Mercury Stardust

Before millions knew her as the “Trans Handy Ma’am”, Mercury Stardust was performing burlesque in Madison, Wisconsin. She joined TikTok in March 2021 to promote her weekly burlesque show, but a single video explaining how to use a ratchet strap went viral the following month and changed her trajectory entirely. Home repair content became her signature, and by July 2021 she had hit one million followers — growing to 1.5 million by February 2022, when content creation became her full-time career.

Today, with over two million followers on TikTok as of September 2023, Stardust has built a career on practical DIY advice delivered with warmth and clarity. Her expertise translated to the page with “Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair”, published August 29, 2023 by Penguin Random House. The book became a #1 Amazon bestseller in Home Repair within days of presale and a New York Times Best Seller, followed by a 52-city U.S. book tour that fall.

Her recognition extends beyond social media. The OutReach LGBTQ Community Center named her its 2021 Trans* Activist of the Year, and since November 2022 she has hosted the podcast Handy Ma’am Hotline on home maintenance.

Stardust’s activism carries real financial weight. In March 2022 she hosted the first TikTok-a-Thon for Trans Healthcare, raising more than $120,000 for Plume. The 2023 edition, a 30-hour livestream with co-host Jory (Alluring Skull) and guests including V Spehar, raised over $2 million for Point of Pride — hitting $1 million in just six hours. The third iteration in March 2024, featuring Ve’ondre Mitchell and Dylan Mulvaney, pushed toward a $4 million goal despite repeated account bans from mass reporting.