Chevalier D'Eon (1728-1810) is seen today as an early and important gender-nonconforming public figure. After an impressive career as a spy and diplomat, she lived as a woman despite facing public scrutiny.

Carmen Rupe (1936-2011) was an iconic drag queen from New Zealand: an activist, a performer, a would-be politician, and above all, a barrier breaker for the queer community.

Brenda Fassie (1964-2004) was South Africa’s queen of pop music. She had a fiery spirit and her fair share of controversies in the press, but that didn’t stop her from capturing the hearts of audiences across the globe.