Although they may seem unrelated, discussions about personal style and transgender rights are inextricably linked.
Our style decisions reveal who we are, as the term “personal style” implies. The 1.6 million trans and/or nonbinary people in the country, many of whom change their clothing to better reflect their gender identity, find this to be an extremely inspiring sentiment. Gen Z, America’s queerest generation, is leading the charge in this regard. Major tastemakers today know how to experiment with clothing regardless of how it is labeled or divided.
The entire clothing industry is aware of this. There has been a focus on clothing lines and styled garments that defy conventional gender norms in recent years. For prestigious fashion houses, openly transgender models like Hunter Schafer, Hari Nef, and Aaron Rose Philip are posing. At NYFW, Alex Consani was a well-known figure. The entertainment industry is also represented: In the previous year alone, artists Sam Smith and Kim Petras broke the mold with their historic Grammy win, and famous people like Janelle Monáe and Alex Newell stunned on the red carpet of the Met Gala (the first, for the first time). And these are merely trans and/or nonbinary celebs who are out in public; it’s likely that even more members of this group are already making progress in their own safe havens or have yet to do so.
Importantly, increased visibility for transgender people does not ensure their legal security. On the basis of gender identity, only 23 states and Washington, DC, have codified explicit equality rights. However, according to Alex Schmider, director of transgender representation at GLAAD, the country’s top LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, fair and accurate representation can combat the misogynistic “lies and dehumanization” pushed by anti-LGBT+ politicians. These counter-stories are more important than ever in the current political climate.
According to Andrew A. Ortiz, staff attorney at the Transgender Law Center (TLC), America’s largest trans-led organization, this year saw a staggering increase in anti-trans legislation across the country—the worst in recent memory. In other places, boundaries have also become more rigid. At the majority of fashion days, the “menswear” and “womenswear” categories nevertheless predominate. And even when well-known fashion houses use trans models for their runway shows, they don’t always go above and beyond to support trans people. The most influential artistic directors in the fashion industry are still largely white, cisgender, and/or male today. It’s also a sobering representation of the political climate at the moment: As trans Americans gain more visibility and social approval in some circles, an anti-trans base is intensifying their efforts to keep them out of public life.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is currently tracking more than 500 anti-LGBT+ bills introduced in the 2023 legislative session, an increase from 278 in 2022. According to the Equality Federation, more than 400 of these bills specifically target the 300,000 trans children in the country. In some states, draconian laws have put their access to gender-affirming healthcare—services that almost every major health association in the US considers to be safe and medically necessary—in jeopardy. Other bills target trans people’s ability to participate in school sports teams that match their gender identity, access gender-affirming care in prison, and obtain accurate identification documents.
It’s no accident that assaults on other marginalized groups are occurring at the same time. Politicians who target trans people are frequently the same ones who want to ban racial publications and limit access to sexual health. Ortiz continues, “These fights are intimately linked, and they’re tied up in a right-wing agenda to control people.” It is impossible to overstate how this affects younger people. These bills and anti-trans attitudes are not only extremely harmful, but they also restrict a person’s ability to safely express themselves.
There is much to be optimistic about, just looking at the fashion industry. Given that some of the most buzz-worthy entrepreneurs in the field, such as Gogo Graham and Pierre Davis of No Sesso, as well as vocal proponents and allies like Becca McCharen-Tran of Chromat, LaQuan Smith, Haoran Li of Private Policy, and Aaron Potts, are transgender and/or nonbinary.
Let’s examine some statistics from 2023, both specific to the fashion sphere and beyond, before what will likely be another pivotal time in fashion.
Vocabulary notes: The terms trans and intersex are used in this essay. Here is what we mean in accordance with accepted use and reliable sources (with special thanks to the Human Rights Campaign):
People whose gender identity differs from the gender that was assigned to them at birth are referred to as trans or transgender.
The phrase “nonbinary” recognizes gender as a real spectrum, not just one of two male/female binaries, and is used by those who see their gender identity as more than just male or female. Identity types
like genderqueer, bigender, genderfluid, and more can also be encompassed by intersex.
Although not always, a nonbinary person may identify as trans.
The term “gender identity” describes a person’s internal sense of self, including how and what they think of themselves. One’s gender identity can be the same or different from the gender that was assigned to them at birth.
Gender expression is the outward manifestation of a person’s gender identity, which can or may not follow socially defined behaviors and traits usually associated with being masculine or feminine. It is generally expressed through behavior, clothing, body characteristics, or voice.
Gender and sexual identity are not the same as one another.
The information we cite—the data that is available—will frequently mention the larger LGBTQ+ community and publicly identify trans and/or nonbinary individuals. We recognize that people in the trans and/or nonbinary community use a variety of other identities and labels to define their own experiences with gender. Any estimates of trans representation are probably not complete, and this study is not intended to be exhaustive.
September fashion industry issues featuring transgender celebrities: 1
Few mainstream fashion magazines in the US in 2023 featured transgender people on the cover of their September issues. The Cut, which Brock Colyar profiled, was covered by Dylan Mulvaney. Harris Reed, a gay designer whose demi-couture works celebrate gender fluidity, was featured in Marie Claire’s September cover story, 2023 Fashion Changemakers. Grace Valentine, a nonbinary supermodel, was one of Highsnobiety’s three September issue cover stars and openly discussed the power of clothing to affirm identity, even though it isn’t major in and of itself. “There are so many ways for expression and exploration with clothing that act as gateways for others to follow suit,” they said.
