At least 1.6% of Americans are transgender or nonbinary. 44% of
adults know someone who is transgender, and 20% know someone who is nonbinary.
This gender shift extends to Hollywood stars that everyone knows. Identifying as a gender different
from the one that you were assigned at birth was once a shameful thing that celebs tried to hide,
but it's now becoming widely accepted. Most actresses, singers, athletes,
or models who are trans have become advocates for others around the world. They want to set
a positive example and decrease bullying. Keep watching to learn about Hollywood
celebrities who changed their gender.
Christine Jorgensen Starting at the beginning
means starting with Christine Jorgensen. She identified as a woman after her service in
WWII and was the first known person to undergo what was then known as sex reassignment surgery.
Denmark was the only country that performed it in the 50s, but she returned to New York when
she was done and was hounded by the media. She then became an advocate for others and worked as
an actress and performer. Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn may be the most well-known of all Hollywood celebrities who changed their gender.
She was born Bruce Jenner and became both an Olympic gold medalist and the wife of Kim Jenner.
She came out in 2014 and left Keeping Up with the Kardashians to make her own show called
I Am Cait. She also won accolades such as the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards.
Chaz Bono Chaz Bono is another
famous transgender celebrity as the child of Sonny Bono and Cher. The tabloids suggested he was a
lesbian before his transition in the late 2000s. He’s since become a vocal activist, competed on
Dancing with the Stars, and created a documentary about his experience called Becoming Chaz.”
April Ashley April Ashley was a British actress and model.
She worked to earn enough money to afford gender reassignment surgery. Her story was published in
Sunday People without her consent, but it helped create more acceptance of trans individuals.
Marsha P. Johnson Marsha P. Johnson was a vocal advocate
for HIV awareness and the LGBTQ+ community. She was part of the Stonewall uprising that inspired
the Pride Parade. She was also a drag performer who performed in Andy Warhol’s The Factory.
Octavia Saint Laurent Octavia was also known as
the Queen of the Underground. She was an actress, model, and activist primarily known for appearing
in the documentary Paris is Burning. She passed away from cancer on May 17, 2009.
Mimi Marks
Mimi transitioned at 21 years old. She won the 1986 Ms. Waterloo pageant and
the Miss International Queen Contest for the Most Beautiful Transsexual.
Bibiana Fernandez Also known as Bibi Anderssen, this Spanish model
transitioned in 1991 and changed her name three years later. She’s appeared in films such as Law
of Desire, Matador, and Rowing with the Wind and is married to Cuban model Asdrubal Ametller.
Marie-Pierre Pruvot Marie-Pierre was born in Algeria in 1935.
She was a showgirl for 20 years and appeared in documentaries about performance and gender. They
included Bambi, a 2013 film about her life. Laverne Cox
Laverne shot to fame as Sophia Burset on the prison drama Orange is the New Black,
earning an Emmy nomination. She was also the first trans actor to play a trans role in the
2008 film Doubt. She’s had a large role in the discussion of transgenders in the United States.
Alexandra Billings Alexandra Billings played
Davina on the show Transparent. That made her the second openly transgender person to play a
trans character on TV. She’s been in several shows after that and received the Human Rights Campaign
Visibility Award in 2016. The Wachowski Sisters
Lana and Lili Wachoswski are famous behind the camera. They created the Matrix franchise and
the show Sense8. They’ve won awards for their work, including Saturn Awards for Best Director.
Jamie Clayton Actress and model Jamie
Clayton appeared on Wachowski’s show Sense8 as Nomi Marks. It got her several other roles
in shows, films, and video games, such as The Snowman, The Neon Demon, Designated Survivor,
and Mass Effect: Andromeda. She even portrayed transgender icon, Christine Jorgensen.
Fallon Fox Fallon was the first openly transgender fighter
in MMA history. She struggled with her identity until she transitioned at 19. She eventually
married her girlfriend, and they have a daughter together. She’s retired from the MMA after a long
fight for inclusion, but outlets like Outspots call her the “bravest athlete in history.”
Janet Mock Janet was the first
transgender person of color to write for a TV show. She’s also a director, TV host,
and producer. She put her experience into her New York Times bestselling memoir Redefining Realness.
Erika Ervin Also known as Amazon Eve, Erika
Ervin is a fitness trainer, model, and actress. She’s also an activist for body positivity and
has appeared on episodes of American Horror Story: Freak Show and American Horror Story: Apocalypse.
