Trans Day of Visibility: 27 trans and non-binary people who are loud, proud and making change
Elliot Page, Brian Michael Smith and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez. (Getty/P Lehman/Future Publishing/Tommaso Boddi/Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)
On Trans Day of Visibility, we are honouring just some of the trans and non-binary people who are making the world a little brighter.
Each year, on 31 March, Trans Day of Visibility sees the world celebrate trans people while highlighting the difficulties facing the community: political attacks, discriminatory legislation, inadequate healthcare provisions, violence and more.
It’s a time to pause and reflect, but also to shine a light on the community. Here are just 27 of the countless trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people whose existence makes this world a better place.
Alok Vaid-Menon. Author, poet, performer, performer, public speaker. Vaid-Menon shares in-depth information around LGBT+ issues and gender while advocating to ‘degender fashion’ to their over one million followers on Instagram.
Amy Schneider. Jeopardy! champion and former engineering manager. Schneider quickly became a household name for her absolute domination on Jeopardy! She was the first openly trans contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions and was the first woman to ever surpass $1 million in earnings.
Angelica Ross. Actress, Navy veteran and tech CEO. The Pose star is a long-time advocate for the trans community, founding an company that helps employ trans people in tech, TransTech, in 2014 after teaching herself to code.
Audrey Tang. Tang is first-ever digital minister of Taiwan. They are non-binary and have described themselves as “post-gender”.
Brian Michael Smith. The groundbreaking actor made history as the first Black trans man to be cast in a regular TV role when he was signed on to play Paul Strickland on 9-1-1: Lone Star. Smith was named one of People’s “sexiest men you can watch on TV now” (which is 100 per cent accurate). He recently spoke out against the “tyranny” of anti-trans bills making their wave across state legislatures across the US.
Brian Michael Smith attends the Human Rights Campaign 2022 Los Angeles dinner on 12 March 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage)
Chase Strangio. The trans ACLU lawyer who fought and won a landmark Supreme Court case in 2020 that gave federal workplace protections to gay and trans workers for the first time.
Demi Lovato. Musician and actor. Lovato came out as non-binary in May and has proudly spoken about how they believe they will be on a lifelong journey concerning their gender identity.
Elliot Page. Actor, advocate and is arguably the most famous trans person in the world right now. Page came out publicly in December 2020 and has shared beautiful insights about their gender journey with fans. The Umbrella Academy star has also fiercely denounced attacks against the trans community in the US.
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Emira D’Spain. TikTok star and the beauty director at Paper. The beauty influencer is known for sharing her glamorous looks and bubbly personality on social media, attracting over 11.7 million fans on TikTok. D’Spain made history in February as the first Black trans model to work with Victoria’s Secret. She marked the collaboration with a sultry Valentine’s Day look which was just amazing.
Freddy McConnell. Journalist, dad and trans man has fought to legally be named the “father” or “parent” on his child’s birth certificate. He has starred in a trailblazing documentary, which details the struggles of LGBT+ families against a lack of legal recognition by the British government.
Trans dad @freddymcconnell reveals the truth about being an LGBT+ parent in the UK, giving birth as a transgender man, and fighting for equal rights.
Watch the full interview here: https://t.co/vW6TGuzSlL pic.twitter.com/Pyf9oz3C8H— PinkNews (@PinkNews) December 22, 2021
Hikaru Utada. The iconic Japanese-American pop star came out as non-binary in a candid livestream with fans last year, which was an amazing moment for any queer, diehard Kingdom Hearts fan. Utada said in a recent interview that it “was like a gift” when they “came across the term non-binary for the first time”.
Hunter Schafer. Actor, model and LGBT+ rights activist. Schafer’s portrayal of Jules in Euphoria not only captivated the hearts of fans but was also a fantastic example of the power that LGBT+ representation can have. Jules is open about her identity in the series, and Schafer has shared how the character, as well as the show, has made a massive impact on her life.
