Before transitioning, Balian Buschbaum was an international athlete. Balian was born in Germany as Yvonne. As a young athlete, Yvonne was a brilliant pole vaulter and won the European Junior Championships at 19. Then, he made it all the way to the honorable Olympic Games. But, sadly, like many other athletes, he had to cut his career short due to an injury.
But we all know that when one door closes, another one opens. Having time to himself, Balian finally understood that he has felt like a man his entire life. In 2008, he underwent surgery. Since then, he has appeared in “Let’s Dance,” which is the German version of “Dancing With The Stars.” He continues being a trans, athletic icon to this day.
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.
Chelsea Manning
The first time we heard of Manning's name, it wasn't in the best of circumstances. The year was 2010, and Private Bradley Manning, then 22, was accused of leaking confidential information about the U.S. Army. But if you thought this is the type of controversy a person can not top in his lifetime - you'd be wrong.
Three years later, in 2013, Manning appeared as a woman out of nowhere. Now referred to as Chelsea, she said that she's been feeling like a woman ever since she was a child. After serving 12 years in prison, she was finally released and started a new career, writing for "The Guardian."
Kim Petras
Originally born in Germany in 1992, today Kim Petras lives in Los Angeles. Petras is a singer-songwriter who releases music independently under her self-owned imprint, which is already cool in and of itself. Her label is called BunHead Records. Kim has found musical success both in Germany and in America, but that isn't the only thing that makes her special.
Before she ever became a known musician, she lived in Cologne, a city in North Germany. Her parents reveal that she knew she was a girl since she was two years old. By 13, she came out publically on German TV. She has fought for the right to begin transitioning at a young age. There's also a great chance that she is the youngest person to start transgender hormone therapy.