MARSHA P. JOHNSON [1945 – 1992]

She/Her

“Marsha P. Johnson was an outspoken civil rights advocate, especially for the trans community, during the 1960s and into the 1990s. She became a pivotal icon of the Stonewall Riots as the co-founder of the Gay Liberation Front, one of the first popularized organizations to advocate for LGBTQ+ people in the United States, and co-founder of the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.) group (now know as S.T.A.R.R or Strategic Transgender Alliance for Radical Reform,) which specifically catered to the needs of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. Through these programs, Johnson worked tirelessly fighting for the rights of LGBTQ+ people of all races, advocating specifically on transgender issues, spreading awareness and caring for those with HIV and AIDS, and helping homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Even 30 years after her death, Johnson’s legacy continues to inspire others to stand up for themselves and take care of others in their community.” [Source]

Learn More:
Strategic Transgender Alliance for Radical Reform
OutHistory.org Bio
Pay It No Mind: The Life and Times Video

ADMIRAL RACHEL L. LEVINE, M.D.

She/Her

“Rachel L. Levine is an American pediatrician who has served as the United States Assistant Secretary for Health since March 26, 2021. She is also an admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Levine is a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine, and previously served as the Pennsylvania physician general from 2015 to 2017 and as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health from 2017 to 2021. Levine is one of only a few openly transgender government officials in the United States, and is the first to hold an office that requires Senate confirmation. On October 19, 2021, Levine became the first openly transgender four-star officer in the nation’s eight uniformed services. Levine was named as one of USA Today’s women of the year in 2022, which recognizes women who have made a significant impact on society.” [Source]

Learn More:
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services bio

LAYSHIA CLARENDON

They/Them

“Layshia Clarendon, a guard for the Minnesota Lynx, is the first openly transgender and non-binary athlete to play in the WNBA.” “Circa 2020, Clarendon came out as non-binary. In 2021, Clarendon underwent chest masculinization surgery to remove breast tissue”, becoming the first player in the WNBA to do so. “The Commissioner of the WNBA, Cathy Engelbert, has shown her support for Clarendon by saying, ‘We are so proud that Layshia is part of the WNBA and we know that their voice and continued advocacy will not only support and help honor and uplift many other non-binary and trans people.'” [Source 1, Source 2]

Learn More:
ESPN Player Profile

SYLVIA RIVERA [1951 – 2002]She/Her

“Coined as the “Rosa Parks of the modern transgender movement,” Sylvia Rivera was an American gay liberation and transgender rights activist who advocated for LGBTQ+ rights in New York during the 1970s until her death in 2002. Working with her friend, mentor, and prominent figure in the Stonewall riots, Marsha P. Johnson, Rivera co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.) group (now known as S.T.A.R.R or Strategic Transgender Alliance for Radical Reform,) an organization dedicated to helping homeless trans women and LGBTQ+ youth. As someone who suffered from systematic poverty and racism herself, Rivera used her voice for unity, sharing her stories of pain and struggle to show her community they are not alone. She amplified the voices of the most vulnerable members of the gay community: drag queens, homeless youth, gay inmates in prison, and transgender people. Though she is best known for her dedication to furthering trans-inclusive legislation in New York and beyond, Rivera also used her identity to advocate for issues surrounding race and poverty and their intersectionality among transgender identities.” [Source]

Learn More:
Strategic Transgender Alliance for Radical Reform
OutHistory.org Bio
1973 Speech at NYC Gay Pride Rally

ALOK VAID-MENON

They/Them

“ALOK is an internationally acclaimed poet, comedian, public speaker, and actor. They are the author of Femme in Public, Beyond the Gender Binary, and Your Wound/My Garden and the creator of #DeGenderFashion: an initiative to degender fashion and beauty industries.” Their “work deals with violence against trans and gender non-conforming people, calling for freedom from what they see as constraining gender norms. They advocate for bodily diversity, gender neutrality, and self-determination. Vaid-Menon has presented creative work in over 40 countries” [Source 1, Source 2]

Learn More:
ALOK’s Website

LAURA JANE GRACE

She/Her

“Laura Jane Grace is a punk rock musician best known for founding the band, Against Me!. Grace is among the first high-profile punk rock stars to live openly as a transgender person. She publicly came out in an interview with Rolling Stone in May 2012. On November 15, 2016, Grace’s memoir Tranny: Confessions Of Punk Rock’s Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout…was published. Much of the book is based on Grace’s journals, which she had kept since third grade. Grace released Stay Alive in 2020, her debut solo studio album, and is set to release Hole in My Head in 2024.” [Source 1, Source 2]

Learn More:
Laura Jane’s Website

JANET MOCK

She/Her

“Janet Mock is an American writer, television producer, and transgender rights activist. She is a contributing editor for Marie Claire and a former staff editor of People magazine’s website. Her career in journalism shifted from editor to media advocate when she came out publicly as a trans woman in a 2011 Marie Claire article… Mock took issue with how the magazine represented her [in] stating that she was born and raised as a boy; she says she was always a girl. Mock said, ‘I was born in what doctors proclaim is a boy’s body. I had no choice in the assignment of my sex at birth…. My genital reconstructive surgery did not make me a girl. I was always a girl.’ Her debut book, the memoir Redefining Realness, became a New York Times bestseller.” [Source]

Learn More:
Janet’s Website

MISS MAJOR GRIFFIN-GRACY

She/Her”Miss Major is an activist, Stonewall veteran, and community leader for the rights of transgender people of color. She has fought for Black liberation and abolition and served as the Executive Director for the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project, which helps trans folks in the carceral system, in which they are disproportionately impacted.” “In 2015, she developed a property she initially called the House of GG into an informal retreat center for trans people in Little Rock, Arkansa. The property includes a guest house, pool, hot tub, merry-go-round, various gardens, and over 80 palm trees. In 2023, she renamed the property to Tilifi, an acronym for Telling It Like It Fuckin’ Is.” [Source 1, Source 2]

Learn More:
Miss Major’s Website
Miss Major Film
Trans Visionaries Profile

KYE ALLUMS

He/Him

“Kye Allums played on the women’s basketball team for George Washington University for three seasons. He came out as transgender in 2010, becoming one of the first openly trans NCAA Division I college athletes. Allums is now an LGBTQ+ rights advocate, traveling to high schools and colleges to discuss the transgender community and give advice on confronting bullies. He was inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page
CBS News Article

CECILIA GENTILI [1972 – 2024]

She/Her

“Cecilia Gentili was an Argentine-American advocate for the rights of transgender people and sex workers. Born in Argentina, she moved to New York City. She held leadership positions at the LGBTQ HIV/AIDS care nonprofits GMHC and APICHA, co-founded a free clinic for sex workers at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, co-founded DecrimNY, an organization that successfully decriminalized sex work in New York and repealed the “Walking while trans law”, and founded Trans Equity Consulting. Gentili also filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s removal of non-discrimination protections for gender identity in the Affordable Care Act.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

AMIYAH SCOTT

She/Her

“Amiyah Scott is an American actress, model, author, and dancer. She is known for her presence on social media apps such as Instagram, as a fixture in the LGBT ball community, and for her role as Cotton in the Fox television series Star. Scott became an internet celebrity when videos of her performing as part of ballrooms were uploaded to YouTube. She then became “Insta-famous” following the posting of a before-and-after photo that contrasted her young self, styled as male, and her current self, the self-actualized female. In addition to acting, Scott is a motivational speaker and activist with the goal of giving a voice to transgender women. Her presentations focus on the themes of bullying, self-esteem, and self-acceptance.”[Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

HARI NEF

She/Her

“Hari Nef is an American actress, model, and writer. Nef’s breakthrough role was Gittel in the Amazon original series Transparent, for which she was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2016. She made her runway debut at New York Fashion Week Spring 2015, walking for both Hood By Air and Eckhaus Latta, and subsequently became the first openly transgender woman signed to IMG Models. She became the first openly transgender woman to appear on the cover of a major British magazine. Nef has written on a breadth of topics from fine art and film to sex, gender, and transgender identity.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

SASHA COLBY

She/Her

“Sasha Kekauoha, best known by the stage name Sasha Colby, is an American drag performer and beauty pageant competitor. In 2012, she won the Miss Continental competition. In 2023, she was crowned the winner of season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She is also known as a trans model and activist. In 2020, she represented Hawaii in GLAAD’s video, which featured drag queens from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and sought to mobilize voters in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

