Handsome Men Who Were Once Women Are Winning Hearts

In 2015, Holland's Next Top Model crowned Loiza Lamers, the first trans contestant to win a Top Model cycle worldwide. This victory surely made its mark in the history of fashion. Totally changing the face of beauty, trans men and women often appear now on the covers and pages of fashion magazines and on runways all over the world.

At Bright Side, we have gathered 9 stories of incredibly handsome transmen who have broken conventional beauty standards!

1. Balian Buschbaum

In 2007, Yvonne Buschbaum, Olympic German pole vaulter, announced his retirement from the sport, due to a desire to undergo gender reassignment surgery. According to Balian, it was a well-considered decision and, in the Changing Gender episode of National Geographic’s series, he admits that, from his early childhood, he felt he’d been born in the wrong body and had always wanted to change it.

In 2013, Balian Buschbaum appeared on the German version of Dancing With the Stars show. Now he works as a life coach and his photos often appear on the pages of fashion magazines.

2. Chaz Bono

Bono sounds familiar, doesn’t it? That’s because Chaz Bono is the only child of famed pop performers Sonny Bono and Cher! He was born Chastity Bono in 1969 and appeared on his parents' comedy show as a little girl.

Until 2000, he worked as an actor, writer, and media director for Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). In 2008, Bono began the physical transition from female to male and later, he shared his experience in the film called Becoming Chaz.

3. Buck Angel

Buck Angel is a living legend and an icon in the LGBT community! He was born as Susan and worked as a professional female model, hiding his secret for years. The pressure of gender confusion had a great impact on his personality and led to substance abuse. Only the decision to undergo a gender reassignment surgery helped him get a new start in life.

In 2007, Buck was crowned as Transsexual Performer of the Year in the Adult Video News Award. Currently, he runs his own adult films production company, works as a model, advocate, lecturer, and writer.

4. Lucas Silveira

Lucas Silveira is a Canadian rock musician and composer, who was born a girl – as Lilia Silveira. In 2004, Lucas came out to his family as a transgender man. Currently, he is the frontman of the Cliks rock band and an LGBT activist. In 2010, Silveira became the first transgender man to gain the Sexiest Canadian Man Award according to Canada's Premier Music Magazine.

5. Katastrophe

Rocco Kayiatos, also known by his stage name Katastrophe, is an American rapper and producer. His career started a long time ago – in 1998, when Rocco won at a Youth Speaks poetry slam. Katastrophe is considered to be the first transmen artist in the hip-hop genre. Currently, he often appears not only as a singer but also as an actor and a model.

6. Jamie Wilson

Jamie Wilson is a 20-year-old country musician who lived as a woman for 18 years before coming out as transgender person and going through sex reassignment surgery. After 2 years of training and hormone therapy, Jamie became unrecognizable! Now he is a promising male model who has already appeared on the cover of Candy magazine, as well as in advertisements for several men’s underwear brands.

7. Thomas Beatie

Thomas Beatie gained international attention as the world’s first ‘pregnant’ man. Since his wife was infertile, Beatie decided to keep his female sex organs so they could have a baby. To date, he has 3 children to whom he gave birth on his own. Currently, Thomas Beatie is a writer and an advocate of transgender and sexuality issues.

8. Aydian Dowling

It is hard to believe, but this bearded, tattooed hunk was born a girl and has only been living as a man for 8 years. Aydian founded a YouTube channel devoted to his transition and bodybuilding.

He gained worldwide recognition in 2015 when he was named among 5 semi-finalists of the Men's Health Ultimate Guy competition. Unfortunately, he wasn’t destined to be the first transman model on the cover of Men’s Health magazine. But we are sure that it was only the start of a great modeling career!

9. Ben Melzer

Ben was born in 1987 as a girl –Yvonne Melzer, but he always felt uncomfortable in his own body. At the age of 23, he started his transgender transition from female to male.

Now, he is well-known in the fashion world as he was the first transman to be featured on the European cover of Men’s Health magazine! Over the last few years, Ben took part in various fashion projects by major brands and designers. And as he said to NBC News, “Now I feel like a normal man. It is as if Yvonne never existed.”

Which of these stories did you find the most inspiring? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!