Trans People Who Changed the World

When discussing transgender people in public debate, the dominant narrative tends to focus on difficulties: discrimination, marginalization, violence. These realities exist and must be denounced. However, telling only of suffering means offering an incomplete picture. In every area of public life—from politics to science, from art to sports, from business to popular culture—there are trans people who have achieved extraordinary results, often overcoming obstacles that most people cannot even imagine.

This article gathers some of the most significant stories, with a particular focus on the Italian context, without claiming to be exhaustive. The goal is not to build a pantheon, but to show that talent, determination, and competence have no gender.

Politics: Governing and Representing

Marcella Di Folco — the first in the world

The history of trans political representation in the world begins in Italy. Marcella Di Folco (1943-2010), born in Rome and adopted by Bologna, was elected city councilor of Bologna with the Greens in 1995, becoming the first openly trans person in the world to hold an elected office [4]. This was not a symbolic gesture: Di Folco was an active and respected politician, capable of achieving concrete results for the community.

Before politics, Di Folco had a career in cinema—she worked as an extra in Federico Fellini’s productions [4]—and above all in activism. From 1988 she was president of MIT (Movimento Identità Trans), the longest-running Italian organization defending the rights of transgender people [4]. In 1997 she became vice president of ONIG (National Observatory on Gender Identity). In 2021, the Municipality of Bologna named a square after her, the first dedication in Italy to a trans person.

Vladimir Luxuria — in Parliament

Vladimir Luxuria (born in 1965 in Foggia) is probably the most well-known trans person in Italy. In 2006 she was elected to the Chamber of Deputies with the Communist Refoundation Party, becoming the first trans person to sit in a parliament in Europe and the second in the world after New Zealander Georgina Beyer [5]. During her term, Luxuria fought for the recognition of civil unions and presented a bill to guarantee the rights of transgender people, including the possibility of modifying civil registry data without the obligation of surgical intervention [5].

Beyond politics, Luxuria has been a constant figure in the Italian cultural landscape: a television host—in 2024 she hosted L’Isola dei Famosi on Canale 5, an absolute first for a trans woman on a mainstream Italian network—a writer, and a tireless activist. Her visibility has significantly contributed to normalizing the presence of trans people in Italian society.

Georgina Beyer — absolute pioneer

Even before Luxuria, New Zealander Georgina Beyer (1957-2023) had paved the way. In 1995 she was elected mayor of Carterton, becoming the first openly trans person in the world to hold the office of mayor [12]. In 1999 she was elected to the New Zealand Parliament for the Labour Party, a result that surprised political observers because the Wairarapa electorate was traditionally conservative [12]. As a member of parliament, Beyer supported the reform of prostitution laws, civil unions, and anti-discrimination legislation.

Petra De Sutter — at the top of the European government

In 2020, Belgian gynecologist and politician Petra De Sutter was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium in Alexander De Croo’s government, becoming the trans person with the highest political office in Europe [8]. Before entering politics, De Sutter was a professor of gynecology at Ghent University and head of the department of reproductive medicine [8]. Her case demonstrates how professional competence and gender identity are completely independent planes.

Danica Roem and Sarah McBride — the American case

In the United States, trans political representation has made significant strides. Danica Roem in 2017 was the first openly trans person elected to a state legislature (Virginia), and in 2023 she was elected to the Virginia State Senate, becoming the first trans state senator in the American South [7]. Her campaign focused on local issues—teachers’ salaries, healthcare, road safety—proving that trans people in politics can and must be judged by their ideas, not by their identity.

Sarah McBride took another historic step in 2024, being elected to the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, becoming the first openly trans person to sit in the US Congress [6]. McBride had already made history in 2020 as the first trans state senator elected in a state senate (Delaware).

Entertainment: Visibility That Changes Perception

Laverne Cox — the first on TIME

Laverne Cox (born in 1972 in Alabama) has become a global symbol of trans visibility thanks to the role of Sophia Burset in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black [1]. In 2014 she was the first trans person nominated for a Primetime Emmy in an acting category and the first to appear on the cover of TIME Magazine, with the headline “The Transgender Tipping Point” [1]. In 2015 she won a Daytime Emmy as executive producer of the documentary Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word. She was also the first trans person to have a wax statue at Madame Tussauds [1].

