Transgender individuals are becoming increasingly popular in the media and have used their social standing to make a difference in society’s perception of transgender individuals. You don’t have to be a transgender person to look up to these inspirational role models and if you are, that’s even better! These individuals have broken down so many barriers and stigmas against them to be exactly who they are, and we should all applaud them for that and follow their lead in being true to ourselves.
- Caitlyn Jenner
Reality TV star and former Olympic champion, Caitlyn Jenner, has been surrounded by a lot of unfounded controversy and hate following her transition and subsequent awarding of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs. It took a lot of courage for someone of her social standing to come out as transgender, but she did it anyways because she wanted to express who she really was inside. One of the most touching quotes from her ESPYs acceptance speech was, “If you want to call me names, make jokes, doubt my intentions, go ahead, because the reality is, I can take it. But for the thousands of kids out there, coming to terms with being true to who they are, they shouldn’t have to take it.” - Laverne Cox
This beauty stars as transgender inmate Sophia Burset in the raunchy, but hilarious, Netflix original, Orange is the New Black. Because of this role, she became the first ever openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance. She is also an advocate for LGBT rights and travels around the country speaking on the behalf of transgender people everywhere. She says that “You can define what it means to be a man or a woman on your own terms.” - Loren Cameron
Loren is an incredibly talented photographer, author, and activist in the trans community. He uses his photography skills to depict lesbian and trans bodies to show the world how beautiful these individuals are. He also documented his own journey from female to male in a series of photographs. Loren says that the goal of this kind of photography is to provide positive visualizations for transgender individuals and to demystify body assumptions for cisgender viewers. - Michelle Dumaresq
As a Canadian mountain bike racer, Michelle faced a lot of questions and even harassment when she decided to participate in women’s racing competitions six years after she completed sexual reassignment surgery. She didn’t let any of it get her down, though, and went on to win second place in one of the major races. She shows us that there are still challenges in even the most accepting communities, by pointing out opposition to her participation in competitive environments. - Chaz Bono
Bono, a transgender man, initially came out as a lesbian in 1995, years before public opinion of homosexuality was favorable. Even though his mother Cher was a longtime ally of the LGBT community, together they wrote a book chronicling Cher's discomfort with and eventual acceptance of her son. In 2010, Chaz completed his transition, becoming one of the highest-profile members of the trans community. He continues to actively advocate for LGBT rights while working with organizations such as GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign. - Jenna Talackova
Jenna, a stunning Canadian model, made history by winning the fight for transgender women to compete in the Miss Universe Canada competition. After being initially disqualified from the competition, Jenna said, “I am a woman. I was devastated, and I felt that excluding me for the reason that they gave was unjust. I have never asked for any special consideration. I only wanted to compete.” She did not win the competition, but she did make it to the Top 12 and was selected as Miss Congeniality. Because of her efforts that have contributed towards transgender equality across the world, she was named co-marshal of the 2012 Vancouver Pride Parade. - Janet Mock
This gorgeous, former People magazine editor has made it her mission to empower transgender individuals. She started the #GirlsLikeUs movement in 2008, which was intended to redefine how the media and society view transgender women. She is also the author of the book Redefining Realness, a memoir describing Janet’s transition, her struggles as a transgender woman, and how she created her own identity. She says this about loving every aspect of herself: “For me, personally and politically, there’s no separating my womanness, my blackness, my transness from my me-ness,” a great mindset to have for anyone struggling with their identity.
