With the recent revelation that R&B singer R. Kelly’s daughter Jaya Kelly publicly came out as a transgender boy this past week, and the brave youngster’s willingness to face the arduous journey for self-discovery and societal acceptance, several other high profile black transgender people have come to the forefront. Some you may have known about, but some you may not have.
R. Kelly’s daughter Jaya Kelly said that coming out as a transgender boy this past week only represents the beginning of an arduous journey towards continued self-discovery and societal acceptance.
“Orange Is the New Black” star Laverne Cox is an outspoken advocate for transgender recognition and acceptance. She has been a leading proponent for transgender rights and openly discusses how her sexual orientation affects her career and her experiences as a high-profile transgender woman who uses her celebrity status to bring issues of trans justice to national attention. celebrity status to bring issues of trans justice to national att
Transgender model Carmen Carrera joined Cox recentlywith Katie Couric to discuss their careers, upcoming projects and their experiences as high-profile transgender women. And although the popular and very successful model didn’t make it to the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show runway this year, she continues her quest to become the lingerie company’s first transgender Angel.
Perhaps one of the most well known and public transformations was that of Chaz Bono, Sonny and Cher’s only child. Bono, born female, Chaz later said he felt uncomfortable in all the dresses he wore on the show. He remembered wanting to be more like his father instead of his glamorous mother.
Atlantan video vixen Shayla Stacks, is best known for her romantic trysts with music industry heavy weights Jazzy Pha and Chingy. Music producer Jazzy Pha reportedly was outed and didn’t even know it. While Jazzy Pha appeared to be sleeping on top of pre-op transexual Shayla Stacks, the he/she decided to snap a photo of the two. Shayla Stacks took it a step further and posted the photo on Instagram with the caption, “He Keeps me warm.”
Chingy’s alleged bedmate Sidney Star spoke out recently about her relationship with rapper Chingy, who denied the two were intimate. But Star dropped some dimes about why she’s coming out with this info now:
“I feel that he’s ashamed. That’s all it is. And he shouldn’t be. Why should you be ashamed of a woman just because she is transgendered?”
And although she’ not a celebrity, Tiffany Jones made her mark when she was accepted for housing in a women’s shelter. “They saw that I’m a woman,” says Jones, 22, who has been living in a women’s shelter for 10 months. “There’s still some negative attention surrounding living with women. I had a couple fights when I first came in but not anymore. I had to prove a point that just because I’m transgender there’s no way of beating me.
And then there’s the Queen of transgender women, RuPaul. RuPaul made drag a status symbol and has been fearless both in and out of drag. RuPaul is noted among drag queens for her indifference toward the gender-specific pronouns used to address her — both “he” and “she” have been deemed acceptable, as she has said: “You can call me he. You can call me she. You can call me Regis and Kathie Lee; I don’t care! Just as long as you call me.” RuPaul currently hosts the reality television show “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” which cultivates a new crop of drag queen superstars.