LASAIA WADE

She/Her

“LaSaia co-founded the Tennessee Trans Journey Project, a community-led funding initiative founded in 2012 to support grassroots, trans justice groups run by and for trans people. In 2016, Wade and a small group of other Black trans individuals launched the Black TGNC (trans, gender non-conforming) Collective. In 2016, the Chicago-based activist group staged a direct action at the intersections of Belmont and Halsted in Chicago’s famously recognized queer neighborhood. The event was to honor TT Saffore, a Black Trans woman killed on Chicago’s West Side. The following year, Wade went on to co-found The Trans Liberation Collective, which staged one of the largest trans-led protests in Chicago to date. She also launched Brave Space Alliance (BSA), a Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ nonprofit designed to create and provide affirming and culturally competent services for the entire LGBTQ community of Chicago.” [Source]

Learn More:
The Trans Justice Funding Project
The BTGNC Collective
LaSaia’s Website

QUINN

They/Them

“Quinn is a non-binary, transgender athlete who plays for the Canadian women’s national soccer team. After coming out in 2020, they were allowed to continue playing women’s soccer as per their sex assigned at birth, rather than gender identity. Quinn helped the Canadian women’s team win the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. In doing so, they became the first trans, non-binary athlete to become an Olympic champion. “‘First openly trans Olympian to compete,’ they wrote on Instagram. ‘I don’t know how to feel. I feel proud seeing ‘Quinn’ up on the lineup and on my accreditation. I feel sad knowing there were Olympians before me unable to live their truth because of the world. I feel optimistic for change. Change in legislature. Changes in rules, structures and mindsets. The fight isn’t close to over… and I’ll celebrate when we’re all here.'” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

JAZZ JENNINGS

She/Her

“American activist and TV personality Jazz Jennings was just seven years old when she stepped into the spotlight by discussing her experience as a transgender kid in a ’20/20′ interview with Barbara Walters. During that 2007 interview, Jennings’ parents noted that Jazz, despite being assigned male at birth, knew she was female from the moment she could talk. These days, you can find Jennings on her YouTube channel and on the TLC reality series ‘I Am Jazz.'” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

CECE MCDONALD

She/Her

“Cece is an activist who brought national attention to the discrimination and violence imposed on trans women of color. McDonald was assaulted in an anti-trans, anti-black hate crime in 2012 and was subsequently imprisoned for defending herself. She was forced to serve her 41-month sentence in a male prison. Since then, she has sought to unveil the structural violence and discrimination imposed on trans women of color.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page
Huffington Post Article

VALENTIJN DE HINGH

She/Her 

“Valentijn de Hingh is a transgender Dutch model. From the age of 8 until the age of 17 de Hingh was filmed for the Dutch television program “Valentijn” and had gender affirmation surgery shortly after the conclusion of that project. De Hingh became a runway model in 2008 and was the first transgender person ever to have been represented by IMG Models, which has since added at least one other transgender model to its roster.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

KIM PETRAS

She/Her

“Kim Petras is a German singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. In 2006, Petras, then aged 13, appeared on a German television current-affairs show in which she discussed her medical gender transition. At age 14, she appeared in a documentary and a talk show, in a push to get permission for early gender confirmation surgery at age 16, before the minimum age of 18 in Germany. In November 2008, Petras announced that the surgery was completed. Petras [sais] a few months after the procedure: “I was asked if I feel like a woman now – but the truth is I have always felt like a woman – I just ended up in the wrong body.” Petras’s collaborative 2022 single “Unholy” with Sam Smith topped charts internationally, including the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first openly transgender solo artist to reach number one in the United States. Petras was the first openly transgender artist to receive a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance (for “Unholy” in 2023) and the second transgender woman to win a Grammy.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

SYDNEY FREELAND

She/Her

“Sydney Freeland is a Native American and Transgender filmmaker. Her debut feature film, Drunktown’s Finest, explored the Navajo reservation where she grew up and the impact of gender, race, and culture within the community. The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win both the Grand Jury Prize and HBO Outstanding First Feature awards at LA Outfest 2014.” “Growing up near train tracks on a Navajo reservation around Gallup, New Mexico, Freeland didn’t know filmmaking could be her career. But after graduating from Navajo Prep in Farmington in 1999, she was accepted to Arizona State University…Freeland was named a 2004 Fulbright scholar. She’d graduate in 2007 with an MFA in Motion Pictures and Television from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. While in the city, Freeland would meet a trans woman who introduced her to the Navajo concepts of third and fourth genders. While Freeland had known she was a woman when she was younger, the filmmaker didn’t have the language to describe her experience. Coming off a journey of finding her authentic self in the California city, she went on to study at the Sundance Institute, which she credits with teaching her to truly tell a story. Freeland once believed she was operating at a deficit with no industry connections, never having been on a set, unsure of how to become a director. But in the years since her career began, she has repeatedly proven the thing that makes her an outsider in Hollywood — her background — is exactly the kind of thing that makes her successful there.” [Source 1, Source 2]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

SCHUYLER BAILAR

He/Him

“Schuyler Bailar is an American swimmer, and one of the first transgender athletes to compete on an NCAA Division 1 men’s team. He swam for Harvard for four seasons before graduating in 2019. Bailar is also an LGBTQ+ rights advocate who frequently addresses misinformation on social media. In April, 2022 he teamed up with The Human Rights Campaign to release a YouTube video debunking common myths about trans athletes.” [Source]

Learn More:
CBS News Article
YouTube Video

LANA WACHOWSKI

She/Her

“Lana Wachowski is one half of the sibling duo famous for directing the “Matrix” trilogy and “Cloud Atlas.” Wachowski came out as transgender in 2010. In addition to directing many notable films with her younger sister (who is also a trans woman), Lana is also a screenwriter, producer, and comic book publisher.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page
“How The Matrix Universalized a Trans Experience” Article

LILLY WACHOWSKI

She/Her

“In 2016, Lily Wachowski, younger sister and filmmaking partner to Lana, came out as transgender. Lilly Wachowski made her announcement in a personal statement to the Windy City Times and GLAAD. “So yeah, I’m transgender,” Lily wrote, “And yeah, I’ve transitioned. I’m out to my friends and family… Everyone is cool with it. Yes, thanks to my fabulous sister, they’ve done it before, but also because they’re fantastic people. Without the love and support of my wife and friends and family I would not be where I am today.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page
“How The Matrix Universalized a Trans Experience” Article

VALENTINA SAMPAIO

She/Her

“Brazilian model and actress Valentina Sampaio has logged a lot of “firsts” in her career. In 2019, she became Victoria’s Secret’s first openly transgender model. And in 2020, she broke yet another glass ceiling when she became the first openly transgender model to appear in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

GRACE LAVERY

She/Her

“Grace Lavery is a writer, editor, and academic living in Brooklyn, NY. As an Associate Professor of English, Critical Theory, and Gender & Women’s Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, her research explores the history and theory of aesthetics and interpretation, with particular interests in psychoanalysis, literary realism, and queer and trans cultures. Her speculative memoir, Please Miss, was published by Seal Press in 2022.
Her first book, Quaint, Exquisite: Victorian Aesthetics and the Idea of Japan, was published by Princeton University Press in 2019, and her scholarly essays have been published in Critical Inquiry, Differences, Social Text Online, Transgender Studies Quarterly, and elsewhere. She is a General Editor of Transgender Studies Quarterly. She writes for non-specialist readerships on queer/trans culture and politics and has published work in Autostraddle, The Guardian, Gay Magazine, them, and Catapult, where she has an occasional film column entitled ‘Lurid Speculations.'” [Source]

Learn More:
Grace’s Website
Author Page
UC Berkeley Professor Bio
UC Berkeley Q&A
Wikipedia Page for Please Miss

ZAYA WADE

She/Her

“Zaya Wade is the elder daughter of retired basketball star Dwyane Wade. Her stepmother is actress Gabrielle Union. At 12, Zaya told her parents she was a trans girl, something her father believes she had known since she was 3. To enable Zaya to live as her true self, she and her family publicly shared her gender [identity] in February 2020. The following month, Zaya made a red carpet appearance with Dwayne and Union. Since then she has been recognized as a prominent younger member of the LGBTQ+ community.” [Source]

