Leyna Bloom

{{Short description|American actress, model, dancer, and activist}}

{{Infobox model

| name = Leyna Bloom

| image = Leyna Bloom modeling Chromat Spring-Summer 2018, headshot.jpg

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| caption = Bloom at New York Fashion Week 2018

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| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|25|2019|05|19}}{{cite news |last1=Kaufman |first1=Amy |title=How Leyna Bloom became the first transgender actress of color to star in a film at Cannes |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-cannes-leyna-bloom-port-authority-transgender-20190519-story.html |accessdate=December 26, 2019 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 19, 2019}}

| birth_place = Chicago, IL

| nationality = American

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| citizenship =American

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| occupation = Fashion model • dancer • actress • activist

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| height = 5 ft 10 in

| hair_color = Brown

| eye_color = Brown

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Leyna Bloom is an American actress, model, dancer, and activist. She has attracted press as a trailblazer for transgender performers in the entertainment and fashion industries.{{Cite web|date=2021-07-20|title=Who Is Leyna Bloom? Meet the Groundbreaking 'Sports Illustrated' Model|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/who-is-leyna-bloom-5-fast-facts-about-sports-illustrated-model/|access-date=2021-12-31|website=Us Weekly|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2019-04-18|title=Meet Leyna Bloom, First Trans Woman of Color to Lead a Cannes Premiere|url=https://www.out.com/film/2019/4/18/leyna-bloom-port-authority-cannes-premiere|access-date=2019-05-02|website=www.out.com|language=en}}

In 2019, Bloom made her feature film acting debut in Port Authority, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She has modeled for several brands and fashion designers, including Jeremy Scott, and has appeared in magazines such as Vogue India and Sports Illustrated.

Early life

Bloom was born in Chicago, Illinois to a Filipina mother and an African-American father.{{cite web|url=https://chromat.co/blogs/news/leyna|title=Show Up and Show Out: Leyna Bloom|date=August 8, 2017|website=Chromat|accessdate=October 1, 2017}} Bloom's father later supported her decision to transition.{{cite web|date=March 11, 2017|title=This trans woman has a message: 'When you accept us, you accept yourself'|url=https://www.facebook.com/BuzzFeedLGBT/videos/1433782539976093/|website=BuzzFeed|publisher=Facebook|accessdate=October 1, 2017}}

Career

= Acting =

In October 2018, Deadline Hollywood announced that Bloom would star opposite Fionn Whitehead in Danielle Lessovitz's first feature film, Port Authority, which is backed by executive producer Martin Scorsese.{{Cite web|last=Wiseman|first=Andreas|date=2018-10-19|title=Martin Scorsese's Sikelia & RT Features Wrap 'Port Authority' With 'Dunkirk' Star Fionn Whitehead, MUBI's First Production|url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/martin-scorseses-transgender-port-authority-dunkirk-fionn-whitehead-mubi-1202485981/|access-date=2019-05-02|website=Deadline|language=en}}

In 2019, Bloom made her feature film acting debut in Port Authority, directed by Danielle Lessovitz, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section,{{cite web|title=Cannes festival 2019: full list of films|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/apr/18/cannes-festival-2019-full-list-of-films|access-date=April 18, 2019|work=The Guardian}} marking the first film in the festival's 72-year history to feature a trans woman of color in a leading role.{{Cite web|date=2019-05-24|title=Inside Leyna Bloom's History-Making Cannes Experience|url=https://www.vogue.com/vogueworld/article/leyna-bloom-cannes-film-festival-2019-diary|access-date=2021-12-31|website=Vogue|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Setoodeh|first=Ramin|date=2019-05-16|title=Cannes: Leyna Bloom Makes History as First Transgender Lead Actress of Color at Festival|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/festivals/leyna-bloom-transgender-lead-actress-of-color-cannes-1203217125/|access-date=2021-12-31|website=Variety|language=en-US}} Casting Director Damian Bao found Bloom at a voguing ball in Philadelphia. When she met Bao and heard what the indie film was about, she felt like the part was meant for her. “I’m not just trying to act as a trans woman in ballroom — I am a trans woman in ballroom playing a character,” she said. “It’s very real and it’s very raw and it means a lot to me, because I am in this moment representing the most marginalized community in the world.”{{cite web |last1=Kaufman |first1=Amy |title=How Chicagoan Leyna Bloom became the first transgender actress of color to star in a film at Cannes |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2019/05/19/how-chicagoan-leyna-bloom-became-the-first-transgender-actress-of-color-to-star-in-a-film-at-cannes/ |website=Chicago Tribune |access-date=19 May 2019}}

In 2021, Bloom appeared in the third and final season of the FX drama series Pose.{{Cite web|last1=June 03|first1=Marcus Jones|last2=EDT|first2=2021 at 03:23 PM|title='Port Authority' star Leyna Bloom on making Cannes history and her full-circle 'Pose' moment|url=https://ew.com/movies/leyna-bloom-port-authority-pose-interview/|access-date=2021-12-31|website=EW.com|language=en}}

= Ballroom =

Bloom is a fixture in the queer ballroom scene as a member of the House of Miyake-Mugler and made an international name for herself competing at balls in the category of face.File:Leyna Bloom modeling Chromat Spring-Summer 2018, full length.jpg Spring-Summer 2018 Serenity Collection at New York Fashion Week|356x356px]]

