Learn and Love: Ten Things to Know About Transgender People

Laverne Cox, Caitlyn Jenner, Tiq Milan and more.

From Laverne to Caitlyn - Last  year, the world was introduced to Caitlyn Jenner, bringing the discussion of transgender people into the spotlight like never before. Though Ms. Jenner has already made huge strides in advancing the national dialogue — and public support — for trans issues, there are many more who paved the way for her. From Orange Is the New Black star and Time's "Transgender Tipping Point" cover girl Laverne Cox to New York Times best-selling author Janet Mock and trans activist Tiq Milan, these pioneers have dedicated their lives to trans visibility. Nonetheless, "transgender" is still a new idea for some, so here are ten things to know about the transgender community.— Written by Clay Cane (Photos from left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Annie Leibowitz for Vanity Fair Magazine/July 2015, D Dipasup...
Keep It Simple - Is the concept of "transgender" confusing to you? Well, quite simply, transgender means you are not the gender you were assigned at birth. For example, Jay Kelly (pictured), R. Kelly's child, was assigned female at birth but identifies as male.(Photo: Jay Kelly via Instagram)
Janet Mock‏, @janetmock - "Rest well with your mama, #BobbiKristina."(Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for Ketel One)Drag Queens Are Not Trans - The forever fab Shangela (pictured) is a drag queen who rocked two seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race. But Shangela is not a trans woman — he does not identify as a woman like Caitlyn Jenner. Drag is about performance and artistry, while being transgender is fundamental to a person's being and daily life. Calling a trans person a drag queen is insulting, because trans folks like Caitlyn, Laverne Cox and Isis King do not "change" their appearance for performance. Their gender is their identity, like any other cisgender (nontrans) person.(Photo: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for MTV)

Next Gallery

12 Powerful Quotes from Black Women Athletes to Inspire Greatness

12 Photos

1 / 11

From Laverne to Caitlyn - Last  year, the world was introduced to Caitlyn Jenner, bringing the discussion of transgender people into the spotlight like never before. Though Ms. Jenner has already made huge strides in advancing the national dialogue — and public support — for trans issues, there are many more who paved the way for her. From Orange Is the New Black star and Time's "Transgender Tipping Point" cover girl Laverne Cox to New York Times best-selling author Janet Mock and trans activist Tiq Milan, these pioneers have dedicated their lives to trans visibility. Nonetheless, "transgender" is still a new idea for some, so here are ten things to know about the transgender community.— Written by Clay Cane (Photos from left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Annie Leibowitz for Vanity Fair Magazine/July 2015, D Dipasup...

Photo By Photos from Left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

ADVERTISEMENT