Leyna Bloom
- Birth Name: Undisclosed, born on April 25, 1994
- Transitioned: Undisclosed, but we know that she began to identify as a woman at a rather young age
- Known for:
- Staring in the movie Port Authority as Wye
- Appearing as a model in various magazines such as Vogue and Sports Illustrated
- Being a well respected artist in ball culture
Leyna is a model, actress, dancer, and activist. She is Vogue India’s first openly transgender woman of color to be featured. Her performance in the film Port Authority earned her the distinction of being the first trans woman of color to play a leading role in a movie shown at a major film festival, the Cannes Film Festival. She was also the first trans woman to appear on Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue cover in 2021.
When she announced her Sport Illustrated cover on Instagram, she wrote in the caption, “I have dreamt a million beautiful dreams, but for girls like me, most dreams are just fanciful hopes in a world that often erases and omits our history and even existence. […] I dedicate this cover to all ballroom femme queens past, present, and future. This historical moment is important to #girlslikeus because it allows us to live and be seen. Many girls like us don’t have the chance to live our dreams or live long at all. I hope my cover empowers those who are struggling to be seen, feel valued. Let me be a messenger guiding us to a future of respect and appreciation for all women in all forms and from all walks of life.”
Leyna Bloom
Kataluna Enriquez
- Birth Name: Durte Dom, born on April 26, 1993
- Transitioned: At the age of 14
- Known for:
- Modeling for fashion brands such as H&M
- Being crowned the 2021 Miss Nevada USA
Kataluna is a healthcare administrator who specializes in LGBTQ+ care and a fashion designer and the founder of the clothing line KatalunaKouture. She is the first openly transgender woman to compete in Miss USA. She will be the second openly transgender woman to compete in a Miss Universe pageant if she wins Miss USA in November 2021.
About being different, she says, “Don’t let your differences determine what you’re capable of. Your differences are anything that makes you unique, and you are capable of anything as long as you believe in yourself. […] Personally, I’ve learned that my differences do not make me less than. It makes me more than. And my differences are what makes me unique, and I know that my uniqueness will take me to all my destinations and whatever I need to go through in life.”
Kataluna Enriquez