Learn More:
People Magazine Feature

SIR LADY JAVA

She/Her

“Sir Lady Java protested L.A.’s notorious Rule №9, which made cross-dressing illegal. She joined the ACLU to argue that the law was unconstitutional and took away her income as a “woman impersonator” at a local bar. Even though her legal challenge ultimately failed, Java’s story received national attention, particularly from African American and queer publications, which likely played a factor in such laws eventually being overturned.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia

ANDREJA PEJIĆ

She/Her

“Andreja Pejić is an Australian model and actress. Since coming out as a trans woman in 2013, she has become one of the most recognisable transgender models in the world. Pejić became the first openly transgender model profiled by Vogue, in its May 2015 issue, and also became the first-ever trans woman to sign a cosmetics contract. In 2016, Pejić was awarded “Best International Female Model” by GQ Portugal and the following year she made history by becoming the first transgender woman to appear on the cover of GQ. In a 2022 interview Pejić gave an update on her forthcoming autobiographical documentary: ‘I’m trying to finish my documentary, which I’ve been filming over the past seven years, and I’ve decided to take control of it and tell my own story and direct it myself. I’ve always felt, from the beginning of my career, the media didn’t really understand me and interviews made me quite uncomfortable. Things have progressed a lot more in, say, the past five years, in terms of how we approach gender.'” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia

LAVERNE COX

She/Her

“Laverne Cox is best known for her role as Sophia Burset on the hit Netflix show “Orange Is the New Black.” In 2014, she became the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award; one year later, she became the first to win a Daytime Emmy. Cox also made history as the first openly transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine, and she has been featured on the Time 100 list. Cox uses her platform to educate people on her experience as a trans woman and to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia

ZAHARA GREEN

She/Her

“Zahara is the Founder and Executive Director of TRANScending Barriers Atlanta, a trans-led, trans-issue-focused non-profit organization whose mission is to empower the transgender and gender non-conforming community in Georgia through community organizing with leadership building, advocacy, and direct services so that lives can be changed and a community uplifted. Zahara is a board director and board treasurer of Black & Pink Inc, a prison abolitionist organization supporting LGBTQ and HIV-positive prisoners.” [Source]

Learn More:
Women’s Media Center Profile

LILI ELBE

She/Her

“Lili Elbe, was a Danish painter, and among one of the earliest recipients of gender-affirming surgery. After transitioning in 1930, she changed her legal name to Lili Ilse Elvenes, stopped painting, and later adopted the surname Elbe. She was the first known recipient of a uterus transplant in attempt to achieve pregnancy, but died due to the subsequent complications. The UK and US versions of her semi-autobiographical narrative were published posthumously in 1933 under the title Man into Woman: An Authentic Record of a Change of Sex. A film inspired by her life, The Danish Girl, was released in 2015. An opera based on her life, Lili Elbe, composed by Tobias Picker, premiered in 2023.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

JEN RICHARDS

She/Her

“Jen Richards is an American writer, actress, producer, and activist. In 2016, she co-starred, co-directed, co-wrote, and co-produced the web series Her Story, which was nominated for an Emmy Award. Richards also co-produced the series More Than T and wrote the Trans 102 series. Richards joined the cast of the television series Nashville in 2017. She became the first openly transgender person to appear on a CMT show, playing the first transgender character to appear on that network. In June 2017, Richards wrote and appeared in a video open letter, presented by ScreenCrush and GLAAD, featuring trans actors asking for better representation in film and television.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page
Jen’s Website
Wikipedia Page for “Her Story”
YouTube Channel for “Her Story”

KATHERINE WOLFGRAMME

She/Her

“Katherine Wolfgramme FRSA is a nationally recognized Trans Advocate, award-winning Gender Diversity Consultant, and Trans Awareness Trainer. Based in Australia, she is a prominent, well-respected transgender woman and a beloved member of Sydney’s Gay Community. Transitioning almost 35 years ago, she created legal precedent in one country and changed language in another. She has been a trans child, a trans youth, a trans adult, and now – a trans elder, brand and community ambassador, role model and community leader. Over these three decades, there have been great changes for the transgender population in Australia, especially in regard to anti-discrimination and employment equality. As trans people are able to more easily access education, government services, and general employment, much confusion has arisen around pronouns, etiquette and cultural safety. Based in Sydney, New South Wales, Katherine has been engaged, both in person and virtually, to consult or present Gender Diversity and Transgender Awareness Training Programs, as well as Educational and Keynote Presentations across the country.” [Source]

Learn More:
Katherine’s Website

RYKA AOKI

She/Her

“Ryka Aoki is a poet, composer, teacher, and novelist. Her latest novel, Light From Uncommon Stars was an Alex, SCKA, and Otherwise Award winner, and was also a finalist for the Hugo, Locus, and Ignyte Awards. Ryka is a two-time Lambda Literary Award finalist for her collections Seasonal Velocities, and Why Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul, and her first novel, He Mele a Hilo, was callled one of the “10 Best Books Set in Hawaii” by Bookriot. She has been recognized by the California State Senate for “extraordinary commitment to the visibility and well-being of Transgender people,” and her work has appeared or been recognized in publications including Vogue, Elle, Bustle, Autostraddle, PopSugar, and Buzzfeed, as well as the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. She was also honored to work with the American Association of Hiroshima Nagasaki A-Bomb Survivors, where two of her compositions were adopted as the organization’s “songs of peace.” Ryka also appears in the recent documentaries “Diagnosing Difference” and “Riot Acts,” as well as writing for and acting in the award-winning film ‘Transfinite.'” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

PEPPERMINT (AGNES MOORE)

She/Her

“Agnes Moore, also known as Peppermint, is an American actress, singer, songwriter, television personality, drag queen, and activist. She is best known from the nightlife scene and, in 2017, as the runner-up on the ninth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. In 2018, Peppermint made her debut in The Go-Go’s-inspired musical Head Over Heels as Pythio, becoming Broadway’s first out trans woman to originate a lead role. As a recording artist, she has released two studio albums, Hardcore Glamour, released in 2009, and Black Pepper, released in 2017, as well as five EPs, including A Girl Like Me: Letters to My Lovers, which was released in 2020. In December 2023, she was announced as a part of the cast of the second season of The Traitors.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

KAI M. GREEN

He/Him

“Kai M. Green is a writer, scholar, poet, filmmaker, abolitionist, feminist, and whatever else it takes to make a new and more just world. He is invested in the work of healing and loving Black: he is particularly interested in helping to develop healthy Black masculinities. His work and thinking on queer and trans issues within communities of color has been published widely in prominent journals and anthologies such as TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly, GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, No Tea, No Shade: New Writings in Black Queer Studies, and many others. Dr. Green is a regular contributor to activist and grassroots publications such as the feministwire.com, everydayfeminism.com. He is also a member of BYP100, Chicago where he sits on the the healing and safety council. Dr. Green earned his Ph.D. in American Studies & Ethnicity from the University of Southern California in 2014.” As “an Assistant Professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality studies at Williams College. Dr. Green explores questions of Black sexual and gender agency, health, creativity, and resilience in the context of state and social violence. An interdisciplinary scholar, Green employs Black feminist theory, performance studies, and trans studies to investigate forms of self-representation and communal methods of political mobilization by Black queer folk. Kai is a proud member of Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100) and sits on the healing and safety council.” [Source 1, Source 2]

Learn More:
Kai’s Website

JAIYAH SAELUA

She/Her

“Jaiyah Saelua, who is American Samoan, is the first openly non-binary and trans woman to compete in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. The soccer star identifies as fa’afafine, a third gender in Polynesian society.” “Saelua plays in full make-up whenever she takes to the football field. She is known for her crunching tackles and is described as a defender who ‘takes no prisoners.’ Since becoming the first non-binary player to play in a FIFA-sanctioned tournament, Saelua has become a FIFA ambassador for equality and LGBT athletes. She was also appointed to the jury of the FIFA Diversity Award.” She appeared in the 2014 documentary, Next Goal Wins, about her time with the American Samoa national team, and a fictionalized version of her was featured in a 2023 Taika Waititi film of the same name.” [Source 1, Source 2]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

SHENIQUA VOLT

She/Her

“Ayana Wess, popularly recognized as Sheniqua Volt, is a multifaceted individual renowned for her roles as a pageant queen, accomplished hair stylist, and vibrant bar host. Hailing from Chicago, she brings her unique flair to the scene as the beloved “Hood Barbie” of Portland. Beyond her glamorous personas, Ayana is a passionate advocate for Black Trans Voices, using her platform to amplify important issues. She is celebrated not only for her talents but also for her immense compassion, nurturing spirit, and unwavering support for her loved ones.”

