20 Famous Transgender Celebrities

Bruce Jenner made headlines this year by publicly announcing his transition into a woman, Caitlyn Jenner, and opened the door for discussion about transgendered people of all types — not just celebrities.

And while Jenner’s is certainly the most public transition to date, there are others in the industry who have been blazing their own trails of transition.

Caitlyn Jenner

As mentioned, this former Olympian and reality star made the official announcement of transitioning from Bruce to Caitlyn in 2015.

Via: Caitlyn Jenner

Laverne Cox

Best known for her role as Sophia Burset on the hit Netflix show Orange is the New Black, Cox was the first transgender person to ever be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.

Via: Huffington Post

Janet Mock

Former People staff editor Janet Mock became a woman at age 18 and came out publicly as a woman in a Marie Claire article in 2011. Since then she has become a spokesperson for transgender rights with her New York Times bestselling memoir, Redefining Realness.

Via: Wikimedia

Andreja Pejić

As Andrej, he rose to fame as a male supermodel who modeled both male and female clothing before having sex reassignment surgery in 2014, changing her name and announcing that she wished to be recognized as a woman.

Via: PopSugar

Caroline Cossey

A British actress and model who starred as a Bond girl in For Your Eyes Only and modeled for Playboy, she was outed as transgender by the British tabloid The News of The World, after appearing in the Bond movie in 1981.

Jenna Talackova

The Canadian model made headlines and broke down barriers, in 2012, when she legally fought to be allowed to compete in Miss Universe Canada. By the way, she won the title of Miss Congeniality.

Via: Wikimedia

Alexis Arquette

Born into the famous Arquette acting family as Robert, Alexis has had supporting roles in several movies and her transition from male to female was documented in the 2007 film, Alexis Arquette: She’s My Brother.

Via: PopSugar

Isis King

King was a contestant on both the 11th cycle and the 17th cycle of the reality television showAmerica’s Next Top Model. She was the first trans woman to compete on the show, and became one of the most visible transgender people on television.

Via: PopSugar

Chaz Bono

The only child of Sonny and Cher, Chaz (born Chastity) documented his transition from female to male in the 2011 film, Becoming Chaz.

Via: Twitter

Sylvia Rivera

An American drag queen, gay liberation and transgender activist, Rivera was a founding member of both the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance. She also co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), a group dedicated to helping homeless young drag queens and trans women of color.

Christine Jorgenson

Born George William Jr., Jorgenson fought in the U.S. Army during World War II, and underwent a series of sex reassignment surgeries in Denmark after her service. She was the subject of a NY Daily News cover story in the 1960s that made her a household name.

Via: Blogspot

Candy Darling

Born James Lawrence Slattery, Darling was an American transgender actress who starred in Andy Warhol’s films Flesh (1968) and Women in Revolt (1971), and was a muse of the band The Velvet Underground.

Via: IMBD

Carmen Carrera

As a reality star, model, and burlesque performer who appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race and Real Housewives of New York City, she has announced that she is a transgender woman and not a man in drag, as was presented on television.

Via: Huffington Post

Ian Harvie

Born as Janet, Harvie is a transgender comedian who came out at the age of 32 and is best-known for his work with Margaret Cho, with whom he’s toured and starred as a permanent member of her off-Broadway comedy revue.

Via: IanHarvie.com

Lana Wachowski

As one of the world’s most successful movie producers (as half of the duo formerly known as the Wachowski brothers), she helped created the successful Matrix franchise, as well as dozens of other well-known movies, including V for Vendetta, Speed Racer, and Cloud Atlas.