Photo Credits: Hillary L. Schave with Azena Photography

Have you ever found yourself staring at a broken cabinet hinge or a flickering light, completely unsure of where to even start? Meet The Trans Handy Ma’am Mercury Stardust, a DIY expert and advocate who is changing the way we think about home maintenance. With a unique blend of humor, compassion, and hands-on knowledge, Mercury Stardust is proving that fixing things is not just for professionals or homeowners, it’s for everyone. Yet fixing handy projects is not only what Mercury does, but she also has a #1 New York Times bestselling book, Safe and Sound, a hotline offering real-time DIY advice, and a record-breaking fundraiser supporting gender-affirming care. Read on to learn more about Mercury Stardust.

Where are you based?
I’m based in tropical Madison, Wisconsin.

We are obsessed with your handle - The Trans Handy Ma'am! What inspired you to start sharing your DIY knowledge online?
I was inspired to share my DIY knowledge online because I wanted to empower renters and marginalized communities who often feel excluded from home maintenance conversations. I wanted to create a safer space where people could learn and feel confident tackling repairs.

What sparked your interest in DIY and home maintenance, and how did you develop your skills in this field?
My interest in DIY started out of necessity as a renter. I learned a lot through trial and error, online tutorials, and hands-on experience. Over time, I honed my skills and decided to share what I’d learned to help others.

Many people find home repairs intimidating. How do you approach making these tasks accessible and empowering for beginners?
I break down tasks into simple, step-by-step instructions and remind people that mistakes are part of the learning process. I use relatable language and humor to make my content approachable and less intimidating.

Your videos are known for breaking down complex home maintenance tasks into manageable steps. How do you decide which topics to cover?
I focus on common issues renters face, like leaky faucets, broken appliances, and basic repairs. I also take suggestions from my audience to address their specific needs. I apply my belief in intersectional feminism: If we can help those who are most affected by gaps in our society, then we can help everyone. We are all connected in one way or another and the same applies to education in the home repair space.

What’s the most common misconception people have about home maintenance that you aim to dispel in your content?
The most common misconception is that home maintenance is only for professionals or homeowners. I want people to know that renters can and should learn basic repairs to feel more secure and self-reliant.

Handyman work is often just that.. considered men’s work. Just being female in this world is difficult. How has it been for you in the industry as a transgender female?
As a transgender woman in a male-dominated field, I’ve faced challenges, but I use my platform to challenge stereotypes and create inclusivity. I’ve learned to take up space regardless if I feel like an imposter. Trusting my experience, my skill, and my education over the assumptions of others has led to an awakening for me.

How would you like to see women and LGBTQ treated in the trades? How can it become a safer space for women and LGBTQ?
I’d like to see more inclusive environments created through education, representation, and zero-tolerance policies for discrimination. I also believe in mentorship and support networks for marginalized individuals in the trades. Especially in a time where so many fear the words diversity and inclusion.

How would you describe your channel and the videos you post?
I’d describe my channel as a mix of DIY tutorials, empowerment, and advocacy. My videos are educational, humorous, and deeply compassionate — I want people to feel capable and supported. I want them to not just learn about the difference between sawdust and stardust but also about the different experiences that transgender people may face.

We love how beautiful your make-up is in your videos. Do you always look this fabulous or do you glam up for your channel?
I often glam up for my videos! I love combining my passion for DIY with my love for self-expression through makeup and fashion. It’s part of my brand to show that you can be both handy and fabulous.

Congratulations on becoming a #1 New York Times bestselling author! Can you tell us about your book, “Safe and Sound”?
Safe and Sound is a renter-friendly guide to home repair. It offers step-by-step instructions and empowering advice to make home maintenance accessible to everyone, especially renters who often feel excluded from DIY culture. There’s a focus on renters but always keep in mind that a focus is not an exclusion. Homeowners will absolutely find value in the book as well.

Alongside writing, we heard that you also have a hotline. What inspired you to start your hotline, and how does it work?
I started the hotline to provide real-time support for people facing challenging home repairs. It’s a way for me to offer immediate help and reassurance and for me to feel connected to the fans who consume my content. It really has helped to ground me. Folks call through our pop call, leave a short video message, and then I can call back as soon as I have time. I get to meet them through a video call and often get to see the problem with my own eyes. I also have a podcast called The Handy Ma’am Hotline that is just about to start a second season. I use some of the questions that people send in to help explain things around the housework and how I would go about fixing the problem.