INDYA MOORE

They/She

“Indya Moore is an actor and model known for playing Angel Evangelista in the FX series “Pose.” The star was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2019. Moore is transgender and non-binary and uses they/them and she/her pronouns.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

TEDDY GEIGER

She/Her

“Teddy Geiger is best known as the writer behind massive hits like Shawn Mendes’ “Stitches” and “In My Blood,” and she [was] one of three trans women nominated for awards at the 2019 Grammys (alongside SOPHIE and Jackie Shane). “When I was growing up, I didn’t know of anybody who was trans,” Geiger said. “There was always this like shame, anxiety thing around all of that, even if I wasn’t actively expressing it.” According to her, it was when the songwriter was in group therapy for OCD and substance use that she was given a new perspective on what she was experiencing. “I learned in one of the groups about shame and guilt … and how shame thrives on secrecy … So I told a couple friends about it,” she said. “I was like ‘hey, might be trans, might want to look at doing hormone therapy, just letting you know’ … and they were like ‘Yeah cool. Who cares? Like whatever, awesome.'” She also acknowledged the power of her and other trans artists finally recognized for their contributions to music. “It’s cool for people to be able to see that and to have more artists and people who are trans just doing things and being visible.” [Source 1, Source 2]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page
Out Media Profile

KATALUNA ENRIQUEZ

She/Her

“Kataluna Enriquez made history in June 2021 when she was crowned Miss Nevada USA. With this victory, Enriquez became the first openly transgender Miss USA contestant. In a celebratory post, she wrote on Instagram, ‘My community, you are always in my heart. My win is our win. We just made history. Happy pride.'” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

BALIAN BUSCHBAUM

He/Him

“Balian Buschbaum is a German athlete who competed in women’s pole vault — including a showing at the 2000 Summer Olympics — before taking hormones to transition in 2007 and retiring the following year. In announcing his retirement, he said, “‘I feel as if I am a man and have to live my life in the body of a woman. I am aware of the fact that transsexuality is a fringe issue, and I do not want to be responsible for it remaining on the fringe.'” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page

ANDRAYA YEARWOOD

She/Her

“Andraya Yearwood is a track and field athlete who ran for the girls’ team at her high school beginning in 2017. She won state titles for the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash.” “In 2019, Andraya Yearwood appeared in ‘Changing The Game’ which in a documentary that highlights the stories of three transgender athletes and the hardships they faced in the athletic industry being a transgender person. In the documentary Yearwood talks about her journey of becoming her true authentic self through all of the struggles she faced growing up.” “In June 2018, in the state of Connecticut, there was a petition created by parents of student-athletes that had the goal of banning transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports. The petition allowed Yearwood to speak on Good Morning America and address the issues that came with the petition and encourage other transgender girls to pursue the path they choose no matter who tries to bring them down.” She is currently a student at North Carolina Central University.” [Source 1, Source 2]

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Wikipedia Page
LinkedIn Profile

EZRA MICHEL

He/Him

“Ezra Michel is a non-binary artist, actor and musician with over 150,000 followers on TikTok where their single “Man of my Dreams” gained popularity among transgender TikTokers who used the song to create heartfelt videos to express gratitude in transition. Since 2018, Michel has been working to change the mainstream narrative around transgender people through local support groups, hosting Trans Pride Los Angeles and Youth Pride in NYC, and on the screen as the first out trans masculine actor on Telemundo’s American comedy-drama television series, 100 Días Para Enamorarnos.” [Source]

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Ezra’s Website

CHAZ BONO

He/Him

“Chaz Bono is an American writer, musician and actor. His parents are entertainers Sonny Bono and Cher, and he became widely known in appearances as a child on their television show, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. In 1995, while then identifying as a woman, and several years after being outed as lesbian by the tabloid press, Bono publicly self-identified as a lesbian in a cover story in a leading American gay monthly magazine, The Advocate. Between 2008 and 2010, Bono underwent female-to-male gender transition. A two-part Entertainment Tonight feature in June 2009 explained that his transition had started a year before. In May 2010, he legally changed his gender and name. A documentary on Bono’s experience, Becoming Chaz, was screened at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and later made its television debut on the Oprah Winfrey Network. His book, Transition: Becoming Who I Was Always Meant to Be was published in 2012, making him the first person of Armenian descent to publish a memoir about being an openly transgender man.” [Source]

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Wikipedia Page

KEELIN GODSEY

They/He

“Keelin Godsey is a hammer-throw competitor from Massachusetts. He won two national collegiate championships in the women’s hammer throw before openly identifying as male in 2005. Godsey placed fifth in the women’s hammer-throw competition at the U.S. trials for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Godsey just barely missed a spot on the three-member team.” [Source]

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Wikipedia Page

GIA GUNN

She/Her

“Gia Gunn is the stage name of American drag performer Gia Keitaro Ichikawa. She is known for competing on the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the second season of The Switch Drag Race, and RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars season four. On March 31, 2018, Gia Gunn released 30 Days in Transition, a web series on her YouTube channel documenting aspects of her transition as a transgender woman. Shortly thereafter, she was announced to star in the first episode of an internet documentary series by WOWPresents following her life as a trans person and drag queen…called Follow Me.” [Source]

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Wikipedia Page

JENNICET GUTIÉRREZ

She/Her

“Jennicet Gutiérrez is an activist for transgender and immigrant rights. A transgender woman and an immigrant herself, Gutiérrez first garnered national attention in 2015 when she interrupted President Obama at a White House event to speak on behalf of LGBTQ+ immigrants in detention centers. She went on to become a founding member of the La Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, an organization that works at national and local levels to achieve the collective liberation of LGBT Latinas though community organizing, advocacy and education. Gutiérrez is also known for attending rallies and informative talks to educate others on the importance of safety and equity for transgender immigrants of color in detention centers.” [Source]

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Wikipedia Page

PATTI HARRISON

She/Her

“Patti Harrison is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her roles in comedy series such as Shrill (2019–2021) and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019–present), as well as the comedy film Together Together (2021), with the latter earning her a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. Harrison moved to New York City to pursue a comedy career in 2015, but later moved to Los Angeles. She has said that her stand-up comedy style has changed drastically since her early days of performing, having initially felt anxious about making jokes about sex and her sexuality due to internalized transphobia stemming from being a trans woman. In an interview with Vogue, she described her comedic persona: “I’m a nasty, stupid person—that’s my voice. I’m an evil, shitty person on stage, in a very conscious way—the evil is punching up.” She became the first transgender actor to take part in a Disney animated film when she voiced Tail Chief in Raya and the Last Dragon.” [Source]

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Wikipedia Page
Article in The Guardian

PARIS MAE YANDALL

She/Her

“Paris Yandall was born and raised in the village of Pago Pago, American Samoa and she proudly identifies as Fa’afafine/Suga. Paris holds a Master’s of Business Administration from Chaminade University in Honolulu and is the Director of Operations at UTOPIA Washington, a queer and trans people of color-led, grassroots organization born out of the struggles, challenges, strength, and resilience of the Queer and Trans Pacific Islander (QTPI – “Q-T-pie”) community in South King County. Paris is an avid tennis player who has competed in many state, US Southeastern Sectionals and National competitions, most notably she was part of the American Samoa national tennis team and competed at the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa where she garnished a Bronze medal.” [Source]

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UTOPIA Washington

ANGELICA ROSS

She/Her

“Angelica has recently come into the spotlight as one of the stars of the web series Her Story. But she is also the founding CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises, a nonprofit that provides training and employment for transgender people. From the boardroom to film sets to the White House, Angelica Ross is a leading figure of success and strength in the movement for trans and racial equality. Named “1st Foot Soldier of the Year” in 2015 by Melissa Harris-Perry, Angelica has dedicated her life to giving voices and opportunities to the trans* and nonbinary communities.” [Source]

