As the leading LGBT media advocacy organization, GLAAD recognizes individuals who positively impact the LGBT movement through their work. Along with recognizing national activists, GLAAD also acknowledges individuals who make an impact on a global scale. One of these individuals is Chinese transgender dancer Jin Xing.
Jin Xing is a highly acclaimed dancer and choreographer, a dance teacher, a television talk show host, a writer, a bar owner, a television guest judge, a mother, and a colonel in China's People's Liberation Army (she joined the army at age 9). The army eventually sent her to New York to study modern dance, where she studied under Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. Xing then performed all over Europe before returning to China. A medical procedure left her without mobility in one of her legs and she was told she might never walk again. But in three months, she was not only walking, but dancing. She became the prima ballerina of China and danced to international acclaim, choreographing a variety of dance pieces. She formed both the Beijing Modern Dance Company and the Jin Xing Dance Theater, one of the first non-government dance troupes in China. In addition to all this, Xing has published an autobiography, hosted a talk show, and raised three children with her husband.
Watch her dance below:
Through her advocacy and proud visibility, Jin Xing has contributed immensely to advancing the equality movement around the world and particularly in China. GLAAD is proud to recognize individuals such as Jin Xing who through their work help promote the international conversation about the inclusion of the LGBT community.