Andi Dorfman is "tremendously proud" of her cousin Tommy Dorfman for coming out as transgender

Former 'Bachelorette' star Andi, 34, told PEOPLE: "I'm tremendously proud of Tommy and so happy for the support she's received. Tommy has always bravely and boldly lived life by her own terms and it's something I have always admired and been in absolute awe of. She has stood up for herself and advocated for the entire LGBTQ+ community with pride, with love and, most of all, with compassion for all.

"I know it's been a long and emotional journey, and I know this is just the beginning for her, and I'm so very excited for her to now be able to live the life she deserves and the life she was truly born to live."

Speaking to 'Detransition, Baby' author Torrey Peters for TIME magazine this week, Tommy revealed she is keeping her name because it holds a special meaning for her.

She said: "I'm named after my mom's brother who passed a month after I was born, and I feel very connected to that name, to an uncle who held me as he was dying.

"This is an evolution of Tommy. I'm becoming more Tommy... I am actually myself.

“It’s funny to think about coming out because I haven’t gone anywhere.

"I view today as a reintroduction to me as a woman, having made a transition medically. Coming out is always viewed as this grand reveal, but I was never not out.

"Today is about clarity: I am a trans woman. My pronouns are she/her. My name is Tommy.”

Other stars who have shared their support for Tommy include Demi Lovato and Emma Corrin.