Learn More:
Angelica’s Website
Her Story Web Series
TransTech Website

KACEN CALLENDER

They/He

“Kacen Callender is a Saint Thomian author of children’s fiction and fantasy, best known for their Stonewall Book Award and Lambda Literary Award-winning middle grade debut Hurricane Child. Their fantasy novel, Queen of the Conquered, is the 2020 winner of the World Fantasy Award and King and the Dragonflies won the 2020 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Children’s/Middle Grade. Prior to becoming an author, Callender was an editor at Little, Brown. In 2018, in reaction to Hurricane Irma, Callender launched the online auction #USVIPubFund, under which they and other book publishing professionals raised $104,000 to support the U.S. Virgin Islands. Callender is Black, queer, trans, and uses they/them and he/him pronouns. Callender debuted their new name when announcing their next young adult novel Felix Ever After in May 2019.” [Source]

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Kacen’s Website
Wikipedia Page

PATRICIO “CACAHUATE” MANUEL

He/Him

“Pat is a professional male boxer who has shaped his masculine identity in boxing gyms since 2002. Before transitioning publicly, he was a five-time national amateur boxing champion and participated in the first-ever U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing in 2012. In 2015, he became the first visible transgender boxer and the most decorated amateur boxer to change gender divisions within USA Boxing. In 2016, he became the first transgender man to beat a cisgender man in the amateur male division. In September 2018, he made history again when he became the first transgender boxer to compete in a professional boxing match in the U.S. and win.” [Source]

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Wikipedia Page
LA Times Article

ASIA KATE DILLON

They/Them

“Asia Kate Dillon is an American actor. They are known for their roles as Brandy Epps in Orange Is the New Black and Taylor Mason in Billions. Dillon identifies as non-binary and uses singular they pronouns. Their role on Billions is the first non-binary main character on North American television, and earned them a Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Dillon explained that around 2015, they began removing gendered pronouns from their biography, and auditioning for the part of Mason helped them understand their gender identity. Dillon is pansexual, stating they are attracted to multiple genders. In September 2021, Dillon told The Hollywood Reporter’s “Hollywood Remixed” podcast that they use the word ‘non-binary’ because their ‘gender identity falls outside the boxes of man or woman.’ They stated that gender is a spectrum, without a binary that was ‘created by colonists and imposed on the indigenous peoples,” and that “sex is not a binary either.'” [Source]

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Wikipedia Page

IAN HARVIE

He/Him

“Ian Harvie is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is a trans man and often references being one in his performances. He is best known for his appearance on the television show Transparent. In 2017, transgender actors and actresses, including Harvie (with the help of GLAAD and ScreenCrush), were part of a filmed letter to Hollywood written by Jen Richards, asking for more and improved roles for transgender people.” [Source]

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Ian’s Website
Wikipedia Page

TIQ MILAN

He/Him

“Tiq Milan is an American writer, public speaker, activist, and strategic media consultant. He is currently a national spokesperson for GLAAD and the former senior media strategist of national news at GLAAD. Prior to his current roles, he was a mentor and teacher at the Hetrick-Martin Institute, an LGBTQ youth nonprofit organization in NYC. His advocacy, LGBTQ activism, and journalism has been recognized nationally. Milan was featured in the national media campaign, Live Out Loud’s Homecoming Project. The campaign sent successful LGBT people back to their hometown high schools to share knowledge, experience and lessons learned. He is a GLAAD Spirit Day Ambassador, encouraging millions of people to “go purple” as a sign of support for LGBT youth and to speak out against bullying. He and his wife were invited to MTV’s the talk, part of the larger “Look Different” campaign. Tiq, Wade A. Davis, and Darnell L. Moore co-organized the This Is Luv campaign to elevate Black LGBTQ Affirming Love and combat stereotypes of Black communities being more homophobic than other communities. He has been involved with LGBT youth work in New York City for the past decade. At Hetrick-Martin Institute, he ran the CDC program, Comprehensive Risk Counseling and Service, an HIV prevention intervention to create healthy relationships around sex and sexuality for homeless, marginally housed and out-of-home gay and transgender youth. He built workshops around self-esteem, intersectionality, and sex positivity to assist youth in developing and growing self-awareness. He has advocated and trained about LGBT issues at high schools across New York City, and a returning guest lecturer at Lehman College’s MSW program to discuss gender and sexuality with graduating social workers.” [Source]

Learn More:
Tiq’s Website
Wikipedia Page

ALEX BERTIE

He/Him

“Alex Ash Bertie is a transgender YouTuber, author and graphic designer from Dorset, England. He presents content on YouTube centred around LGBTQ+ issues and his experiences transitioning as a trans man. His channel, “Alex Bertie”, has around 300,000 subscribers. He was featured as an LGBTQ+ panelist for Summer in the City, a gathering for the UK YouTube community in London, in 2014-2018. In 2017, he published an autobiography of his transition journey entitled Trans Mission: My Quest to a Beard through a Hachette Children’s Group imprint; Wren & Rook.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page
YouTube Channel

VIVEK SHRAYA

She/Her

“Vivek Shraya is a Canadian musician, writer, and visual artist. She currently lives in Calgary, Alberta, where she is an assistant professor in the creative writing program at the University of Calgary. As a trans femme of colour, Shraya often incorporates her identity in her music, writing, visual art, theatrical work, and films. She is a seven-time Lambda Literary Award finalist, and considered a Great Canadian Filmmaker of the Future by CBC Arts. Shraya is dedicated to bringing creative writing opportunities to emerging BIPOC writers over the age of 50 through the founding of her award-winning publishing imprint VS. Books, which serves as a “mentorship and publishing opportunity” for these writers. Shraya is also a director on the board of the Tegan and Sara Foundation, which fights for health, economic justice and representation for LGBTQ women. How to Fail as a Popstar, a web series adapted from her stage play and book of the same name, premiered in 2023 on CBC Gem.” [Source]

Learn More:
Vivek’s Website
Wikipedia Page

CHRISTINE JORGENSEN [1926 – 1989]

She/Her

“Christine Jorgensen was an American actress, singer, recording artist, and transgender activist. A trans woman, she was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex reassignment surgery. In 1945, Jorgensen was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. After she served as a military clerical worker, Jorgensen attended several schools, worked, and pursued a photography career. During this time, she learned about sex reassignment surgery and traveled to Europe, where in Copenhagen, Denmark, she obtained special permission to undergo a series of operations beginning in 1952. Upon her return to the United States in the early 1950s, her transition was the subject of a New York Daily News front-page story. She became an instant celebrity, known for her directness and polished wit, and used the platform to advocate for transgender people. Her 1967 autobiography Christine Jorgensen: A Personal Autobiography sold almost 450,000 copies Throughout her career, she gave lectures at colleges at university on the topics of transsexuality, though she would later disassociate with the term “transsexual” and prefer the term transgender.”>[Source]

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Wikipedia Page
NY History Profile

ALEXANDRA BILLINGS

She/Her

“Alexandra Billings is an American actress, singer, and teacher. Billings, a trans woman, played one of TV’s first openly transgender characters in 2005 made-for-TV movie Romy and Michele: In the Beginning. She is also known for portraying the recurring character Davina in the Amazon series Transparent and has played transgender characters in ER, Eli Stone, How to Get Away with Murder, Grey’s Anatomy and The Conners. Billings is an AIDS and LGBTQ activist and advocate for the equality of the LGBTQ community and has encouraged others to use their voices to create change within the LGBTQ community. Billings started her gender transition in 1980. She has been living with HIV since 1985, and has been an advocate for HIV health initiatives, as well as trans issues and trans rights. When talking about her fight to battle AIDS, she says that she believes the reason she has survived all these years is due to her wife’s support. She has spoken about living with HIV in a number of interviews, including a 2016 article with her hometown paper. She also spoke to POZ magazine for a 2003 interview about life with HIV. In 2022, she published her memoir This Time for Me: A Memoir.”>[Source]

Learn More:
Alexandra’s Website
Wikipedia Page

THOMAS PAGE MCBEE

He/Him

“Thomas Page McBee is an American transgender journalist, television writer, and amateur boxer. He was the first transgender man to box in Madison Square Garden, which he discusses in Amateur. His first book, Man Alive, won a Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Nonfiction. In 2019 and 2020, McBee wrote episodes for Netflix’s Tales of the City and Showtime’s The L Word: Generation Q. He has also appeared on the documentary film No Ordinary Man and the mini-series The Art of Intersection. In 2021, McBee was a supervising producer on The Umbrella Academy, where he architected a storyline in which Elliot Page’s character transitions to male, mirroring the actor’s real-world transition. In 2022, he served as a writer and co-producer on the fourth season of The Umbrella Academy. He is currently developing several film and television projects, including a television adaptation for Amateur.”>[Source]

