Trans model to appear on Men’s Health cover in Germany as UK welcomes senior trans judge
Image: Ben Melzer (Photo: Instagram)
BEN Melzer will become first trans man to be featured on the front cover of a men’s fitness magazine in Europe, after a recently winning a model contest for the German edition of Men’s Health.
The 28-year-old model landed the prized position after winning the magazine’s cover model competition.
It’s not the first time a trans man has graced a men’s fitness cover – the first person to do so was Aydian Dowling, who appeared on the cover of a special collector’s edition of Men’s Health US a few months ago.
Like Melzer, Dowling had entered a cover model competition and although he came runner-up, he was the Reader’s Choice with 72,000 votes.
After winning the cover model contest for Men’s Health Germany, Melzer began to open up about his transition.
“My inside and outside finally fit and that’s why I’m not at all shamed to talk about it,” Melzer said in a video posted by Now This.
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He hopes to use the publicity surrounding his bid for the cover as a way to give hope to other people coming to terms with their gender identity.
“When I was in that situation, I had nobody to talk to, nobody to ask all these questions. That’s what I want to do. I want to give the community a face, stand up and answer those question for people,” he said.
In an interview with Towleroad, Melzer explained the struggles with transitioning and being athletic.
“I started transitioning at the age of 23 and I always had a passion for fitness but, because of the surgeries, it was hard to achieve my goal,” he said.
“After about three years everything was finally done and I started to concentrate on my training and diet.”
A photo posted by Benjamin Melzer (@egoshooter) on
Melzer’s achievement comes just as Victoria McCloud became the first senior UK High Court judge who happens to be a trans female.
At 46, McCloud is also the youngest Master of the High Court in UK history, according to the Daily Mail.
McLoud, who lives with longterm partner Annie McLoud in London, has previously chaired some high-profile cases involving celebrities such Russell Brand and Katie Price.
