2015: The Year Of Transgender Visibility | The Odyssey Online
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2015: The Year Of Transgender Visibility

Taking a look at some of the most influential trans men and women in pop culture this year.

Brooke O'Donnell
Dec 28, 2015
Montclair State University
60
2015: The Year Of Transgender Visibility

This past week, Go90 analyzed some of VICE News’ top stories of 2015. Unsurprisingly, many of these stories were related to the incredible influx of trans visibility this past year. In honor of that, here are some of the most visible, influential, and groundbreaking transgender men and women in pop culture

Laverne Cox

This one is a given. Though Laverne Cox appeared on VH1 and hosted her own makeover show entitled "TRANSform ME", the popular Netflix Original series "Orange is the New Black" made Cox a household name. In the show, she plays transgender inmate Sophia Burset. For the 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards, Cox received a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series; with this, she was the first openly transgender person to ever be nominated in the acting category.

Yas, girl.

Caitlyn Jenner

Though many in the LGBTQ+ community criticize Jenner for different aspects of her coming-out process, it is an undeniable fact that she is largely responsible for the increase in transgender visibility this year. Jenner’s incredibly public transition and subsequent interviews served to educate society en masse.

Aydian Dowling

Dowling made headlines earlier this year by leading the polls in Men’s Health magazine’s annual “Ultimate Guy” contest. Winning would have made Dowling the first openly transgender Men’s Health cover model. Though he lost the contest, the magazine stated they would include Dowling on a special edition cover.

P.S. He’s really hot.

Andreja Pejic

The Serbian-born model turned heads in 2014 when she underwent a fairly public transition. After making her way in the fashion world as Andrej, a notoriously androgynous male model, Andreja worked with U.S. doctors to undergo sex reassignment surgery in early 2014. She continues to stomp down the runway and make a great name for herself in the modeling industry, without even skipping a beat.

Sergeant Shane Ortega

Shane Ortega is the model soldier. He is beyond fit, works hard, and has served multiple tours. He also happens to be the Army’s first openly transgender soldier. Though Ortega has had to jump through hoops, as he was officially listed on Army paperwork as female, he hs made it work. Through this, he has become a sort of poster child for trans acceptance in the armed forces.

Jamie Clayton

After playing the role of transgender woman Kyla on HBO’s Hung in 2009, Jamie Clayton has mad her way back into the mainstream through her portrayal of Nomi in Netflix’s "Sense8". As Clayton states, she is thrilled to be a trans actress playing a trans character who is written by a trans woman. Before she took on "Sense8", Clayton joined Cox in the GLAAD Media Award-nominated "TRANSform Me".

Though these icons have helped increase visibility, acceptance is another hurdle. In 2015, more transgender people were killed than any other year. Additionally, it is rare for trans actors and actresses to play cis-gender characters. Hopefully, pop culture will continue to promote visibility and acceptance, and 2016 will lead to an even better year.

For a quick look at VICE News' coverage in 2015, check out the clip below!


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