Times have certainly changed. Individuals are no longer limited to the gender they were assigned at birth; as such, the transgender is making massive leaps on the way to its overall acceptance. Although the community as a whole is far from the majority, there are nonetheless many people who (encouraged by the recent changes to public outlook) are taking control of their gender identities. This is great for those who have felt trapped in their own bodies since they no longer have to hide who they are; they can finally be themselves. As the transgender community is steadily becoming accepted, more singles are deciding to expand their dating horizons and going out online en masse to meet FTMor MTF singles. Why online? It’s not that easy to meet a trans person IRL, even recognize them, so many prefer going online to find a partner who won’t be bigoted or surprised when their date follows its course to the bedroom. Trans singles love being appreciated for what they are and what they made of themselves, and the only safe place to find people who will love them for their real “me” is the Internet. However, if you might not know what to talk about right away on your date, here are ten people worth admiring that you can throw into your small talk banter!
- Elliot Page
A well-established actor and producer from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Elliot (born Ellen) earned his place on this list when he became the first openly transgender man to be featured on the cover of TIME magazine in March of 2021.
- Kataluna Enriquez
Kataluna Enriquez is a successful beauty queen and fashion designer who was born in the Philippines back in 1995. Moving to the United States at the young age of ten, she began competing in transgender beauty pageants in 2015, being crowned Queen California in 2016. More recently, Katuluna won Miss Nevada USA, making her the first transgendered woman to compete for the title of Miss USA (2021).
- Hunter Schafer
Perhaps best known for her role as “Jules” in the HBO show “Euphoria,” Hunter Schafer has become a highly successful actress, activist, and model at only the age of 22! She has previously modeled for Calvin Klein and Prada, among others.
- Leyna Bloom
Leyna Bloom broke through both gender and racial barriers, becoming the first transgender woman of color featured in Vogue Indiain 2017. She also played the leading role in the film Port Authority,becoming the first openly transgender woman of color to be featured in a leading role of a movie featured at a major movie film festival and the first transgender woman to be featured on the cover of a Sport’s Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in 2021.
- Valentina Sampaio
This Brazilian model became the first transgender woman in Victoria’s Secret in 2019 and the first transgender model ever featured in a Sport’s Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in 2020.
- Jazz Jennings
At only 20 years old, Jazz Jennings is a well-known activist throughout the community. You can learn more about her story through the TLC reality TV series, “I Am Jazz.”
- Rachel Levine
Despite being 63 years old, Rachel Levine has paved roads for transgender recognition within the federal government, becoming the first transgender person to hold a position that requires confirmation from the Senate. She’s also one of the few openly transgender people in the government.
- Laverne Cox
At 5’9”, Laverne Cox was the first transgender person to ever be nominated for a Primetime Emmy, thanks to her outstanding performance in the Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black.”
- Chaz Bono
Chaz, born Chastity, is an actor, musician, and writer. Beginning his transition in 2008, you can learn more about Chaz’s journey in the documentary “Becoming Chaz.”
- Caitlyn Jenner
The most famous transgender woman in the world, Caitlyn (previously known as Bruce), has many accomplishments under her belt, most notably in sports and the world of transgender rights activism. Lately, she even entered politics, and we can only wish godspeed to her.
Unsurprisingly, there are many strong and accomplished individuals spread throughout the transgender community. Of course, in this short article, we were only able to cover a small number of their accomplishments, but we strongly recommend looking more into their inspirational backstories to learn more. For some, it might give the inspiration to come out of the closet; for others – to sign up for an online dating site and show that trans women and men are real women and men by appreciating them romantically. Besides, this will give you plenty to talk about on your next date!