Calpernia Addams
While Calpernia Addams is renowned as one of the most outspoken activists for transgender rights, she herself stayed closeted for much of her tenure in the US Navy and Marine Corps due to fear of assault. Calpernia came out as a transgender woman in her final year of service, despite having served under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era. Calpernia was chosen for two reasons: it was a character’s name in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, and it appeared on a tombstone in an episode of The Addams Family. The name suits her both personally and professionally as an actor and ambassador.
Calpernia Addams
Peppermint
Her larger-than-life personality, affectionately known as Miss Peppermint, was well-liked during her reign as a drag queen in the New York City nightclub scene. She drew RuPaul’s attention and finished as the runner-up on the ninth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2017. Peppermint was cast as Pythio in The Go-inspired Go’s musical Head Over Heels on Broadway in 2018. While getting a main role on Broadway is a huge accomplishment for any aspiring actor, it was extra noteworthy for Peppermint and the LGBTQ+ community because she was the first transgender woman to do so. Though it may appear that Peppermint was lucky, she has been acting since she was a toddler and attended college to seek a musical theater degree.
Peppermint
