Parker Marie Molloy, The Daily Beast
July 26, 2014

Over the past year, it seems as though transgender issues have finally begun to resonate with the public consciousness. From Laverne Cox's Time magazine cover and subsequent Emmy nomination to the release of Janet Mock's stunningly successful memoir, by outward appearances, the state of trans issues seems to be improving at a rapid pace.

Beneath the stories of success and recognition, however, is an epidemic of discrimination, assault, poverty, and murder. While both Mock and Cox have taken up the mantle of activist, working tirelessly to highlight these oft-overlooked issues, the question has to be asked: how much can celebrity role models and figureheads impact the devastating legal, criminal, and social issues facing trans people? Going further, how much of an obligation do openly trans celebrities have in efforts to advance trans rights?

Adding another name to the list of openly transgender celebrities is famously androgynous model Andreja Pejić, who last night came out as a transgender woman. The model, known for her versatility and ability to thrive modeling both men's and women's fashions, came out to Entertainment Tonight, People, and Style. Though she's far from the first openly transgender model, Pejić seems poised to become the world's most well-known trans model.

More: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/26/trans-celebs-are-great-trans-leaders-are-better.html

I almost entirely agree and hope the article draws as much attention as possible. I specifically agree that "it's safe to say that the mainstream media's coverage of trans issues will fail to extend[...]. The media, as it has done for decades, will continue to ignore the plight of the at-risk trans population."

My only qualm is that the statistics cited are typically not representative of trans people as a whole but rather are significantly affected by the unique suffering of trans women of colour. I'd like to see the challenges faced by that group acknowledged.