Candis Cayne Candis Cayne was popular
in the underground New York and drag scene in the 90s. She became famous for an appearance on
the ABC show Dirty Sexy Money in 2007. It made her the first transgender actress to play a recurring
transgender character on prime-time TV. Alexis Arquette
Alexis Arquette wore plenty of hats as a therapist, acting teacher, poet,
and activist. Her drag name was Eva Destruction and she transitioned in 2014. She passed away from
HIV complications two years later. Harmony Santana
Harmony appeared in the 2011 film Gun Hill Road. It earned her the Independent Spirit
Award for Best Supporting Actress and made her the first trans woman to be nominated for that award.
Caplernia Adams Calpernia served in the Navy and
US Marine Corps. She came out as trans during her last year of service. She chose Calpernia as her
name because of the Julius Caeser play and wrote her own play that won the Feminist Fest Award.
Peppermint Peppermint is a singer
and actress who appeared on the ninth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She also appeared as
Pythio in Head Over Heals, making her the first transgender person to star in a Broadway show.
Angel Quinan Angel Qinan earned
roles in Act Like a Woman, Strut, and Starlet Diner, along with her sister who is also trans.
She’s also the first transgender model to appear on the runway of the Sacrenemnto Fashion show.
Buck Angel Buck Angel founded the Buck Angel
adult film brand. He also pioneered the process of transitioning using hormone therapy and completed
it himself when he was 28. Dorce Gamalama
Dorce is an Indonesian actress and pop star. She was part of the group
the Bambang Brothers but eventually opened up about her body dysphoria and gender issues.
Jahna Steele Jahna was a Vegas showgirl who
was voted the Sexiest Showgirl on the Strip. She earned other accolades such as Las Vegas
Entertainer of the Year and Most Beautiful Showgirl before her tragic death in 2008.
Laura Jane Grace Laura founded and served as the founder,
lead singer, and lead guitarist of the punk band Against Me. She’s one of the only openly
transgender punk artists and came out in 2012. She wrote a book and released a concept album titled
Transgender Dysphoria Blues in 2014. Andreja Pejic
Andreja Pejic lives in Bosnia-Herzegovina and has modeled women’s and men’s clothing. She’s the
first transgender model profiled by Vogue in 2015 and has appeared on the covers of Marie Claire and
GQ. She’s also been a guest judge on Britain’s Next Top Model and appeared in the 2018 film The
Girl in the Spider’s Web. Asia Kate Dillon
Asia Kate Dillon was the first nonbinary performer on an American TV show as Taylor Mason
in Billions. They’ve been nominated for several Critic’s Choice Television awards. They’ve also
appeared in John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum and made some award ceremonies such as the
MTV Awards include gender-neutral categories. Like and subscribe to Facts Verse for more on
gender roles in the media. Keep watching to learn about more Hollywood celebrities who changed
their gender. Billy Tipton
Billy Tipton was one of the most popular jazz musicians of the 20th century. He was a bandleader
and pianist that toured the country and released several successful albums. He changed his gender
in the early 30s to “fit the jazz band image,” but not even his close friends and family knew about
the change until after his death. Caroline Cossey
Model Caroline Cossey appeared as an extra in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. British
tabloids outed her as trans. She was upset but continued to model and fight for trans
rights in the UK. Chris Mosier
Chris Mosier is a triathlete who’s worked to fight for change in sports. He challenged
the International Olympic Committee’s policy and won. He was the first transgender man to compete
in Olympic trials with other men and the first to appear in the Body Issue of ESPN magazine.
Elliot Page Elliot, born Ellen Page,
won hearts with sassy and sarcastic roles such as the lead in the 2007 film Juno and voice work on
the 2013 game Beyond Two Souls. He surprised the world when he came out in December 2020.
Hunter Schafer Hunter Schafer
won the audience’s hearts as the love interest of Zendaya’s character in the hit show Euphoria.
She worked with showrunner Sam Levinson to make the character’s backstory authentic,
and it worked. She’s also a model with prominent labels such as Tommy Hilfiger and Coach and a
major queer activist. Jazz Jennings
Jazz was diagnosed with gender dysphoria at the age of five. She’s made several media
appearances after her transition, such as a spot on the show 20/20. She also has her own
show I Am Jazz and has worked with initiatives and charities that support transgender children.
Josie Totah Josie Totah is another one of the youngest
transgender celebrities in the world. She was born in 2001 and appeared on the Disney Channel
show Jessie and the 2016 film Other People. She waited to come out as a transgender woman until
2018 and has since appeared in other projects such as Peacock’s Saved by the Bell reboot.
Michaela Jae Rodrigues Pose has the largest transgender and queer cast
in television history, and Michaela Jae Rodrigues is the lead actress. In 2021, she was the first
transgender woman to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She won a Golden
Globe for Best Actress the next year and was also the first transgender actress to do so.
Who’s your favorite transgender celebrity? Let us know in the comments.