Transcendence
Big strides have been made for LGBTI+ rights, equality and awareness in the last couple of years, and transgender awareness is becoming more and more prevalent
By Amy Botterill
While there have obviously been transgender celebrities and icons, the real beginning of this recent wave of awareness was probably Caitlyn Jenner’s Vanity Fair cover way back in 2015. Whatever you might feel about her, she put transgender people and their rights at the forefront of the discussion.
But, we’re not here just to talk about Caitlyn.
If I could credit every worthy transgender person who is either fighting for trans rights with activism, showing their support, or just giving hope to young people struggling with their gender identity, I would. But I would be here all day and I could probably fill up an entire magazine with that list. These people are but a small sample out there of the transgender people to watch in the coming years, but they certainly have opportunities to become strong voices for trans people, as well LGBTI+ and their allies in their respective fields.
Laverne Cox
She is probably one of the more well-known names on this list, but the stunning Laverne is still overlooked a lot. Many know her from the amazing Orange is the New Black, but she has shown herself to be a smart, well-spoken woman who hasn’t been afraid to speak out and support critical issues for trans people.
Aydian Dowling
Aydian is perhaps someone you might have missed, but he almost made history last year. He took part in a competition to be on the cover of Men’s Health in the US, and, if he had made it, he would have been the very first trans man to be on the cover in the US. Even though he didn’t win, Aydian came an impressive second!
Laura Kate Dale
Unless you’re into your video games, you probably haven’t heard of Laura. She is one of the up and coming names in games journalism and critique, and has earned a name for herself by being very outspoken, intelligent and presenting well thought out arguments. Laura also isn’t afraid to call out game developers and other critics on their nonsense. She is a champion for better characters in general, but also the inclusion of trans characters in games. If you’re looking for a unique voice in gaming with an interesting perspective, check out LauraK. You can find her at LauraKBuzz pretty much everywhere.
Ben Melzer
This young trans model did actually make history, and it’s actually in a similar vein to Aydian: he became the very first transgender model in Germany to be on the cover of Men’s Health, making him the first trans man to be on the cover of a European issue. Ben is also a trans activist, has a blog and can also be found on social media. Ben is certainly a man to watch in the next couple of years. He’s off to a good start and could certainly go on to do even more.
Elliot Page
Elliot Page came out twice – first out as gay way back in 2014 and then posted a letter on Instagram last year identifying himself as transgender. The star of The Umbrella Academy and two X-Men films made history when he became the first trans man to feature on the cover of Time magazine this year. He said that his decision to come out as trans was inspired by the anti-trans rhetoric in politics, and also the Covid pandemic.
