There is no reliable way to tell whether someone is transgender by looking at them, and “gender transformation” is not a single process. The people below are public figures whose transgender identities have been discussed in the cited reporting; their stories are about their own words and work, not a before-and-after reveal or a beauty ranking.
What “gender transformation” means—and why appearance is not evidence
The phrase “gender transformation” can suggest a uniform change, but transgender people’s experiences differ. Gender identity, coming out, social transition, and medical care are distinct; no one person’s path stands for everyone else’s. A person’s looks, photographs, or career history cannot establish their identity. The profiles here focus on public self-identification and reported milestones, not private medical details.
Public figures who have shared their experiences
This is a selection of people featured in CBS News’ July 2021 gallery, with first-person reporting from TIME where available. It is not a definitive or current roster, and the gallery’s publication date matters: it should not be read as a live directory. The available sources do not establish a meaningful ranking by beauty.
Elliot Page
Actor, director, and LGBTQ+ activist Elliot Page publicly announced that he was transgender in 2020. At the 2024 TIME100 Summit, he reflected on that experience: “I felt utterly elated and beyond grateful to finally be in a place where I could accept and love myself and do what I needed to and wanted to.” TIME also reported that his memoir Pageboy was published in June 2023. TIME’s 2024 interview with Page.
#1 Best Overall
Caitlyn Jenner
In a 2015 TIME interview, Caitlyn Jenner described deciding to be honest about who she was and letting “this woman who has lived inside me for my entire life” have an opportunity to live. That account belongs to Jenner; it is not a template for how other people understand or disclose their identities. TIME’s 2015 interview with Jenner.
Laverne Cox
Actor and advocate Laverne Cox has spoken publicly about the gap between sex assigned at birth and a person’s gender identity. In a 2014 TIME interview, she said: “not everybody who is born feels that their gender identity is in alignment with what they’re assigned at birth, based on their genitalia.” Her comment is part of that interview, not a substitute for a current terminology guide. TIME’s 2014 interview with Cox.
Janet Mock
Writer, director, and producer Janet Mock is among the public figures profiled by CBS News. The gallery notes that her memoir Redefining Realness reached the New York Times bestseller list in 2014. CBS News’ 2021 gallery.
Other figures in the 2021 CBS News gallery
The same gallery also includes these figures and their work. Its biographical snapshots were published in July 2021, so they should be understood in that dated context.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall- Zaya Wade — featured in the gallery as a young public figure.
- Leyna Bloom — model and actor.
- Kataluna Enriquez — model and pageant contestant.
- Indya Moore — actor and model.
- Hunter Schafer — actor and model.
- Laura Jane Grace — musician.
- Valentina Sampaio — model.
- Chaz Bono — actor and musician.
- Jazz Jennings — television personality and advocate.
- Gigi Gorgeous — media personality and advocate.
These short descriptions identify the kinds of public work highlighted in CBS News’ gallery; they do not supply a complete biography or a current account of each person’s identity and pronouns. The gallery’s wider range of actors, writers, models, musicians, activists, athletes, and public figures is a better frame than treating transition as a single spectacle.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Further reading by two of the people featured
- Elliot Page’s memoir Pageboy is identified by TIME as published in June 2023.
- Janet Mock’s memoir Redefining Realness is noted by CBS News as having reached the New York Times bestseller list in 2014.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