Cox has not limited herself to acting: she has become one of the most influential voices in the debate on trans rights, using her platform to speak about intersectionality, racism, and economic discrimination that disproportionately affect trans women of color.

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez — the Golden Globe

Michaela Jaé (MJ) Rodriguez (born in 1991 in New Jersey) played Blanca Evangelista in the FX series Pose, which chronicled New York’s ball culture in the 1980s and 1990s featuring the largest cast of trans actors in television history. In 2021 she was the first trans actress nominated for a lead acting Emmy, and in 2022 she became the first trans person to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series - Drama [3].

Elliot Page — from Oscar nomination to coming out

Elliot Page (born in 1987 in Canada) achieved international fame with the film Juno (2007), which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actress and numerous nominations for BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and SAG Awards. In December 2020 he came out as a trans man, becoming one of the most visible actors to publicly take this step [2]. In 2021 he was the first trans man on the cover of TIME [2]. He continued his successful career in the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, winning a Saturn Award in 2022, and published his autobiography Pageboy, in which he recounts his identity journey.

The Wachowski sisters — Matrix as a metaphor

Lana Wachowski (born in 1965) and Lilly Wachowski (born in 1967) are the creators of the Matrix saga, one of the most influential science fiction works in cinema history. Lana came out in 2012, becoming the first openly trans Hollywood director, while Lilly did so in 2016. After coming out, both encouraged re-reading the Matrix through the lens of the trans experience: the choice between the red pill and the blue pill, awakening to a more authentic reality, the contrast between the identity imposed by the system and the real one—all themes that resonate deeply with the journey of many transgender people.

Hunter Schafer — from model to activist

Hunter Schafer (born in 2000 in North Carolina) is an actress and model who became known to the general public through the role of Jules Vaughn in the HBO series Euphoria. Before her artistic career, Schafer was already known as an activist: in 2016, still a teenager, she joined a lawsuit against North Carolina’s controversial “bathroom bill,” the law that prevented trans people from using public restrooms corresponding to their gender identity. She has walked the runway for brands like Dior, Prada, and Marc Jacobs, helping to transform trans representation in the fashion world.

Music: Pioneers and New Voices

Wendy Carlos — the first trans Grammy winner

Wendy Carlos (born in 1939) is an American composer who revolutionized electronic music. Her album Switched-On Bach (1968), in which she reinterpreted the work of Johann Sebastian Bach through the Moog synthesizer, reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and won three Grammy Awards in 1970, including Best Classical Album [13]. Carlos came out as a trans woman in 1979 in an interview with Playboy, becoming the first trans woman to win a Grammy in history [13]. She later composed the soundtracks for Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange and The Shining.

Kim Petras — pop without borders

Kim Petras (born in 1992 in Germany) made history in February 2023 by winning the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with the song Unholy, alongside Sam Smith [9]. She was the first openly trans artist to win a major-category Grammy [9]. In her acceptance speech, Petras paid tribute to the “transgender legends” who preceded her, specifically mentioning the producer and DJ SOPHIE (1986-2021), a trans artist who passed away prematurely.

Science and Business: Competence Without Borders

Lynn Conway — the microchip revolution

Lynn Conway (1938-2024) was an American computer scientist and engineer who made fundamental contributions to modern computing [10]. In the 1960s, working for IBM, she invented generalized dynamic instruction handling, a technique now used in practically every modern processor to improve performance [10]. In 1968, IBM fired her after she revealed her intention to transition. The company apologized only in 2020, over fifty years later [10].

After her transition, Conway rebuilt her career from scratch, unable to reference her previous achievements. At Xerox PARC laboratories in the 1970s, together with Carver Mead, she launched the VLSI revolution in large-scale chip design, an innovation that transformed the entire semiconductor industry [10]. In 1985 she became a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan. Her story is one of the most powerful testimonies to how prejudice can deprive the world of essential scientific contributions—and how talent, ultimately, still finds its way.