Learn More:
Thomas’ Website
Wikipedia Page

BRIAN MICHAEL SMITH

He/Him

“Brian Michael Smith is an American actor and LGBT advocate. He is known for playing Paul Strickland in 9-1-1: Lone Star. He discovered the importance of community and visibility while he worked with LGBT youth at the Manhattan LGBT Center. On NBC News, Smith said: “I worked with young people and I just saw how important it was for young LGBT people, no matter where they were in their experience, to see what is down the road for them.” Since Queen Sugar, Smith has used his visibility and platforms to advocate for better trans representation in television and film and to encourage LGBTQ youth to create their own media. Smith publicly revealed he was transgender in 2017. In 2018, he was a special guest and panelist at the University of Michigan’s My Life, My Story! Centering the Lives of Trans Voices event. During NYC Pride in 2018 he participated in the GLAAD Game Changers Panel to discuss the changing landscape of transgender representation in television. In August 2018, Smith joined [other trans voices in] Variety magazine’s first Transgender in Hollywood Roundtable. The hour-long roundtable was released in conjunction with the August 7 print issue dedicated to trans representation and discrimination within Hollywood. During the discussion, Smith said: “We are artists and we want to create things and we want to have choice and our visibility should not cost us that choice.” In addition to public speaking, he continues to advocate through his art and to support trans narratives in television and film by participating in projects such as Sam Feder’s documentary, Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen released in 2020, by Netflix. In June 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade, Queerty named him among the fifty heroes “leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people”. In July 2021, Smith joined the Human Rights Campaign’s Board of Director, the nation’s largest LGBT-interest activist organization, to continue to advocate for social and legislative equality and protections for LGBTQ+ people.” [Source]

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Personal Website
Wikipedia Page

CHELSEA WOLFE

She/Her

“Chelsea Wolfe is one of the highest-ranked BMX freestylers in the United States. She competed with male athletes for many years before coming out in 2014. After placing fifth at the World Championships in 2021, she earned a spot as an alternate for the women’s competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics.” She was blocked from competing in the 2023 SuperWorlds when Union Cycliste Internationale, the sport’s international governing body, instituted a ban on trans athletes with only three days notice. “While Wolfe is working towards a legal resolution to the UCI’s ban—essentially, working on suing the UCI for the right to race—she recognizes that at 30 years old, even if she wins the case, it will likely be too late. The odds of a resolution before the 2024 Olympics are slim, and the average age of Freestyle BMX racers is getting younger and younger. It’s unlikely that if she does win, a return to racing at the level she’s at now will be possible. ‘They are stealing these years from me,’ she says. ‘Regardless of whether or not we win in the long run, they are harming us now, and that harm can never be undone….Trans women are not just numbers on a spreadsheet or a mythological boogeyman,’ she says. ‘We actually exist. We are human and we are vulnerable and we exist.’” [Source, Source]

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Bicycling.com Article

KYLIE SONIQUE LOVE

She/Her

“Kylie Sonique Love is an American entertainer, singer, dancer, model and reality television personality. She rose to prominence as a contestant on the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2009, and achieved further popularity by winning the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars eleven years later in 2020. Love was the first person to ever come out as transgender on any reality TV show. Upon winning All Stars 6, Love became the second transgender winner in the Drag Race franchise and was the first trans woman to win an American series of Drag Race. Additionally, in 2020, she co-hosted Translation Season 1, the first talk show on a major network hosted by an all-trans cast. Her first single, “Santa, Please Come Home”, was released in 2018.” [Source]

Learn More:
Personal Website
Wikipedia Page
Drag Race Profile

DOMINIQUE JACKSON

She/Her

“Dominique Brebnor, known professionally as Dominique Jackson and Tyra Allure Ross, is a Tobagonian-American actress, author, model, and reality television personality. As an actress, she is best known for her leading role of Elektra Abundance on the FX television series Pose. As a model, she has appeared in Vogue España. At 15 years old, she moved to Baltimore with her mother. During that time, she came in contact with the trans community for the first time. She obtained her green card in 2015, and also had her sex reassignment surgery the same year. Jackson has appeared in Call Me, Christopher Street: The Series, My Truth, My Story, a Caribbean LGBTQ oral history and storytelling documentary series produced by the Caribbean Equality Project, the documentary Visible: The LGBTQ Caribbean Diaspora and the Oxygen reality television series Strut (2016). Her work on Strut earned her a GLAAD Media Award nomination. In 2018, Jackson began appearing in the leading role of Elektra Abundance on the FX series Pose, set in the ballroom subculture scene in late-1980s New York City. Jackson has been open about her mental health struggles. After a thirteen-year writing process, she released her autobiography The Transsexual from Tobago. She has worked for several nonprofit organizations, such as Destination Tomorrow in the Bronx, that provide outreach and services to the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020, Jackson appeared in a series of PSAs created by the Human Rights Campaign in cooperation with WarnerMedia, to support trans and non-binary communities.” [Source]

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Wikipedia Page
Keppler Speakers Profile

JOSIE JAY TOTAH

She/Her

“Josie Totah is an American actress. She is known for her recurring role on the Disney Channel series Jessie and supporting role on the 2013 ABC comedy series Back in the Game. Totah received critical praise for her role in the 2016 film Other People. In 2018, she starred in the short-lived NBC comedy series Champions. She starred as Lexi in the 2020 revival of Saved by the Bell, which ran for two seasons. On August 20, 2018, Totah wrote an article published in Time magazine in which she came out as a transgender woman.” [Source]

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Wikipedia Page

NESS MURBY

He/Him

“Ness Murby is a Canadian Paralympian who competes in discus throw and javelin throw. In late 2020, he came out publicly on an episode of the “Five Rings to Rule Them All” podcast. Murby finished sixth in the discus throw at the 2016 Paralympics. He won a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships in javelin and a bronze in 2017.” [Source]

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Personal Website

TRACE LYSETTE

She/Her

“Trace Lysette is an American actress whose most notable roles include Shea in the television series Transparent (2014–2019) and Tracey in the feature film Hustlers (2019). The third season of Transparent contains a storyline in which Shea has a romantic relationship with a cisgender heterosexual man, which has been called “a groundbreaking TV moment for a trans character.” As a trans actress, she also featured in the Netflix documentary Disclosure as herself.” [Source]

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Wikipedia Page
NPR Article

CHLOE ANDERSON

She/Her

“Chloe Anderson is a transgender athlete who began playing for the Santa Ana College women’s volleyball team in 2015. Anderson then headed to University of California-Santa Cruz to play in the NCAA Division III. ‘Being a man was something I never identified with, something that always eluded me despite my life forced in its shoes,’ Anderson told Outsports, referencing her transition at age 19. ‘Though I’ve come to realize I’m all right being born the way I was, I’m growing happier with myself every day.'” [Source]

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Wikipedia Page

LIA THOMAS

She/Her

Lia Thomas is a former swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania. “She is the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship, having won the women’s 500-yard freestyle event in 2022.” “During her swimming career, Thomas has been part of the public debate about transgender women in women’s sports.” “Thomas has been at the center of much scrutiny from lawmakers and media over the past year, mainly after parents of her fellow swim team members wrote a letter to the NCAA asking that Thomas be banned from competing. However, the University of Pennsylvania and hundreds of current and former collegiate swimmers have spoken out in support of Thomas’s right to swim on the women’s team.” “In January 2024, Thomas opened a legal challenge to the World Aquatics gender inclusion policy.” [Source, Source]

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Wikipedia Page

CHRIS MOSIER

He/Him

“Chris Mosier began competing in triathlon as a woman, then publicly self-identified as a transgender man in 2010. He went on to earn a spot on the Team USA spring duathlon men’s team for the 2016 World Championship. Mosier is now known as the first transgender man to represent the United States in international competition and is credited with prompting the International Olympic Committee to change its policy on transgender athletes. Today, Mosier is a prominent transgender advocate, often speaking publicly about inclusion in sports. Mosier also works with LGBTQ sports leagues to improve trans representation, and is the founder of transathlete.com, a resource for students and coaches.” [Source]

