Emma Horn for Mardi Gras

Chatting with Queer TikTok Creator and spreader of fun and quirk, Emma Horn, ahead of the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras happening this week.

Emma rose to TikTok stardom in the past few months (63K) and is loved for her quirky videos talking about being queer. She's vibrant, funny, silly and doesn't mind showing off her quirky side whilst she inspires her community to be their true selves and fly the rainbow flag. 

Throughout her content, Emma documents her life and story about coming out alongside spreading endless positivity all with the aim to educate the wider TikTok community about the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Emma is on board as a TikTok ambassador for Mardi Gras and their #joinourfloat Hashtag Challenge alongside music star G-Flip.

 

Interview with Emma Horn

Question: Can you just start by telling me one quirky or interesting thing that people may not know about you?

Emma Horn: Where to start? Well - this is kind of embarrassing - but I like to have hard core rap battles and freestyle. You can laugh, it's okay. Look, I'm not professional at all! but I like to think I can hold my own against my girlfriend… who not to mention is an actual working musician and rapper. So, it's safe to say that I never win. Will a rap video like this ever make it to my TikTok - you'll have to wait and see cause that would be something else!


Question: You've amassed a really strong following on TikTok. Did you decide from the beginning that you wanted to post content around your being queer, or is that just something that you naturally gravitated towards when making your videos?

Emma Horn: When I started making TikTok videos (in mid 2020) I had no intention other than to be my true, authentic self. It was the beginning of quarantine and I wanted somewhere to let my creativity out! Oh also, I'm super weird and just wanted to have fun and be silly, I really had no clue if people would vibe with me at all. There was no extensive planning around creating a certain type of content initially however I'm an actor as well and I really want to represent the queer community with the roles I'm involved in - this is something I'm very passionate about. So I guess my creating these videos around being gay and my experience is a bit of an evolution of that. Topics I want to talk about openly, a community I want to represent and celebrate all whilst just being me and having fun.

The cool thing about TikTok is that there is so much content around particular topics or groups, you can really find your people and a safe space within that. I would have loved that when I was younger!


Question: TikTok is great in the sense that you can follow content and creators that really interest you. Have you found that you have impacted anyone via your videos that are in the throws of coming out, or perhaps in a similar place to where you were a few years ago?

Emma Horn: Yes, absolutely and this is something I love so much! I have received tons of messages from people especially queer youth telling me about how my content has impacted them or helped them in some way. You know, there are a lot of people who are still afraid to come out especially in rural areas around Aus, and I understand this - growing up in small rural/beach towns…it is not the most diverse place. So, TikTok is a GREAT way to break those barriers for them! And If I receive just one positive message or comment from someone who has been helped by a video of mine, then that's all I care about. It's 100% for them.

Question: How does it feel to be approached by one the biggest brands in the world right now to be a part of their Mardi Gras campaign?

Emma Horn: I definitely feel grateful during this time and it gets me thinking back to when I was a teenager…I never would have imagined myself here, so I am really proud of myself as well. Honestly, I just want to be here to help others by using my voice, so having been given this platform to just speak the way I want to proudly and be not only accepted but celebrated is amazing. This represents so much to my community and I'm so excited to be involved with the rest of the incredible LGBQTIA+ TikTok family!


Question: Anything else you would like to add?

Emma Horn: I have to give TikTok some credit for myself as well… it has actually been a huge part in discovering my own queer identity. I've found that through finding my rainbow community online, its really allowed me to feel accepted and sort of experiment with my own self! I think its important to step outside of the box with yourself and question the way you've done things until now. It helped me do that and now, in my 20s I feel more myself than ever. Inside and outside. It's definitely a journey though!