= Modeling =

In 2014, Bloom appeared in a C☆NDY Magazine cover feature on prominent trans women.{{cite web|last1=Nichols|first1=James|date=December 16, 2014|title=Some Of The World's Most Famous Transgender Women Cover CANDY Magazine|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/16/transgender-women-candy_n_6335864.html|website=The Huffington Post|accessdate=October 1, 2017}}{{cite magazine|last1=Friedman|first1=Megan|date=December 17, 2014|title=The Most Famous Transgender Women Have Their Own Magazine Cover: Yes!|url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/news/a34339/transgender-women-magazine-cover-candy/|magazine=Cosmopolitan|accessdate=October 1, 2017}} Bloom was not open about being transgender before that photo shoot; she decided to come out as she felt liberated sharing a major magazine cover with 13 other trans women.

As one of few openly transgender models working in the industry, in September 2017, Bloom made news for walking the runway for the Chromat label during New York Fashion Week.{{cite news|date=September 9, 2017|title=Transgender and plus-size models make this fashion's most diverse runway ever|newspaper=Yahoo!|url=https://www.yahoo.com/style/transgender-plus-size-models-made-fashions-diverse-runway-ever-175856164.html|accessdate=October 1, 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Tai|first1=Cordelia|date=February 23, 2017|title=Diversity Report: Landmark Gains at New York Fashion Week Fall 2017, but Is It Enough|url=http://www.thefashionspot.com/runway-news/736761-new-york-fashion-week-fall-2017-diversity-report/|website=The Fashion Spot|accessdate=October 1, 2017}} In October 2017, Bloom became the first openly transgender woman of color to appear in Vogue India.{{cite web|last1=Lubitz|first1=Rachel|date=October 13, 2017|title=Model Leyna Bloom becomes the first out transgender model of color to be featured in 'Vogue' India|url=https://mic.com/articles/185190/model-leyna-bloom-becomes-the-first-out-transgender-model-of-color-to-be-featured-in-vogue-india|website=Mic.com|accessdate=October 13, 2017}}

On April 9, 2018, she launched a viral campaign on Twitter to be cast as the first openly trans woman to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.{{Cite web|date=11 April 2018|title=Leyna Bloom Is Campaigning to Be the First Trans Woman of Color on the Victoria's Secret Runway|url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/leyna-bloom-campaign-first-trans-woman-victorias-secret|access-date=2019-03-12|website=Teen Vogue|language=en}} Because of Bloom's comments and the reactions from other models, Victoria's Secret casting direction has been criticized by professionals and fashion journalists.{{Cite web|date=12 November 2018|title=Kendall Jenner Posts Support for Transgender Women After Victoria's Secret Exec's Controversial Comments|url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/victorias-secret-ed-razek-transgender-model-comments-response|access-date=2019-05-02|website=Teen Vogue|language=en}}

Later that year, Leyna Bloom was cast as one of the faces of the H&M x Moschino by Jeremy Scott Fall/Winter 2018 international campaign shot by the legendary fashion photographer Steven Meisel. She starred in the campaign with Gigi Hadid, Stella Maxwell, Soo Joo Park, Imaan Hammam, and Yasmin Wijnaldum.{{Cite web|title=H&M x Moschino Fall 2018 (H&M)|url=https://models.com/work/hm-hm-x-moschino-fall-2018|access-date=2019-05-02|website=MODELS.com}}

Glamour named Leyna Bloom as one of "6 Women Who Are Shaping the Future of Fashion” in the October 2018 issue.{{Cite web|date=23 October 2018|title=These 6 Women Are Making Diversity in Fashion a Reality|url=https://www.glamour.com/story/women-shaping-the-future-of-fashion|access-date=2019-05-02|website=Glamour|language=en}}

In March 2019, Leyna Bloom was the only transgender woman of color to walk Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2019 at the Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya fashion show in an all black cast.{{Cite web|date=2019-03-25|title=Fall 2019 Runway Diversity Report: Racial and Age Diversity Step Forward, Size and Gender Inclusivity Step Back|url=https://www.thefashionspot.com/runway-news/828413-diversity-report-fall-2019-runways/|access-date=2019-04-19|website=theFashionSpot}}

In March 2021, it was announced that Bloom would appear as a model in the July swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated, making her the first openly transgender Black and Asian-American Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue model.{{cite web|date=March 16, 2021|title=Leyna Bloom makes history as 1st Black, Asian transgender Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model|url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/style/story/leyna-bloom-makes-history-1st-black-asian-transgender-76486759|access-date=March 16, 2021|website=Good Morning America}}{{Cite web|date=2021-07-19|title=Leyna Bloom is Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue's first trans cover star|url=http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/jul/19/leyna-bloom-sports-illustrated-transgender-cover-star|access-date=2021-07-20|website=The Guardian|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Leyna Bloom Becomes 1st Transgender Model to Cover Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue: 'A Living Testament'|url=https://people.com/style/leyna-bloom-first-transgender-model-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-issue-cover/|access-date=2021-07-20|website=PEOPLE.com|language=en}}