Jaimie Wilson said he did not set out to become a social media influencer when he started sharing his music and life story online.

The 24-year-old singer, songwriter, model and actor accumulated nearly 700,000 followers on social media platforms in the past few years, including about 443,000 followers on Instagram and more than 232,000 followers on Facebook.

"It never stemmed from a desire to be a social media influencer," Wilson said. "I didn't know what that was yet. I just wanted to share my story, and I didn't see a story like mine."

Wilson came out as transgender at age 19, changing his appearance and beginning to transition with testosterone therapy.

He now lives in New York City.

In 2017, he posted a video about transitioning from female to male on Facebook.

The video went viral, with more than 13 million views on Facebook and another 317,000 views on YouTube. Several celebrities, including rapper Lil Wayne and actress Zooey Deschanel, saw Wilson's post and shared it.

"That's when it really picked up," Wilson said.

He said he feels a sense of responsibility to continue sharing his experiences as a trans man.

"I feel like definitely right now it's important. I hope 10 years from now it's not an issue for people like it is right now. Trans rights are big right now. It's something I won't stop talking about until I have all the rights I should have," he said.

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In 2017, he received a Spirit of Matthew Award from the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an LGBT nonprofit founded by Matthew's parents Dennis and Judy Shepard. Matthew, who was gay, was brutally murdered at the age of 21.

"I felt like that speech was a very big responsibility," he said.

Wilson's latest music release is a four-song EP "Closure," which he released last month. It is available through popular online streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music and others.

He said the new songs tell his story more than some of his other music.

"Everything is New," a 2018 single, garnered him recognition in the music community and media.

He said the song is the first "self-duet" of its kind ever recorded. Wilson sang along to an old recording of himself when he had a higher, feminine voice.

Re-learning to sing in a male voice, as his voice dropped and changed, was a challenge.

"I got a lot of music recognition for it, which was cool. But, I didn't feel like that was really telling my story," Wilson said.

His new songs tell stories of defining moments in his life, including his decision to leave home after he said his parents told him he would need to grow his hair back long and stop transitioning to keep living there. He said he is no longer in contact with most of his family members.

"You don't have to agree with everything your child does, but at the end of the day, you have to love your child, because they are going to be who they are anyway," he said.

Wilson has started a new Latin pop band with his girlfriend Jessenia Gallegos, a model, singer and social media influencer, and rapper Zawezo. The band, called Cymbalz, plans to start releasing music next month.

He said he has delved into music engineering and is working on Gallegos' EP right now.

Beyond music and social media, he has also done some modeling. He has modeled for fashion label 2(X)IST and walked in New York Fashion Week shows, including underwear brand Marco Marco's all-trans model show in 2018 and Sharpe Suiting's 2019 show at the Brooklyn Museum.

With fame comes criticism and roadblocks, but Wilson said it is worth it.

"Sometimes people look at me and say transgender is a fad or it's in right now, but they haven't experienced what I have," he said. "I've been booked places and then the whole trans thing was a problem. There was a record label that was going to sign my girlfriend but found out I was transgender."

Even though there are haters, Wilson finds plenty of love online.

"Heidi Klum put me in her Instagram story about a week ago," he said. "Amy Schumer, who I love, follows me

"If anything, social media has given me a healthy amount of self-confidence, Wilson said. "If I don't feel the best that day, or if someone says something in the grocery store, I can remind myself there are people who like me."

Contact Livingston Daily reporter Jennifer Timar at 517-548-7148 or at jtimar@livingstondaily.com. Follow her on Facebook @Jennifer.Timar99 and Twitter @JenTimar99.