20 Transgender Celebrities Who Are Paving the Way by Being Themselves (PHOTOS)
There is no doubt that Caitlyn Jenner has helped pave the way for many people struggling with gender identity issues. And as much as we love her, she's hardly the first to come out as transgender, and make the difficult decision to go against the grain in order to be true to yourself.
Here are 20 transgender celebrities who dared to be themselves.
Image via Caitlyn Jenner/Twitter
Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn Jenner has quickly become one of the most famous trans women on the planet, after her gorgeous "coming out" on that iconic Vanity Fair cover. She's quickly become an outspoken advocate for the LGBT community.
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Carmen Carrera
Carrera got her start in New York City's burlesque scene, and has competed on RuPaul's Drag Race. She's been in magazine spreads and on daytime soap operas, and soon will star alongside Meryl Streep in Ricki and the Flash.
Alexis Arquette
The sister of David, Patricia, and Rosanna Arquette, Alexis has appeared in several films including The Bride of Chucky and The Wedding Singer.
Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox is best known for her portrayal as Sophia Burset on the uber-popular Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. According to her bio, she is the "first trans woman of color to have a leading role on a mainstream scripted television show."
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Candis Cayne
Candis Cayne came to national fame in 2007 by playing the transgender mistress Carmelita on Dirty Sexy Money. She was the first transgender actress to have a recurring role on primetime. As a side note, she is also a close friend of Caitlyn Jenner's.
Janet Mock
Janet Mock shocked just about everyone by revealing to Marie Claire magazine a few years ago that she was born a boy. She was a staff editor at People magazine, and decided to come out in order to support the growing number of young trans people who were struggling with suicide.
Amanda Lepore
Model Amanda Lepore has advertised for M.A.C. Cosmetics (and many other brands), and has been called a muse to famed photographers David LaChapelle and Terry Richardson. She also claims that she has "the most expensive body on Earth."
Lana Wachowski
Lana Wachowski is one half of the sibling duo who directed the the Matrix trilogy. She went by Larry back then, before she finally decided to be true to herself and live life as a woman.
Laura Jane Grace
Laura Jane Grace is the frontwoman of the rock band Against Me! and recently teamed up with Miley Cyrus to promote her Happy Hippie Foundation, an organization dedicated to homeless and LGBTQ youth.
Chaz Bono
The only son of Cher and Sonny Bono came out as a lesbian in 1995, and realized that he was in fact a transgender man after the film Boys Don't Cry came out. He legally changed his name and gender in 2011.
Claudia Charriez
Transgender model Claudia Charriez was disqualified from season 11 of America's Next Top Model when it was discovered that she was biologically male. She also was involved in an assault case after her firefighter boyfriend assaulted her over her allegedly checkered past. He was found guilty in 2012.
Lea T.
This world-famous model said that it was difficult growing up a girl in a boy's body, especially with a Brazilian soccer star for a dad, and a very religious Catholic mother. She told Oprah that after her gender-reassignment surgery, she still just felt like herself.
Caroline Cossey
Caroline Cossey played a babe by the pool in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only -- and no one even knew she was born a boy! She was also the first transgender woman to pose for Playboy.
Nina Arsenault
Nina Arsenault is a Canadian performance artist and former sex trade worker who has endured a reported 60 surgeries. She also once famously bared her breasts on a plane after she felt like she was insulted for not being born a woman.
Kelly Van Der Veer
Kelly Van Der Veer is a prominent Netherlands transgender actress who rose to fame in Big Brother -- The Battle, the Dutch version of the popular reality show.
Candy Darling
Candy Darling was considered one of Andy Warhol's muses, and starred in several of his projects. She tragically died at the age of 29 from lymphoma.
Isis King
Isis King is both a model and fashion designer, who gained national fame when she appeared on Tyra Banks' America's Next Top Model in multiple seasons.
Dr. Marci Bowers
Dr. Bowers is the first transgender woman to also perform sexual reassignment surgeries. She's an OB-GYN who has also helped more than 1,500 individuals transition.
Balian Buschbaum
Balian Buschbaum is a former German Olympic pole vaulter who was born female, as Yvonne Buschbaum. He said that his first testosterone shot felt like a "new birthday."
Jenna Talackova
Jenna Talackova was booted from the Miss Universe Canadian pageant after it was found out that she was transgender. She fought back though, and regained her spot, as well as international fame.