The New York Times published a piece highlighting trans people making waves in the pop culture world. The piece profiles model Valentijn de Hingh, artists Rhys Ernst and Zackary Drucker, author and advocate Janet Mock, and Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox.
de Hingh recently appeared in a campaign for Barneys alongside 15 other transgender models. She says she has supportive parents who took her to a hospital with a program for children like her. "My parents were looking for answers, and found it there," she said.
Ernst and Drucker currently have a show at the Whitney Biennial chronicling their transitions and their relationship. The show, called "Relationship," has been said to put "queer consciousness on the front burner." The couple has also been consulting for a new Amazon show called "Transparent," about an aging person transitioning.
Mock has had quite the year so far. She released her memoir "Redefining Realness," in which she chronicles growing up as a trans person, and educates readers about the adversities facing trans people. She also made headlines when she called out Piers Morgan for a problematic interview which focused on Mock's appearance and her transition. Mock's reaction to the interview made waves and has changed the way people are talking about transgender people.
Like Mock, Cox made headlines when she corrected an interviewer's problematic questions. The interviewer was Katie Couric, and Cox gently turned her answer to discuss the plights faced by trans women, especially trans women of color. Cox, who stars in Orange is the New Black, often speaks at colleges about her experience as a trans woman of color.