Pride Month: Highlighting 15 Prominent, Transgender Figures & Their Achievements
Tearsheet By Emma Miller.
In June 2020, by a vote of 6-3, the Supreme Court issued an historic ruling: Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act covers sexual orientation and the status of Transgender individuals. The decision upheld rulings from lower courts that said sexual orientation discrimination is a form of sex discrimination. The 1964 Act, furthermore, makes it illegal for employers to discriminate because of a person's gender, among other things. The recent Supreme Court ruling represents a major victory for advocates of gay rights and for supporters of the Transgender rights movement.
This ruling is timely given PhotoBook Magazine’s planned coverage of Transgender individuals and their contributions to the fashion industry. PhotoBook Magazine wants to show our support for the LGBTQ communities.
Let’s flashback to Roberta Cowell, who was the first-known British trans woman to undergo sex reassignment surgery. She was, at that point, a successful pilot, race car driver, and business executive. However, once the news broke of her operation in the 1950s, she faced opposition and, unfortunately, she struggled to make ends meet.
This article highlights 15 prominent, Transgender icons, who have gained prominence both nationally and internationally. For example, they have run successfully for elective office, Victoria’s Secret hired its first Transgender model, and the hit TV show, Pose, showcases the Transgender community during the 1980s in NYC.
1. Danica Roem, a journalist, was the first Transgender person to be elected to the Virginia General Assembly.
2. Andrea Jenkins is a writer, politician, poet, and activist. She was first elected to the City Council of Minneapolis in January 2018, making her the first Black and openly Transgender woman to be elected to public office.
3. Phillipe Cunningham, another member of the Minneapolis City Council, was the first openly Trans man to be elected to public office.
4. Lisa Middleton, the first Transgender person to be elected to a non-judicial position in California. She serves on the Riverside County Transportation Commission, the Sunline Board of Directors, the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments Committees for Transportation, Energy & Environment, and Conservation. In 2016, she was a Pride Honors Award recipient.
5. Raven Matherne is Stamford, Connecticut’s first Transgender law maker. In 2017, she was elected to the Stamford Board of Representatives.
6. Valentina Sampaio is Victoria Secret’s first Transgender model. She is also a Brazilian actress.
7. Indya Moore, who is non-binary, is an American actor and model.
8. Nikita Dragun is a Transgender Beauty guru, known for having nearly 3 million subscribers on YouTube.
9. Kai Wes Bigwood is an influencer and actor from Rhode Island. Bigwood uses they/them and he/him pronouns. He has had roles in the movies Alex Strangelove and Are You The One?
10. Theodora Quinlivan is an American Model. In 2019, she became the first openly Transgender person to be hired by Chanel. Quinlivan was discovered in 2015, by Louis Vuitton’s creative director.
Tearsheet By Emma Miller.
11. Lea T is a Brazilian Transgender fashion model. She is known for being the muse of Burberry’s creative director and the face of the hair brand Redken.
12. Hunter Schafer is a model, actress, and activist. She is known for her role as Jules in Euphoria. From North Carolina, she actively protested against the Bathroom Bill, which restricts Trans people from using the bathroom that best fits their gender identity.
13. Laith Ashley is a model, activist, and singer. In 2015, some of his modeling photos went viral shortly after he transitioned. This gained the attention of Transgender actress Laverne Cox, thus creating a more popular public image for Laith Ashley.
14. Andreja Pejic was once known for being the first androgynous supermodel. Today, after her coming out, she is known for being one of the most well-known transgender models in the world.
15. Leyna Bloom is an actress, model, dancer, and activist, who became the first Transgender model to appear on the cover of Vogue India, in 2017.
Article by Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon, PhotoBook Magazine
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