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10 May 2019

Indya Moore makes history as first transwoman to cover US ‘Elle Magazine’

The actress is currently starring in Ryan Murphy's latest show 'Pose'

By Steve Brown

Words: Steve Brown

Indya Moore has made history by becoming the first transwoman to cover the US version of Elle Magazine.

Having appeared as the face of Louis Vuitton, as well as Calvin Klein, the Pose star has made history after she graces the cover of the American version of Elle.

Writing on Twitter, Moore said: “Thank you for having me as your first experience covering a trans person. I know I will not be the last.

“so excited to see Elle leverage their platform to help other talent of trans xp find visibility, & the safe space to be acknowledged & vulnerable in this powerful way.”

The actress – who is starring in Ryan Murphy’s latest series Pose alongside Billy Porter – then posted a number of images from inside her cover shoot on her social media platforms.

Although this marks the first time a transwoman has covered the US version of the magazine, other transwomen including Valentina Sampaio and Lea T have all covered international versions of the publication.

 
 
 
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We don’t always have access to the tools we need to break wall, break ground & Reconstruct space invading infrastructure that is designed homogenously & exclusively. so many of us use our hands, arms legs & feet, have died in the process too, Just to weaken these infrastructures enough so that people with tools and break them. I am so grateful for them- all the trans and gender non-conforming people who have attacked these walls, chipped and even broke part of and so much the infrastructure down with bare fist and foot. I am so grateful for everyone within the infrastructures who have chosen to listen, watched, stepped out to see the people around these structures that have been marginalized and locked out for having different experiences & have helped to break down these structures of priviledge and take that labor from those who die because of a lack of access, and fall short of visibility because of lack of access & safety… There is so much more work to do- so much more listening so much more intentionality, & vindicational work that must be done for marginalized people. ELLE: @elleusa Editor in Chief: Nina Garcia @ninagarcia Photographer: Zoey Grossman @zoeygrossman Stylist: Charles Varenne @charlesvarenne Hair: Hos Hounkpatin @hoshounkpatin Makeup: Vincent Oquendo @makeupvincent Manicure: Marisa Carmichael @marisacarmichael

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thank you @ninagarcia for choosing me to be your cover of june. this is an immense honor. im still taking it in. It’s extremely overwhelming. I appreciate you for leaning into me, knowing the future i stand for & by covering me for june- acknowledging the way I utilize my platform to uphold those values & this vision. It’s so Revolutionary to have someone like be your cover star. Especially as june approaches i’m thinking about the stone wall anniversary and how many black and brown queer people have died so queerness and gender variant/trans experiences can be humanized. We have come so far and I am so thankful that something about me or my community opened your eyes to us in the ways it has that resulted in my feature. There is still more work to do and everyday, and in nearly every conversation I hold I am thinking about ways to access people who are not systemically marginalized to inform them enough so that the burdeon doesn’t always fall on marginalized black brown queer and gender variant peoples backs to free ourselves from chains we did not create. We still have a long way to go. Queerness doesn’t seem always ok to exist unless it entertaintains the non queer majority- Gender variant and transness doesn’t always seem to be okay when it doesn’t entertain the non gendervariant /trans majority and black/brownness doesn’t seem to be okay when it isn’t entertaining the non black and brown majority. This june- I hold a very personal and special, celebratory pride for my intersectional identities and the ways those who don’t or may not share those identity experiences take part in celebrating them too. ELLE: @elleusa Editor in Chief: Nina Garcia @ninagarcia Photographer: Zoey Grossman @zoeygrossman Stylist: Charles Varenne @charlesvarenne Hair: Hos Hounkpatin @hoshounkpatin Makeup: Vincent Oquendo @makeupvincent Manicure: Marisa Carmichael @marisacarmichael

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