6 celebrity trans men leading LGBT representation – from Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy star Elliot Page and RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Gottmik, to Chella Man, the first deaf and trans actor to play a TV superhero

Mar 24 , 2021

Chella Man, Elliot Page and Gottmik – three trans men raising awareness about LGBTQ+ representation and fighting against transphobia. Photos: @chellaman; @elliotpage; @gott.mik/Instagram

Before Kade Gottlieb appeared on Drag Race, he was make-up artist to Paris Hilton, Heidi Klum and Cindy Crawford, and the most-followed contestant on Instagram

Laith Ashley, model for Diesel and Barneys, got encouragement from actress Laverne Cox while YouTuber Jammidodger debunks transphobia on his channel

Famous trans men have made some significant headlines over the past year: Elliot Page became the first trans man to appear on the cover of Time, while Gottmik is the first trans male contestant to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

But aside from breaking new ground with attention-grabbing firsts, trans male celebrities have also been raising awareness about LGBTQ+ representation, fighting against outdated views of transgender people, expanding conceptions of masculinity and much more. Here are just a few names you should know by now.

Elliot Page

The politically outspoken star of Juno, The Umbrella Academy and the X-Men franchise came out as transgender in December 2020. In the wake of his announcement, Page’s well-established public life proved a double-edged sword. While providing high-profile visibility for trans men, he also endured media deadnaming (using a trans person’s former name without their consent) and entitled laments from fans.

Page’s coming out also unleashed a wave of transphobia within the LGBTQ+ community. His amicable divorce from wife Emma Portner (with whom he was perceived to be in a lesbian relationship) prompted backlash from a fringe, anti-transgender segment of the lesbian community, who consider trans men an existential threat to their numbers.

Page will reprise his role as Vanya on Netflix’s hit The Umbrella Academy, now in its third season, and continues to advocate for transgender rights.

Gottmik

Celebrity make-up artist Kade Gottlieb had already rubbed shoulders with the stars before appearing on season 13 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, working with the likes of Cindy Crawford, Paris Hilton and Heidi Klum. In fact, he was already the most followed competitor on Instagram before his casting.

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