Leyna Bloom

#LeynaBloom: Growing up in Chicago to a Filipina mother and African American father, Bloom was raised primarily by her father after her mother was deported. As she grew up and came into her truth, her father was supportive of her transition. A dancer, she performed on stage with #MistyCopeland when she was 14. Though she received a scholarship from the Chicago Academy for the Arts as a teenager, she dropped out because the men’s scholarship did not allow her to dance as a woman, which would be denying her of her truth. From Chicago she went to New York City, and though homeless was well-known in the ballroom scene of Harlem and became mother to the house of #MiyakeMugler where she was known as the “Polynesian Princess” for her mixed heritage. She continued to work and eventually became involved in modeling. It was as a model that she would first gain international attention as the first openly transgender woman of color to appear in #VogueIndia. From there she worked as an actress and garnered international attention again for her feature film debut in #PortAuthority which premiered at #CannesFilmFestival, where she was the first trans woman of color performing in a lead role of a movie feature at a major film festival. In 2019, Bloom was the only transgender woman of color to walk in #ParisFashionWeek, and in 2021 it was announced that Bloom would model in the July #SportsIllustrated swimsuit edition, making her the first openly transgender Black and Asian-American Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. #PrideMonth #LGBTQIA #LGBTQIAPride #Pride #LegendsOfPride #YouCannotEraseUs