8 of the Most Influential Trans Women of the 20’s

Even though depictions of trans women and crossdressers were somehow always present in the media, it wasn’t as open or common as it is today.

Besides that, the biased display of these communities speaks a lot of a bygone era.

With some exceptions of course, there were always artists ahead of their time.

Luckily, the tendency is starting to revert, and we can see changes towards a more inclusive world.

In this article, we will be talking about some of the most famous and influential MtF trans women and personalities in the media in recent years.

As well as some influencers that, with the use of social networks, came up these last years to fight for their rights.

Of course this is not by any means a complete list of personalities that have fought and still are for trans rights around the globe.

Not every hero wears athat’s thatI’mwhy I’m writing today to honor just a few of these amazing personalities that are breaking all standards.

All these women here have won rights and visibilization in their fields.

Without further doubt, let’s get to know a little bit about today’s most influential and notorious heroines!

1. Kim Petras

The talented and strong-willed Kim Petras is a German singer and song-wrshe’sand she’s an adamant advocate for trans rights.

Born in 92, this young lady knew she was a girl since very little, even though she was assigned male at birth.

The only fact proven here is the fierce determination Kim has!

She started her musical career, releasing her singles on streaming platforms on the net while she was still in school.

Sinshe’sen has been gaining more attention from the media, performing alongside many well-established musicians in the media.

She released her first album in 2019 (Clarity) and received not only recognition in the media but also from her pairs.

In August of 2021, she signed with a major record label and has already announced her new album. A true pop princess fit for this new era!

2. The Wachowski Sisters

In a different field of art, Lana and Lilly Wachowski are two very well-known American directors, writers, and producers.

Born in 1965 and 1967, respectively, they came back into the spotlight very recently with the release of The Matrix Resurrections.

Making their film debut as directors in 1996 with Bound, they have been fighting for LGBTQ+ community rights for a long time.

Not only that, but they also have many displays throughout all their media of characters that are part of it.

The worldwide recognition came along with their movie, The Matrix, in 1999.

Since then, rumors of them transitioning began to spread, didn’tey didn’t comment on them until later.

It was in 2008 when Lana first became clear about her transitiowasn’tit wasn’t until 2012 that she made her public appearance in a video discussing the production of one of their films (Cloud Atlas).

Some years later, in 2016, Lilly also came out as transgender in an article in the Windy City Times.

She appeared publicly shortly after at the GLAAD awards the same yearhaven’tu haven’t seen anything from them, so I strongly recommend you give them a chance.

3. Trace Lysette

An actress and recording artist, Tracy Lysette was born in October of 1987 in Ohio, USA.

She moved out to New York in search of a new life after being estranged from her family due to her gender transition.

She started taking some acting classes in 2007 until she landed her first TV appearance in The Law and Order in 2013.

She continued gaining recognition, and she debuted in her first feature film, Hustlers She’s19.

She’s an activist for people’s people’s rights and is an advocate of suicide prevention awareness for LGBTQ+ youth.

In later years, her mom came around accepting her as she was and became very supportive of her.

4. Laverne Cox

Born in 1972 in Alabama, USA, Laverne Cox is one of the most influential trans women of recent years.

Being the first transferred person to appear on the cover of Time magazine in 2014, she is an LGBTQ+ advocate and actress.

Her first appearance on screen was, coincidentally enough or not, on the same show Trace Lysette did: The Law and Order in 2008.

She gained popular recognition for her role as Sophia BurseNetflix’sNetflix’s series Orange Is The New Black (2013-2019).

She is very recognized among her peers and the community for her work on LGBTQ+ rights.

She also has won several awards in recognition for her activism in gender equality.

5. Rachel Levine

Rachel Levine has been the US assistant secretary for health since March 2021.

This makes her the first transgender person in history to occupy a public charge that requires the approval of the Senate.

Not only that, but she is a pediatrician and has been awarded for her service in the Public Health Commissioned Corps.

Born in 1957, she transitioned in 2011.

She is not only an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights but also has been fighting the COVID-19 pandemic these past years.

She led the public health response in Pennsylvania which led her to the nomination for her current charge.

6. Valentina Sampaio

Born in the northwest region of Brazil in a tiny village called Aquiraz, Valentina Sampaio is an actress and a model.

She initially began studying architecture but later changed her studies to fashion, which led to her to a contract with a modeling agency.

After her first runway walk in Sao Paulo Fashion Week in 2016, she landed a contrL’Orealh L’Oreal, and rechasn’ton hasn’t stopped since then.

After a change of mind fromVictoria’sictoria’s Secret policies regarding trans models, Valentina became 2019 the first openly transgender model for the company.

Furthermore, she was the first trans woman to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine in 2020.

Valentina advocates for trans and non-binary rights actively and is very critical of the situation in her home country.

A (not so) little example of how times are changing in the fashion world.

7. Andreja Pejic

Speaking of the fashion world, another dazzling trans model has been breaking standards for a while.

Andreja is an Australian model and actress born in August of 1991 in Yugoslavia.

After the NATO bombing of 1999 in her country, her mother decided she had enough of the Bosnian wars and began the process of moving to Melbourne with her family as political refugees.

Before turning 18, Andreja was scouted by a modeling agency while she was workMcDonald’scDonald’sig t M.

She began her career modeling clothes, both masculine and women, and set a major fork in the fashion industry with her androgynous look.

She walked the rumen’sfor mwomen’sd women’s shows for Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Andreja came out publicly in 2015 and, the same year became the first transgender model to sign a cosmetics contract.

That same year, she was also the first trans model ever profiled by Vogue magazine.

She started acting in 201wasn’tit wasn’t until 2018 that she debuted in the film The GirSpider’s Spider’s Web in the role of Sofia.

8. Dominique Jackson

Dominique Brebnor (Jackson is her professional last name) is a Tobaganian-American actress, model, and author.

Born in 1975 in Trinidad and Tobago had to move out to America at a very young age with her mother.

This was because being trans and accepted by family and communit90’sies in the 90s in her natal country was very difficult.

Because of being trans, she suffered from exclusion and abuse at work.

She made her debut on the screens in 2009 in the TV movie Christopher Street: The Series, a documentary where she is credited as Tyra Allure Ross.

Dominique has worked and continues to do so for several non-profit organizations providing services to people of the LGBTQ+ community.

She gained massive recognition for her role as Elektra in the FX TV series Pose in 2018.

All the trans women here are just some of the most influential trans women of the beginning of this decade.

All of trans women have suffered, to a greater or lesser extent, discrimination or abuse.

But none of them stopped fighting for everyone’s rights.

They have overcome many obstacles and transformed them into love for the community.

They are heroines, as you are bound to find in your everyday life.

Standing by their beliefs, they, in their fields, have been taking the world by storm, achieving a more inclusive one little by little.

This is just an example of how everyone out there is suffering the residues of outdated and useless standards.

But just like them, we must continue working to overcome these daily obstacles and make sure we are part of the right change.

Did you think that I missed anyone that should be on this list? If so, please let me know in the comments below.

Written by Tina Munova.