to keep going."

The way he saw it, continued Jesse—who shares videos featuring family life, stories about his transition and couple content with Francesca, with his 2.9 million TikTok followers—"If he can do it, I can do it. And that's what I want to send a message to the to the younger kids, like, 'You're going to be okay. And you're going to find this really amazing supportive community.'"

Francesca, who first vaulted into the public eye on season one of Too Hot to Handle in 2020, echoed her fiancé's sentiments.

"I don't think I really had someone I looked up to either because there was just no representation in mainstream media," explained the 30-year-old of her late ‘90s upbringing. "And I remember growing up and seeing  Megan Fox, and I was like, 'Oh my God, she's so pretty.' And I also thought, Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp are so cute, but, everyone was straight and every relationship that I was looking up to was just sort of heteronormative."

So, the couple—who got engaged in April after two years of dating—decided to pave their own path forward for future generations.

"I think we both decided that we needed to be that role model that these people don't have," Francesca continued, noting that Jesse "didn't hear the word trans until he was in his early 20s, so he just grew up confused and not sure. So I feel like showing everyone that it's normal is going to be beneficial for everybody."

For Jesse—who shares child Arlo, 13, from a previous relationship—the goal is to show just how much better it can get when you are your authentic self.

"Not even just normal, but that you can thrive like that," he told E!. "I've heard people say, 'Oh, I didn't think I was ever going to find love.' So that's why I like showing our love. A trans person, or pansexual, or whatever you are, you will find love."

"I always like to show being successful and happy. I think being queer and being trans is always marketed as this really intense, negative thing that happens in this person's life," he expressed. "And yeah, there are those aspects, but there's also a lot of really beautiful aspects too."