4. Kye Allums
Allums is the first openly transgender man to publicly come out as trans and compete in a Division I basketball team. Born Kay-Kay, Kye decided as a junior at George Washington University to change names and explained that while he was born a woman, he identified as a man and wanted to be referred to with male pronouns and the name Kye. Despite identifying as a man, Kye continued to play on the women’s basketball team, and both his teammates and coach were very supportive. “I decided to do it because I was uncomfortable not being able to be myself,” explained Allums. “Just having to hear the words ‘she’ and ‘her,’ it was really starting to bother me,” writes the NY Times. Kye now acts as a public speaker, advocate for the transgender community and mentor to LGBT teens, working to raise awareness and encourage others to share their experiences.