Popcall

Podcast

What do you hope viewers gain from your content?
I hope viewers gain confidence, practical skills, and a sense of empowerment. I want people to feel capable of handling home repairs and to know they’re not alone in their struggles.

You put out a very powerful video shortly after the election about a transgender kid taking her own life. Can you explain a little bit about why gender-affirming care is so important?
Gender-affirming care is life-saving for transgender folks, especially youth. It can be hard to explain what it feels like to be a trans person. You often hear folks say, it's like being stuck in the wrong body. I’m not stuck in the wrong body, I'm stuck in a society that prioritizes external appearances as a method of evaluating someone. Gender-affirming care allows us to be able to look into a mirror and see ourselves as we’ve always seen ourselves. To finally be seen by others in the same way. If you’ve ever had the privilege of seeing a trans person blossom after receiving this care, you would understand immediately. It defies words, but the most human of experiences often do.

How can we protect transgender kids (and adults) going into this new regime change?
We can protect transgender kids and adults through community support, education, and advocacy. I encourage people to vote, donate to organizations supporting trans rights, and create safer spaces for transgender folks. Ask the trans people in your life how you can support them, you might be surprised about what you have the capacity to help with. Even cooking dinner for your friend and holding space for them to talk about how they’re feeling can go a long way.

Every year you do a birthday fundraiser. Can you talk to us a bit about this? What inspired it, and how do you decide who to help with it?
My birthday fundraiser is for my own company, Mercury Stardust Media. Once a year I ask my audience for direct support so that throughout the year I can turn down offers by companies that don’t align with my values. I don’t like having to rely on brands and sponsorships to do the work we do, and my audience has been very supportive of that. Throughout the year we do other fundraising campaigns for various causes, but my birthday is the only time I ask for direct financial support.

This year you raised money for Point of Pride. Can you tell us a bit about this organization and why you found it important to support this year?
I do an annual fundraiser we call the Trans Day of Visibility Stream-A-Thon (March 31st). Every year we team up with Point of Pride (PoP) to raise money for gender-affirming care. PoP provides financial assistance for hormone therapy, electrolysis, surgeries, and gender-affirming shapewear like binders and gaffes. The first time was a 24-hour livestream for $24k (which ended up raising more than $120K), which has turned into a 30-hour livestream raising 2 million dollars each of the last two years. Prior to 2023, in the 9 years that PoP had existed, they raised about 600K. My best friend Jory (@Alluringskull) and I nearly quadrupled that number with 2.2 million dollars in just 30 hours. In the past 3 years, we have raised a total of about 4.5 million dollars that has helped 20k trans people and counting. A total of 80 thousand people have donated in the past 2 years with an average donation of $45. We plan on doing this fundraiser with PoP for at least the next 3 years and hopefully more if it continues to be a success.

Point of Pride

Coming into the new year, do you have any New Year’s resolutions you have set for yourself?
My resolutions include expanding my advocacy work, creating more content, and continuing to support the transgender community through my platform.

Are there any upcoming projects you would like to share?
I’m working on new DIY tutorials, expanding my content into long-form content (such as podcasts and YouTube videos), and planning on doing the fourth annual TDOV Stream-A-Thon for Gender Affirming Care with Point of Pride to support transgender healthcare. I’m also currently writing book two, My Turn: The First Year of Homeownership.

It has been a crazy past few years, and we suspect at least four more, how have you been staying positive?
I stay positive by focusing on my mission to help others, finding joy in my work, and leaning on my community for support. Especially spending nights with my best friend and spouse, ZZ. Also petting my cats, Apollo and Nitro.

What is your motto in life?
My motto is, “You’re worth the time it takes to learn a new skill”.

To learn more about Mercury Stardust, please follow the links below:
Mercury Stardust
TikTok: @mercurystardust
Instagram: @mercurystardusttopz
YouTube: @Mercury_Stardust

Book: Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair (available on major platforms, signed copies on my website)

Mercury Stardust - Take Repairs Into Your Own Hands