Pride Month (June every year) might be over now, but that does not mean the fight for equality is. Pride is a time to celebrate diversity and inclusion. Yet, the last year has seen an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, legislation trying to take away the rights of queer people, whether it is about marriage, adoption or, most recently, gender-affirming care and even simply the education about sexuality and gender diversity in schools. A majority of these legislative measures are targeted at transgender people. Trans people of color were at the forefront of fighting for equality and the rights of queer people so now, more than ever, we need to come together and support our trans siblings and make sure they are protected and can live their lives to the fullest. Here are a few inspiring trans people who spread positive messages of trans joy and show time and time again that life is better if you can be your true self.
Inspirational trans people who embody trans joy
Elliot Page
Elliot page is a Canadian actor famous for movies like Juno or the hit-show Umbrella Academy. While in 2014 he came out as gay while still female-presenting, in December 2020 he came out as trans and since then has sparked nothing but pure trans joy with all his endeavors. In March 2021, he became the first openly trans man to appear on the cover of Time Magazine. In 2023 his debut memoir Pageboy was published and he continues to move the conversation about transness and queerness forward.
Dylan Mulvaney
Through her TikTok videos entitled “Days of Girlhood,” where Dylan documented her gender transition in early 2022, she quickly became extremely popular. She has even talked about trans rights at the White House. Her appearance on a Bud Light commercial sparked anti-LGBTQ+ backlash, but Dylan continues to delight her more than 10 million TikTok followers with her funny and authentic videos.
@dylanmulvaney🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷♬ La Mer – Chantal Chamberland
Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox rose to fame as Litchfield prison inmate Sophia Burset on the hit TV-show Orange is the New Black. For her role she was considered for a Primetime Emmy Award making her the first openly transgender person to be nominated in any acting category. She also is the first openly transgender woman to win an Emmy for her role as executive producer on Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word. In 2020 Cox was the executive producer for the documentary Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen. Further, she was the first transgender person on the cover of TIME magazine and the first to have a wax figure at Madame Tussaud’s. A true trailblazer for trans rights and trans inclusivity.
Indya Moore
The actor and model rose to fame as the stunning Angel Evangelista und Pose. They were even listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world back in 2019. The non-binary Indya did not have the easiest of upbringings, having to leave home at the age of 14 and dropping out of school in 10th grade due to transphobia and bullying. Nonetheless, they have proven the world wrong. They continue fighting for more inclusivity and diversity, helping women and non-binary people to take back some of the power they’ve been denied for too long.
@violetzcult angel 🤍 #posefx #indyamoore #edit #fypツ #xyczbca #angelevangelista #ahs ♬ original sound – jane
Munroe Bergdorf
The English model and activist was the first transgender model in the U.K. for the brand L’Oreal, was appointed an LGBT advisor to the Labour Party. She also is part of UN Women UK and advocates strongly for their #DrawALine campaign in order to stop FGM (Female Genital Mutiliation). In 2021, she was recognized with the GAY TIMES Honour for British Community Trailblazer and was featured as one of the cover stars for the Honours edition of GAY TIMES Magazine. In 2018 she was named “Changemaker of the Year” by Cosmopolitan UK, making her the first transgender person to feature on the front cover of that magazine with its 50th anniversary issue in 2022.
@ebay_uk Talking pre-loved fashion with the incredible @Munroe Bergdorf ⚡️♻️ #MunroeBergdorf #SecondHand #Sustainability #Fashion ♬ original sound – eBay UK
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Photo: Frypie via Wikipedia Creative Commons
