Teen Vogue puts two black trans models, Jari Jones and Munroe Bergdorf, on September issue

Teen Vogue is the latest magazine to spotlight activists with its September issue, featuring a pair of black trans women on dual covers. 

On Wednesday, the publication unveiled its two covers with starring activist-models Jari Jones and Munroe Bergdorf.

‘During a year of rebellion + revolution, this September we wanted to center the women at the heart of fashion but often left out of the conversation: @munroebergdorf + @iamjarijones — two black trans women who are trailblazers, redefining the industry,’ they wrote on Twitter.

In an intro to the two cover stories, Teen Vogue says that ‘fashion’s future is already here.’ 

‘For this month’s cover, in light of a year of rebellion and revolution, Teen Vogue wanted to spotlight the women who are at the heart of fashion but often left out of the conversation: Two black trans women that are trailblazers in redefining beauty, fashion, and culture. 

‘Black trans women’s lives matter — not just when we are protesting in the streets —but also on the cover of magazines,’ the magazine said.

One of the cover stars, Jari Jones, 29, earned quite a bit of attention earlier this summer when she became one of the faces of Calvin Klein’s 2020 Pride campaign, with a huge billboard in lower Manhattan.

‘Today, on #JUNETEENTH2020 a Fat Black Trans Woman Looks over NEW YORK,’ she wrote on social media at the time, celebrating the achievement.

Now she is celebrating her cover, saying it looks like her ‘whole heart personified’. 

‘We have all had dreams about gracing a Vogue cover but how often we had to skew our image to even imagine it,’ she said, saying the magazine gave her ‘the platform to exist in my real self, to give in my genuine skin, to inspire in my authentic body.’

But Jari did admit that she feels conflicted about plus-size women and trans women being called ‘brave’ when they proudly embrace their bodies.

‘I can see people are coming from a good place when they’re saying this, but I also find it… othering, especially when I’m on a set full of cis women or cis models,’ she said.  

‘I become like, a focal piece. I was hired to do a job for me, and yes, that’s a part of my identity, but I don’t want that to be everybody’s talking point while we’re shooting.  

‘Like, “Oh, the trans model is here,” or, “Oh, the plus-size model is here.” That’s apparent already. Everybody knows that. I get that people are trying to connect, but try to find the [humanity] in me more than try to pick up on my identity and make that the conversation point.’  

Still, she stressed the importance of people seeing ‘black trans girl be a part of art,’ and that they can do it too — and it’s not just about luck, but merit.

‘I want them to feel that comfortability in knowing that they deserve that, that it is something they worked hard for, and then they got it,’ she said. 

‘Because, I think, so often when we see marginalized folks in those kinds of positions, or celebrated in such public ways, our minds automatically think, “Wow, they had a lucky moment,” or, “Wow, they really got that by chance,” and not that they worked their whole lives doing it or not that they sacrificed a lot to get to that moment.  

Meanwhile, Munroe Bergdorf, 32, talked about one of her claims to fame: She was the first trans model to appear in a UK campaign for L’Oréal, but was fired after she wrote a social media post about racism.

‘Our country is very different to, say, America when it comes to racism,’ she said. ‘It’s frustrating, because I feel like we’re just not used to having these conversations.’

She is still on a mission to educate people.

‘The definition of racism within black communities is not the definition of racism within white communities, so there’s that complete fracture between understanding of our realities,’ she said. ‘Black people are navigating almost a different dimension than what white people are aware of.’

As for landing the cover of Teen Vogue cover, Munroe is thrilled.

She wrote on Instagram: ‘I really don’t have the words to describe how this feels. As a Black, queer, transgender woman, I never ever thought that I could be on the cover of Vogue. But here we are! 

‘Dreams do come true … This is a moment I won’t ever forget,’ she wrote on Instagram