Learn More:
TransAthlete.com

MICHAELA JAÉ RODRIGUEZ

She/Her

“Michaela Antonia Jaé Rodriguez, formerly known as Mj Rodriguez, is an American actress and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Rodriguez attended several performing arts schools in her youth before being cast in a theater production of Rent as Angel Dumott Schunard, winning the 2011 Clive Barnes Award for her performance. Following her performance in Rent, Rodriguez took a hiatus from performing to transition. From 2012 to 2016, Rodriguez began to work on stage again and appeared in small television roles, including Nurse Jackie, The Carrie Diaries, and Luke Cage. In 2017, Rodriguez was cast as one of the lead roles in the FX television series Pose, making her part of the largest cast of transgender actresses to be starring as series regulars in a scripted series. Her performance as Blanca Evangelista garnered critical acclaim. In 2021, she became the first transgender woman to earn an Emmy Award nomination in a major acting category; she was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in the third and final season of Pose and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. In September 2021, Rodriguez announced that she now goes by Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, stating, “I wanted people to see that I was more than just this character that I played on a television screen. … It was only right and even more personal to let people know who the woman inside of Mj is.'” [Source]

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Personal Website
Wikipedia Page
Kennedy Center Profil

CAROLINE COSSEY

She/Her

“Caroline Cossey is a British model and actress who often worked under the name Tula, which she also used for two memoirs. Through puberty, Cossey was distinctly feminine in appearance due to an intersex variation of XXXY syndrome. In Cossey’s autobiography My Story, she describes an unhappy childhood, where she suffered confusing feelings and bullying by peers due to her femininity. Cossey started transitioning while working as an usherette in London’s West End. By seventeen, Cossey was receiving hormone therapy and working full-time as a showgirl. Following her breast augmentation surgery, Cossey worked as a showgirl in Paris and as a topless dancer in Rome, so she could save money for her sex reassignment surgery. After years of hormone therapy, Cossey had her final surgery on December 31, 1974, at Charing Cross Hospital, London. She appeared in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only as an extra. Following her appearance in the film, she was outed as transgender by British tabloid News of the World. In 1991, she became the first trans woman to pose for Playboy. Cossey has since then fought for her right to legally marry and be legally recognised as a woman.” [Source]

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Wikipedia Page

KYLAR BROADUS

He/Him

“Kylar, who transitioned more than 20 years ago, is an attorney who focuses on LGBTQ+ law and transgender rights. He is the founder and director of the Trans People of Color Coalition, the only national organization dedicated to the civil rights of transgender people of color, and the co-founder of the Transgender Law and Policy Institute. He is the first transgender American to testify before the U.S. Senate in favor of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act.” [Source]

Learn More:
Personal Website
Brave Space Alliance

FALLON FOX

She/Her

“Fallon Fox is the first openly transgender woman to compete in mixed martial arts.” She transitioned in 2006 and began competing in 2012. “After coming out [as trans] in 2013, Fox received widespread criticism as to whether she was properly licensed to compete against other women.” After being subjected to numerous transphobic attacks from commentators such as Joe Rogan, she responded in a guest editorial on a UFC website, “Has anybody ever watched the movie 42? Remember when commentators said Jackie Robinson had an unfair advantage because black people had ‘larger heel bones’ than the white men he was competing with? Are we repeating history yet again with bogus bone claims? Can we couple these bogus claims with Rogan’s horrible language that was aimed at me from the video I put out last week? I’m a transgender woman. I deserve equal treatment and respect to other types of women. I feel that all of this is so ridiculously unnecessary and horribly mean spirited.” [Source, Source]

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Personal Website
Wikipedia Page

ALEXIA CERENYS

She/Her

“Alexia Cerenys is a French rugby player who transitioned at age 25. World Rugby has discouraged member countries from allowing trans women to play, calling it a safety issue. But in 2021, the French Rugby Federation ignored that guideline and said trans women should to compete. She quit rugby during her transition, but resumed playing on a French women’s team in 2016 after four years of hormone therapy. ‘From a personal point of view, I feel really proud to have this support and to see things change,” she told Reuters. “In this sense, I hope to see doors open for other federations to open up competition to trans people in all other sports.'” [Source]

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Wikipedia Page

RENÉE RICHARDS

She/Her

“Renée Richards was a professional tennis player in the 1970s and one of the first high-profile transgender athletes. After her gender reassignment in 1976, the United States Tennis Association required all female competitors to undergo hormone testing. Richards applied to play in the women’s division of the U.S. Open in 1976 but refused to take the test, so officials denied her entry. Richards sued the USTA over its decision, with a judge ruling in her favor. She went on to reach the doubles final at the 1977 U.S. Open, and continued to play professionally for the several years. She later coached Martina Navratilova to two Wimbledon wins.” [Source]

Learn More:
Wikipedia Page
Tennis.com Article

NIKKI HILTZ

They/Them

“Nikki Hiltz is a mid-distance runner and six-time NCAA Division I All-American. They came out as transgender and non-binary on March 31, 2021, the International Transgender Day of Visibility. In 2020, Hiltz organized a charity 5k race and donated proceeds to the Trevor Project, a non-profit organization that focuses on suicide prevention among LGBTQ+ youth.” “In their first race of the 2024 season, Hiltz won the 1,000-meter run at the Mile City Mayhem Event at the UW Invitational in 2:34.09, setting a personal best and American Indoor Record.” [Source, Source]

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Wikipedia Page
New York Times Article

ISIS KING

She/Her

“Isis King is an American model, actress, and fashion designer. King is most widely known for her role on both the eleventh cycle and the seventeenth cycle of the reality television show America’s Next Top Model. She was the first openly trans woman to compete on the show, and became one of the most visible transgender people on television. King has been starring as Sol Perez on the Amazon Prime Video romantic comedy series With Love since 2021.” [Source]

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Personal Website
Wikipedia Page

DR. KORTNEY RYAN ZIEGLER

He/Him

“Kortney is an award-winning artist, writer, and the first person to hold a PhD of African American Studies from Northwestern University. He is the director of the documentary Still Black: A Portrait of Black Transmen, runs the GLAAD Media Award-nominated blog blac (k) ademic, and was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 LGBT activists by The Advocate Magazine and one of the most influential African Americans of 2013 by TheRoot100. Dr. Ziegler is also the founder of Trans*H4CK: the only tech event of its kind that spotlights trans-created tech and trans-led startups.” [Source]

Learn More:
Personal Website

ALEX BLUE DAVIS

He/Him

“Actor and musician Alex Blue Davis is best known for his role in Grey’s Anatomy and the spin-off show Grey’s Anatomy: B Team. His career started with him writing music for TV shows such as Bloomers and Pranked, and short film No Asians, No Fats, No Fems. In 2017 he joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy as Dr Casey Parker, his breakout role, which saw him star in the show for three years. Davis also appeared in the spin off series Grey’s Anatomy: B-Team and Grey’s Anatomy: The Webisodes, with his character making history on the show when it was revealed he is transgender. The actor is known for breaking down barriers and advocating for visibility in the media and entertainment industries and is the first transgender actor to appear in a recurring role in a Primetime TV show. Most recently, Davis has starred in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and The Blank’s YPF, and in 2018 released his album, Songs For Surgery. His career continues to go from strength to strength and he is now well known as an advocate for the trans community.” [Source]

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HUNTER SCHAFER

She/Her

“Hunter Schafer is a model, actress and activist. She got her start in the entertainment industry as a model for international brands such Prada, Dior, Rick Owens, Tommy Hilfiger and Vera Wang. In 2018, she was cast to play Jules in the HBO series Euphoria. Schafer has stated, ‘I do like people to know that I’m not a cis girl because that’s not something that I am or feel like I am. I’m proud to be a trans person.'” [Source]

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LESLIE FEINBERG [1949 – 2014]

Ze/Hir

“Leslie Feinberg was an American butch lesbian, transgender activist, communist, and author. Feinberg authored Stone Butch Blues in 1993. [Hir] writing, notably Stone Butch Blues and [hir] pioneering non-fiction book Transgender Warriors (1996), laid the groundwork for much of the terminology and awareness around gender studies and was instrumental in bringing these issues to a more mainstream audience.” [Source]

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MACK BEGGS

He/Him

“Mack Beggs is a former high-school and college wrestler who won the Texas state wrestling championships in 2017 and 2018. He had to compete in the girls’ division, as necessitated by a Texas rule that requires athletes to compete in the league for the sex they were assigned at birth. At the time, the 17-year-old Beggs said he was ‘holding back’ on testosterone treatments, saying: ‘I don’t want to cheat. That’s not something I do. I don’t cheat.’ He is now an outspoken activist, calling on state legislators to alter the regulations that prevented him from competing in the boys’ division back in high school.” [Source]

