Transgender celebrities you need to know

Yance Ford

Yance Ford's résumé includes 10 years as a producer at the PBS documentary showcase "POV." He also made Academy Award history in 2018 by becoming the first trans director to be nominated for an Oscar for "Strong Island."

Balian Buschbaum

Balian Buschbaum, born Yvonne Buschbaum, is a former female German pole vaulter. Here, he attends KARE Design at the New Faces Award Fashion at Rheinterrasse with German dancer Sarah Latton on July 22, 2013, in Duesseldorf, Germany.

Jamie Clayton

Jamie Clayton is a transgender actress and model best known for her role in the Netflix series "Sense8." Here, she attends the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Jupiter Ascending" at TCL Chinese Theatre on Feb. 2, 2015, in Hollywood.

Trace Lysette

Trace Lysette is best know for her roles in the Amazon original series "Transparent," the NBC drama pilot "The Curse of the Fuentes Women" and Starz's comedy "Blunt Talk." Here, she attends the 22nd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 30, 2016.

Andreja Pejic

Andreja Pejic, born Andrej Pejic, is a Serbian-born model who has walked the runway for the likes of Marc Jacobs and Jean-Paul Gaultier -- both in men's and women's shows. Here, she attends the 2016 amfAR New York Gala in Manhattan on Feb. 10, 2016.

Kye Allums

Kye Allums, born Kyler Kelcian Allums, played on George Washington University's women's basketball team while he came out in 2010 as the first openly transgender NCAA Division I player. Here, he attends the premiere screening of the MTV and Logo TV documentary "Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word" on Oct. 16, 2014, at the Paramount Screening Room in Manhattan.

Alexis Arquette

Actress and cartoonist Alexis Arquette -- sister of actors David, Patricia, Rosanna and Richmond Arquette -- was named Robert Arquette at birth. Her long roster of film roles includes Fourth Man in "Pulp Fiction" and George in "The Wedding Singer." She died Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016 at age 47.

Janet Mock

TV personality, writer and transgender advocate Janet Mock, who spent five years as an editor at People Magazine, was born Charles Mock. Here, she attends the 2015 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on July 15, 2015.

Chaz Bono

Born Chastity Bono, the only child of Cher and Sonny Bono, Chaz Salvatore Bono publicly transitioned from female to male between 2008 and 2010.

Gigi Gorgeous

Giselle Loren "Gigi" Lazzarato -- better known as Gigi Gorgeous -- was born Gregory Allan Lazzarato. The actress, model and YouTube sensation famously introduced Miley Cyrus at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. Here, she arrives on the VMA red carpet in Los Angeles on Aug. 30, 2015.

Lana Wachowski

Lana Wachowski, one of two siblings behind hits such as "The Matrix" series and "Cloud Atlas," was born Laurence.

Lilly Wachowski

Lilly Wachowski, born Andy Wachowski, announced she is transgender in March 2016, joining her older sibling of the filmmaking duo behind "The Matrix" franchise, Lana Wachowski, born Laurence Wachowski. Lilly Wachowski, 48, said her decision was prompted by a journalist from the Daily Mail, a British tabloid, who tried to coerce her into an interview about her transition.

Hari Nef

Transgender actress Hari Nef is best know for her roles in "Transparent," "Hellaware" and "Crush." Here, she attends the Jeffrey Fashion Cares 13th Annual Fashion Fundraiser at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum on April 4, 2016, in Manhattan. In May 2015, she became the first transgender model signed to IMG Models, an international agency.

Ian Harvie

Ian Harvie, named Janet at birth, is a transgender stand-up comedian and actor who is best known for his role on the Amazon TV series "Transparent." Here, he arrives at the Television Academy Honors at The Montage Hotel on May 27, 2015, in Beverly Hills.

Kitana 'Kiki' Rodriguez

Kitana "Kiki" Rodriguez is best know for her role in the groundbreaking 2015 transgender drama "Tangerine."

Isis King

Fashion model and designer Isis King, a former contestant on "America's Next Top Model," was born Darrell Walls. Here, she attends Logo TV's "Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word" screening in New York on Oct. 16, 2014.

Candis Cayne

Actress Candis Cayne, born Brendan McDaniel, starred in the ABC drama "Dirty Sexy Money." Here, she attends the 2015 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on July 15, 2015.

Jazz Jennings

Jazz Jennings, born Jared Jennings, is a teen reality TV star (TLC's "I Am Jazz") and author who was diagnosed with gender identity disorder at age 5. Here, she attends the ESPY Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on July 15, 2015.

Erika Ervin, aka 'Amazon Eve'

Erika Ervin, whose birth name is William, is a transgender model and actress best known for her role on the F/X TV series "American Horror: Freak Show" and the Netflix series "Hemlock Grove." At 6 feet, 8 inches tall, Ervin, known professionally as Amazon Eve, earned a place in the Guiness Book of World Records as the tallest model in the world. Here, she attends the Fox/FX Emmy Awards after-party on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, in Los Angeles.

Laverne Cox, born Roderick Laverne Cox, is best known for her portrayal of transgender character Sophia Burset on Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black." Fun fact: In flashbacks, Sophia's pre-transition self, Marcus, is played by Cox's real-life identical twin brother, Reginald Lamar Cox, who is listed as M. Lamar in the credits. Here, she attends the 22nd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 30, 2016.

Caitlyn Marie Jenner, born Bruce Jenner, is a retired Olympic gold-medal-winning decathlete, reality TV star and member of the Kardashian family via marriage to Kris Jenner. Here, she participates in E!'s "I Am Cait" panel at the NBCUniversal Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 14, 2016.

Christine Jorgensen, who was born George William Jorgensen Jr. in the Bronx and for a time lived in Massapequa, in 1951 became the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex reassignment surgery. She is seen here in 1953. Jorgensen, who had been a World War II soldier, died of cancer in 1989 at age 62.

Tennis player Renée Richards, born Richard Raskind, fought -- all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court -- for the right to play professional tennis as a woman at the 1977 U.S. Open. She won. Here, she is seen in July 1977.

After being disqualified from competing in the Miss Universe Canada competition, Jenna Talackova, born Walter Talackova, successfully challenged the decision in 2012 and advanced to the finals. Here, she is seen on April 3, 2012.

Amanda Lepore, born Armand Lepore, is a transgender model, singer and performer who bills herself as having "the most expensive body on Earth," presumably a reference to the cost of plastic surgery. Here she poses for a photo backstage at The Blonds fashion show during MADE Fashion Week Fall 2015 at Milk Studios in New York City on Feb. 18, 2015.