4 transgender and/or nonbinary stars walked the red carpet of the Met Gala.
One of the biggest nights in fashion is the annual gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Only a small number of the dozens of A-listers who walked the red carpet this year are openly transgender or genderfluid. Janelle Monáe, Bella Ramsey, Kim Petras, and Alex Newell were among the at least four people we counted.
Victoria’s Secret Angel Wings were donned by transgender models: 4
The problematic tradition of exclusion from Victoria’s Secret is well known. However, the fashion stalwart has made efforts to correct this in recent years. Alex Consani, Valentina Sampaio, Emira D’Spain, and up-and-coming actor Colin Jones were among the at least four openly transgender models who wore the company’s recognizable angel wings in 2023.
The official NYFW schedule includes the following Unisex/nonbinary fashion shows: 20
The gender-inclusive “unisex/nonbinary” event category was introduced in 2018 by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the organization that runs New York Fashion Week. This title was given to at least 20 NYFW shows that were CFDA-sanctioned in September 2023.
Models who were transgender and/or nonbinary and walked in NYFW: 14
At the September official NYFW events, at least 14 transgender and/or nonbinary models walked the runways. The Blonds’ Spring/Summer 2024 show was a pioneering example of transgender representation, using Dylan Mulvaney, Dominique Jackson, and Gigi Gorgeous as models for their sequined goods.
On the official NYFW schedule, companies led by transgender and/or nonbinary designers include: 1
Queer designers were prominently featured in the CFDA’s official NYFW schedule for September, including Michael Kors, Luar Raul Lopez, and Rio Uribe of Gypsy Sport. However, there weren’t many openly trans and/or nonbinary designers. Only in 2019 did NYFW host its second performance by No Sesso’s Davis, an openly trans designer.
Anti-trans bills in the US: In 49 states, 500+ bills have been introduced.
According to Ortiz, a staff attorney at the Transgender Law Center (TLC), while these laws may seem theoretical and abstract to some people, they actually apply to many, many people. “We can’t let that get overlooked in these conversations.” It’s critical to keep in mind that these laws directly affect young people who are merely attempting to express themselves.
Anti-LGBT+ legislation was passed: 84
84 of the 501 anti-LGBT+ bills that were introduced in 2023 have already been passed into law. 34 attacks on trans youth’s access to school sports and diverse education, 26 on gender-affirming healthcare, and 4 on accurate IDs are among them. The most hateful laws have been passed by conservative legislators this year (10 each) in Tennessee and North Dakota.
The ACLU is suing anti-LGBT+ legislation starting in 2023: 14
As of this writing, 14 anti-LGBT+ laws that were passed
in 2023 are being contested by ACLU counsel; the majority of these laws are explicitly pro-trans. Some initiatives have already been successful: In the Indiana case K. C. v. Medical Licensing Board, a federal judge decided to prevent officials from enforcing Indiana’s recently passed ban on gender-affirming healthcare for adolescents.
Introduced anti-drag bills: 32
Bills from Arizona to Tennessee have introduced legislation across the nation to prohibit “adult musical performances” that might be within the reach of children. Behind the bills is disdain related to what is thought to be a challenge to the traditional female expression that drag shows purport to create.
216 anti-LGBT+ bills were defeated.
Despite the fact that conservative lawmakers introduced transphobic bills in record numbers, nearly half of this legislation (roughly 44%) was repealed before it could be passed.
8 percent of our LGBTQ+ elected leaders are transgender or nonbinary.
Numerous transgender and/or nonbinary officials won their races for state and local agencies between June 2022 and May 2023. They now make up 8.1 percent of the country’s 1,185 LGBTQ+ elected officials, an increase of 24 percent from 2021 to 2022, according to the LGBT+ Victory Institute.
Two trans-inclusive movies were nominated for the Academy Awards:
Two movies with trans characters won nominations for major categories at this year’s Oscars: “Women Talking,” a female drama based on Miriam Toews’ book of the same name, and “Night Ride,” the Norwegian short about savages who steal trams. The first won the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award.
At the Grammy Awards, five transgender and/or nonbinary musicians were nominated:
Nonbinary designers Justin Tranter, Janelle Monáe, and J. Harrison Ghee are among the Grammy nominees for 2024, which were revealed in November. Sam Smith and Kim Petras, two singers from “Unholy,” weren’t just nominated for a Grammy at the 2023 awards. The duo won Best Pop Duo / Group Performance, making them the second openly nonbinary and/or trans artists to do so in their respective categories.
Midnight television’s transgender and/or nonbinary characters include 32
Only 32 transgender characters appeared in the 2022–2023 broadcast year across all platforms, according to GLAAD’s research. They make up less than 6% of the 596 LGBTQ+ characters on TV overall, a small percentage that has decreased by almost 25% over the past year. The results of GLAAD’s analysis of the 2023–2024 year have not yet been made public.
Celebrities who were transgender and/or nonbinary and left Emmy’s thought: 1
Liv Hewson, the breakout star of “Yellowjackets,” frequently steals scenes from the critically acclaimed drama on Showtime. The nonbinary professional formally withdrew themselves from consideration for this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards because the Television Academy simply has gendered acting categories. They informed Variety of the statement-making move, which they hope gets Hollywood executives “talking,” saying, “I can’t submit myself for this because there’s no space for me.”