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TIFANNY ABREU

She/Her

“Tifanny Abreu was the first trans woman to play in the Brazil Superliga, the highest-level volleyball competition in Brazil. In 2017, she received clearance to play as a woman. ‘My greatest legacy is not to reach an Olympics, but to open paths for new trans athletes in the near future,’ Abreu told Universa in 2021. ‘My wish is that, more and more, confederations start to see us not as trans people, but as athletes.'” [Source]

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S. BEAR BERGMAN

He/Him

“S. Bear Bergman is an American author, poet, playwright, and theater artist. He is a trans man, and his gender identity is a main focus of his artwork. Bergman’s first book, Butch Is A Noun, was released in September 2006…and was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award in the LGBT Nonfiction category. Bergman’s second book, The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You, was released…in the fall of 2009 and was a Lambda Literary Award finalist in the Transgender category. He co-edited with genderqueer author Kate Bornstein Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation, which won a 2011 Lambda Literary Award in the LGBT Anthology category and a special Judges Award from the Publishing Triangle. He is also the author of four books for children…and has a sixth book titled Blood, Marriage, Wine & Glitter. In 2005, Bergman was awarded a Massachusetts Cultural Council grant for playwriting, as well as a Millay Colony for the Arts Fellowship award. He has also been given an assortment of honors for service to the transgender community, including The Spirit of Stonewall Award, the Trans 100 has been selected to the Toronto Arts Council Leaders Lab for his work in equity in the arts, and similar. Bergman is the founder and publisher of Flamingo Rampant, a micropress focused on making celebratory, inclusive picture books for LGBT2Q+ children and families. He also writes the popular advice column Asking Bear, which ran on the Bitch media platform from 2015-2017 and is now an independent column.” [Source]

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HANNAH MOUNCEY

She/Her

“Hannah Mouncey is an Australian handball player who played 22 games with the Australian men’s team before beginning hormone therapy in late 2015. She first publicly identified as a woman the following year. Mouncey hoped to play in the women’s competition for the 2016 Summer Olympics. But her request was denied because she was a few weeks shy of the International Olympic Committee’s requirement of 12 months of hormone therapy.” “Mouncey debuted with the Australia women’s national handball team at the 2018 Asian Women’s Handball Championship and competed again at the 2022 Asian Women’s Championships held in Incheon and Seoul, South Korea. Mouncey is the only athlete in the world to have represented their country both pre– and post–gender transition at senior level in any sport.” [Source, Source]

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Sydney Herald Article

ELLIOT PAGE

He/Him

“Elliot Page is a Canadian actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. Prior to his public identification as a transgender man, Page…received critical acclaim for portraying the title role, a pregnant teenager, in Jason Reitman’s film Juno (2007), and earned nominations for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Page’s other films include Hard Candy (2005), Whip It (2009), Super (2010), Inception (2010), and Tallulah (2016). He produced and starred in the film Freeheld (2015) and directed There’s Something in the Water (2019). He hosted the Viceland documentary series Gaycation (2016–2017), earning two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, and played Vanya/Viktor Hargreeves in the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy (2019–present). Page is also known as an outspoken activist. Describing himself as a pro-choice feminist, he has spoken out in favor of the Me Too movement, advocated for abortion rights, has called for the end of military dictatorship in Myanmar, and also practices as a vegan. In 2014, Page was included in The Advocate’s annual “40 Under 40″ list. In 2015, he received the Human Rights Campaign Vanguard Award. Page has strongly spoken out against discriminatory legislation towards the trans community and has become a vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights. In March 2021, he became the first openly trans man to appear on the cover of Time.” [Source]

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J MASE III

He/Him

“J Mase III is a Black/Trans/queer poet & educator based in Seattle by way of Philly. He is founder of awQward, the first trans and queer people of color talent agency. He told the New York Times, “Back then, I believed in this very romantic myth of a cohesive LGBTQ community…What I discovered was that the reality of being a trans person of color is often talked about within the LGBTQ community, but not actually addressed.” With the creation of awQward, he hopes that “[trans people of color] artists are able to preserve our history, culture and make a livable wage while doing what we love.” J Mase is author of And Then I Got Fired: One Transqueer’s Reflections on Grief, Unemployment & Inappropriate Jokes About Death as well as White Folks Be Trippin’: An Ethnography Through Poetry & Prose. He is head writer for the theatrical production Black Bois. Winner of a Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Non-Fiction and a Creative Capital Award, he is co-director of the forthcoming documentary, the Black Trans Prayer Book and is finishing his latest solo work, Is Your God a Violent God? Finding a Theology for Survivors.” [Source]

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TORREY PETERS

She/Her

Torrey Peters is an American author. Peters’s first two self-published novellas, The Masker and Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones, were published online in 2016…The Masker is about a person contemplating transitioning from male to female. Set in a dystopian future where bioterrorism has destroyed the body’s ability to produce sex hormones, Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones follows Patient Zero and her cat-and-mouse relationship with Lexi, a working-class, gun-obsessed trans girl. Glamour Boutique, Peters’s third novella, explores a casual Craigslist encounter at a crossdressers’ boutique store. In 2021, it was announced that Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones and The Masker would be reissued by Random House in 2022 and would be published in a collection under the title Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones. Peters’ debut novel, Detransition, Baby, published by Penguin Random House Profile Books in 2021, was met with critical success and praise for crafting an exploration of gender, parenthood, and love. The main characters are Reese, a trans woman working in PR and former partner of Amy; Amy, who detransitions and becomes Ames; and Katrina, a Chinese Jewish woman who is Ames’ boss and pregnant with his child. Detransition, Baby was nominated for the 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction, making Peters the first openly trans woman nominated for the award. Peters came out as transgender at age 26. At 30, she began taking hormones to physically transition. [Source]

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LEYNA BLOOM

She/Her

“Leyna Bloom made history in July 2021 as the first transgender woman to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In a celebratory Instagram post, Bloom wrote, ‘We deserve this moment; we have waited millions of years to show up as survivors and be seen as full humans filled with wonder.'” [Source]

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C. RILEY SNORTON

He/Him

“C. Riley Snorton is an American scholar, author, and activist whose work focuses on historical perspectives of gender and race, specifically Black transgender identities. His publications include Nobody is Supposed to Know: Black Sexuality on the Down Low (University of Minnesota Press, 2014) and Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity (University of Minnesota Press, 2017). Snorton is currently Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago. In 2014 BET listed him as one of their “18 Transgender People You Should Know”.” [Source]

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CHARLIE JANE ANDERS

She/Her

“Charlie Jane Anders is an American writer. She has written several novels as well as shorter fiction, published magazines and websites, and hosted podcasts. In 2005, she received the Lambda Literary Award for work in the transgender category, and in 2009, the Emperor Norton Award. Her 2011 novelette Six Months, Three Days won the 2012 Hugo and was a finalist for the Nebula and Theodore Sturgeon Awards. Her 2016 novel All the Birds in the Sky was listed No. 5 on Time magazine’s “Top 10 Novels” of 2016, won the 2017 Nebula Award for Best Novel, the 2017 Crawford Award, and the 2017 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel; it was also a finalist for the 2017 Hugo Award for Best Novel.” [Source]

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ELLIOT FLETCHER

He/Him

“Elliot Fletcher is an American actor. Fletcher is a trans man who came out shortly after his 17th birthday. He subsequently began using the name Elliot and he/him pronouns. Fletcher joined the cast of Faking It as Noah in early 2016. In April 2016, the media announced that Fletcher would be joining the cast of The Fosters in a recurring guest-starring role as Aaron, an “attractive and intriguing law student” and potential romantic interest of Callie (Maia Mitchell). Fletcher also appeared in season 7 and then became a recurring cast member in season 8 of the Showtime TV show Shameless. He plays Trevor, a trans man who works for an organization that helps find homes for runaways and homeless LGBT+ teens. In 2019, Fletcher played the character Max in multiple episodes of the third and final season of the Hulu original series Marvel’s Runaways. In 2020, Fletcher was added to the main cast of the post-apocalyptic FX on Hulu show Y: The Last Man. Fletcher’s character, Sam Jordan, is a transgender man navigating a world without cisgender men.” [Source]

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