Givenchy Muse Lea T’s Paris Vogue profile
Photo from The Imagist

Of course, that makes the nude all the more provocative. Her gaze is calm and direct, and the casual placement of her hand clearly reveals that she hasn’t had gender reassignment surgery. Unlike in the buzzed-about Givenchy ad, she doesn’t wear ostentatious makeup or strike any of the dramatic poses that usually mark high fashion editorials. She is simply, arrestingly bare. With her long hair draped over her shoulders, Lea looks straight out of the Garden of Eden — and that is perhaps what’s most subversive about the photo: its ability to make us re-conceive of what we think of as “natural.”

[From French Vogue’s delightfully subversive nude – Gender – Salon.com]

There is a lot of strength in this photograph. I love the commentary in this quote, it is a natural portrait. it is unabashed, strong, challenging and surprising. she isn’t hiding who she is, she’s embracing it, embracing both sides of who she is. if the comments I’ve read and heard about it are any guide many people don’t see someone trans, they see a strong, nude woman.
I know a number of trans people, M-F and F-M. I’ve watched the journey of their transformations and the impact this has on themselves, their family and their friends. as a queer identified person with a great many queer friends I’ve sat in on discussions of gender identity and reassignment with great interest. gender is even something I am hoping to explore in an upcoming series. I love the power of identity in this photograph- gender seems to be almost an afternote in this photograph to the enormous strength of self.