Martine Rothblatt — from the airwaves to life-saving drugs

Martine Rothblatt (born in 1954) is an American entrepreneur, lawyer, and scientist. She came out as a trans woman in 1994 and is one of the most influential figures in the world of business and technology [14]. Rothblatt is the creator of Sirius XM Satellite Radio and the founder of United Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company specializing in the treatment of lung diseases [14]. She founded United Therapeutics after her daughter was diagnosed with a rare form of pulmonary hypertension: starting practically from scratch in the pharmaceutical field, Rothblatt developed therapies that have saved the lives of thousands of patients. She has been among the highest-paid CEOs in the American biopharmaceutical sector [14].

Sports: Talent, Courage, and an Open Debate

Valentina Petrillo — Italian pride at the Paralympics

Valentina Petrillo (born in 1973 in Naples) is an Italian athlete affected by Stargardt disease, a form of macular degeneration that progressively reduced her vision starting in adolescence. Petrillo began her transition journey in 2019, at 45 years old, and in September 2020 became the first trans athlete to compete in the women’s category in Italian Paralympic sports.

In 2024, at the Paris Paralympics, Petrillo was the first trans woman to participate in the Paralympic Games, competing in the 400 meters and 200 meters in the T12 category (visually impaired athletes) [11]. She reached the semifinals of the 400 meters with a personal best of 57.58 seconds. Her participation sparked debate, but Petrillo has always faced the controversy with dignity, stating: “People are afraid, but I am not hurting anyone” [11].

The debate on sports inclusion

The participation of trans people in competitive sports remains one of the most complex and discussed topics. The case of Lia Thomas, an American swimmer who won an NCAA title in the women’s category in 2022, reignited the debate globally. The International Swimming Federation (now World Aquatics) subsequently adopted more restrictive regulations.

It is important to recognize that this is a topic where legitimate and diverse positions exist, and scientific research is still evolving. What is certain is that solutions cannot involve the demonization or total exclusion of trans people from sports: regulations based on scientific evidence, developed with the involvement of the people directly affected, are needed.

Representation and Beyond: Why These Stories Matter

It might seem that listing the successes of trans people is a rhetorical exercise—an answer to those who question the capabilities of transgender people. In reality, the issue runs deeper.

The weight of invisibility

For decades, trans people were almost entirely absent from public narratives, except as objects of morbid curiosity or as victims. This invisibility has had concrete consequences: according to numerous studies, the lack of role models is a factor contributing to high rates of depression and distress among trans youth. Seeing trans people living full and fulfilled lives—in every professional field—is not a minor detail: it is a matter of public health.

Beyond exceptionalism

It is crucial to avoid the trap of exceptionalism: the idea that trans people must prove they are “exceptional” to deserve respect and rights. The stories gathered in this article do not serve to establish that “trans people can be successful too”—as if it were a concession—but to show that, when barriers are lowered, talent emerges naturally, regardless of gender identity.

The Italian context

Italy has a significant history of trans representation in public life—from Marcella Di Folco to Vladimir Luxuria to Valentina Petrillo—but it remains a country where workplace discrimination disproportionately affects transgender people. According to available data, the unemployment rate among trans people in Italy is much higher than the national average, and many people are forced to hide their identity for fear of losing their jobs. Success stories do not erase this reality, but they demonstrate that another possibility exists.

A Future of Normality

True success will not be when an article like this is particularly long, but when it will no longer be necessary to write it. When the fact that a trans person is a CEO, a member of parliament, an athlete, or a scientist is no longer news, but simply normality. Until then, telling these stories—with respect, accuracy, and without rhetoric—remains a necessary act.

Trans people do not need to be extraordinary to deserve dignity. But it is right to acknowledge that many of them, despite obstacles that most people never face, have made extraordinary contributions to politics, culture, science, and sports. Their stories do not belong only to the history of the trans movement: they belong to everyone’s history.