Dana International
Dana International became an instant icon when she won 1998’s Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Diva.” Dana was born in Tel Aviv as the youngest of three children. As a young child, there were two things she already knew — that she felt like a woman and that she desperately wanted to become a singer.
Her family was poor but supportive; her mom made sure they spent every extra penny paying for Dana’s music lessons. One of the truly amazing facts about Dana is that she came out at age 13, which is an early age even today. Back then, the year was 1982, and people were not as aware as they are today. She has managed to find commercial success in Israel.
Yasmine Petty
Yasmine Petty is a model of Italian and Moroccan descent who has literally done it all! She modeled for "Vogue Italia" and Louis Vuitton, and starred in “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” Before she modeled, she dabbed in a few other professions, she was a stylist, a model scout, and a creative director, and she even went to a culinary arts school.
But honestly, the most impressive thing about her story is that her transness has never been the focus of what she does. She's an example of the fact that trans people are so much more than just trans and that they can do whatever they want to, just like the rest of us.
Geena Rocero
Like many other trans women on our list, Geena Rocero is a supermodel. She has built her way up from being a pageant girl from a working-class family in the Philippines to being an advocate for trans rights and an entrepreneur. She has founded a media production company that fights for gender equality for all.
She announced that she is indeed a trans woman during a Ted Talk she gave in 2014. She said that she felt like she had to share her story in order to inspire others just like her who might feel ashamed of who they are. No one should be ashamed of who they are, she said, and we agree.
Lea T
The fashion world is full of dualities. It can sometimes be the most excepting and liberated industry, but it is also known for body-shaming and gate-keeping. Still, today there are many trans women who work as fashion models. And if we had to think of top examples, Lea T would be right up there.
But, Leandra Medeiros Cerezo, AKA Lea T, is not your average model, she was the star of Givenchy's most famous campaigns, she is also the daughter of a famous Brazilian football player, and during the 2016 Olympics in Rio, she even led the Brazilian football team into the arena.
Aydian Dowling
Generally speaking, there are fewer trans men represented in the media. This could be because sometimes men have a harder time accepting trans men. Usually, this stems from the idea that a trans man would never be manly enough. Aydian Dowling was determined to break all of these stereotypes.
He began his transition in 2010, and by 2015 he found himself, a trans man, on the cover of "Men's Health" magazine. As expected, Dowling was stoked to be the first trans man featured in the magazine. Today Aydian has a successful YouTube channel, as well as a clothing line made to fit the bodies of trans people. He has a lovely wife named Jennilee.