It took her just three months to get fit enough to dance again. Germany: Balian Buschbaum, former pole vaulter. As a woman — and China’s first openly transgender celebrity — Jin set up her own dance troupe, established herself as the country’s foremost contemporary choreographer, opened a trendy Beijing bar, acted in films and on stage, adopted three children, got married, and became an infamously hard-to-please judge on China’s "So You Think You Can Dance." Most importantly, her work helped create connection and communication in the trans community and was the first to work toward that goal. She also secured trans rights to marry in France through her marriage to a man. She’s been one of the country’s biggest celebrities ever since, starring in movies, hosting her own TV show, appearing as a judge on Turkey’s Pop Idol, marrying — and divorcing — two younger men, having more and more plastic surgery, and generally doing everything you’d expect a diva to do. Since reintroducing himself to the world as Balian, he’s built a second career as a coach, motivational speaker, author and contestant on the German equivalent of "Dancing with the Stars. He told his romantic partners that his chest had been damaged in an accident to explain the bandages, and only made love in the dark. Bars for queer and transgender women are disappearing worldwide. Louise Lawrence. When she was elected to parliament for the Labour Party four years later, she became the world’s first trans MP. Black History Month: 23 Prominent Black LGBT Icons James Nichols As we recognize and celebrate Black History Month, it is important to take a moment to remember and honor the contributions of LGBT black figures who have shone throughout the course of our nation's history. Later in life, she helped found the Center for Aid, Research and Information for Transsexuality and Gender Identity. Last year she returned to politics as a candidate for the Mana Party in New Zealand’s general election. In 1944 she married a soldier named Reuben Anderson, which led to a perjury charge filed against her when officials discovered she had been born male at birth. In celebration of October being LGBT history month, here are a few of the remarkable trans individuals who helped fight sexual discrimination. Who do you think was the first person New Zealand’s papers asked for a reaction to Caitlyn Jenner’s transition, for instance? When the former actor, cabaret singer and sex worker was elected mayor of the little town of Carterton in 1995, she became the first openly transgender person to hold an equivalent office in New Zealand, or anywhere in the world. After undergoing sex reassignment surgery in 1995, she returned to the game she’d loved when the world still saw her as a boy. Catch her in last month’s Vogue as the poster girl for transgender beauty. She served as a mother … Donate today to support the work of these superheroes and help keep our coverage free and open to all. I’m working on it.’”. “Ultimately, my biggest dream was to be a girl,” she told Style.com. There, he was forced to wear a dress after his story came out that a Civil War veteran was, in fact, biologically female. Louise Lawrence worked as an artist and manager of a women-only apartment complex in San Francisco; in the 1940s, she began living full-time as a woman. Would they dare? Every LGBT History Month, we come together to celebrate queer culture and our many achievements. ", 9. I didn’t know if people would like me.”. Throughout the rest of his life, Tipton worked as a saxophone player for various jazz bands, and even started his own Billy Tipton Trio in the 1950s. Titica went abroad for the surgery that created her ample chest and hips — “like a guitar” as she describes them — and has lived as a woman since 2008. Our coverage wouldn’t be possible without the incredible individuals working behind the scenes. The story you just read is freely available because readers like you support The World financially. What is unique about Cashier is that he continued to live as a male after the war was over and was not discovered as biologically female until a few years before his death. You trust the coverage brought to you by The World because of the intelligent, engaging reporting you hear every weekday on topics from the US presidential election to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Will they survive the pandemic? They do. Georgina Beyer has a string of firsts to her name, which, by the way, used to be George Bertrand. As her popularity rose, she was featured in several films and inspired opera singer Ghigo Agosti to write a song in her name.