Gorman's art and activism focus on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora. Career Beginnings and recognition (2014-2020) In 2019, Gorman spent a semester studying in Madrid, Spain, supported by IES Abroad. She studied sociology at Harvard College, graduating cum laude in 2020 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. As a senior, she received a Milken Family Foundation college scholarship.
Gorman attended New Roads, a private school in Santa Monica, for grades K–12. And I said, 'if I can keep up with Leslie in this track, then I am on my way to being able to say this R in a poem." I realized that at a young age when I was reciting the Marianne Deborah Williamson quote that 'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure' to my mom." In 2021, Gorman told CBS This Morning co-host Anthony Mason that she used songs as a form of speech therapy, and explained, "My favorite thing to practice was the song 'Aaron Burr, Sir,' from Hamilton because it is jam-packed with R's. Gorman participated in speech therapy during her childhood and Elida Kocharian of The Harvard Crimson wrote in 2018, "Gorman doesn't view her speech impediment as a crutch-rather, she sees it as a gift and a strength." Gorman told The Harvard Gazette in 2018, "I always saw it as a strength because since I was experiencing these obstacles in terms of my auditory and vocal skills, I became really good at reading and writing. She also had a speech impediment during childhood.
Gorman has an auditory processing disorder and is hypersensitive to sound. She has described her young self as a "weird child" who enjoyed reading and writing and was encouraged by her mother.
Gorman has said she grew up in an environment with limited television access. Her twin sister, Gabrielle, is an activist and filmmaker.