Indya Moore. Actor and model. The Pose star has consistently used their platform to advocate for the trans and non-binary communities as well as to speak out against racism. Moore also also raised tens of thousands of dollars for sex workers and trans women of colour in need.
Jonathan Van Ness. Queer Eye star, hairdresser, author and activist. Van Ness has been open about their journey as a non-binary person since coming out publicly in 2019. The Queer Eye icon has been vocal about his support for the LGBT+ community, breaking barriers and speaking out against anti-trans sentiment whenever possible. She is also releasing a new book Observations from a Gorgeously Queer Life, a candid collection of essays about her life, next month.
Kai Shappley. Young trans activist, actor, diehard Dolly Parton fan. Shappley has been passionately fighting for trans rights and has given powerful testimony of the horrific impact that continued legislative attacks in Texas has had on her life. She was recognised as a finalist for Time’s “Kid of the Year” award for her dedication to battling against the state’s anti-trans bills.
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Kumi Yokoyama. The football star broke barriers last year after coming out as a trans man, becoming the highest profile athlete in Japan to do so. Yokoyama has shared beautiful milestones in his personal life including getting engaged and eventually marrying his beautiful partner. They have also spoken about the state of LGBT+ rights in Japan, saying the country is “lagging behind the rest of the world” on such issues.
Lennon Torres. The Dance Moms alum proudly came out publicly in an adorable dance-filled video on TikTok, just in time to celebrate Pride Month last year. Torres told PinkNews that she wanted to share her journey on social media to help other young people who might be questioning their gender identity. She shared that her life is “very much guided by what a younger self or a young person would need to see” – which is just amazing.
Leyna Bloom. Actor and model who made history as the first trans woman of colour to be featured in Sports Illustrated‘s swimsuit issue.
Mercury Stardust. TikTok’s “Trans Handy Ma’am” will not only help put a smile on your face, but she will probably also help solve any DIY questions that you’ve frantically asked Google at the last minute. She also recently helped raise over $117,000 for American healthcare provider Plume, helping trans people access life-saving gender-affirming care.
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez. Actor and singer. Rodriguez has had a whirlwind year after making history as the first-ever trans actor to win a Golden Globe, and she was recently named one of Time magazine’s “Women of the Year”.
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez attends Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 30th Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on 27 March 2022. (Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage)
ND Stevenson. Cartoonist, animation producer, author. Stevenson is well known for his work on She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and for creating hit graphic novel series Lumberjanes as well as Nimona. They also regularly post about their experiences with gender, mental health and more through their Substack project I’m Fine I’m Fine Just Understand.
Quinn. The trailblazing Canadian football star made history as the first openly trans Olympic medal winner at the Tokyo games last year and has without a doubt inspired countless young people to follow their own Olympic dreams.
Dr Rachel Levine. Assistant secretary for health, four-star admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Levine was the first trans federal official confirmed by the Senate and the first openly trans four-star officer across any of the nation’s eight uniformed services. She was also recognised as one of USA Today’s “Women of the Year”.
Remington Johnson. Presbyterian minister, healthcare professional, trans advocate. The Austin-based reverend has tirelessly fought on behalf of the trans community in Texas and across the country amid a rising number of anti-LGBT+ legislation in the US.
Reverend Remington Johnson speaks at a rally. (Brad Pritchett)
Shon Faye. Journalist, podcaster and author whose book, The Transgender Issue, made waves last year. Iconic girlband Little Mix proudly declared “everyone should read this”.
Tommy Dorfman. The 13 Reasons Why star shared with the world that she is trans in a powerful interview, ‘reintroducing’ herself “as a woman”, with Time magazine in July. Dorfman opened up in a later interview about the power of transitioning and said she was “never genuinely happy” until she began her journey. She’s also used her massive following on social media to advocate for the LGBT+ community.
Zaya Wade. The daughter of Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade who has inspired trans teens and their families worldwide since coming out. Zaya met Michelle Obama in 2021, and she recently discussed the importance of supporting LGBT+ youth amid the rise of discriminatory laws across the US with Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider.
