Angelica Ross (born November 28, 1980) is an American actress, businesswoman, and

transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...

rights advocate. A self-taught

computer programmer A programmer, computer programmer or coder is an author of computer source code someone with skill in computer programming. The professional titles ''software developer'' and ''software engineer'' are used for jobs that require a progr ...

, she went on to become founder and CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises, a firm that helps employ transgender people in the tech industry. Ross began her acting career in the web series '' Her Story'' (2016), after which she received further recognition and critical acclaim for her starring roles in the drama series '' Pose'' (2018–21) and the anthology horror series ''

American Horror Story ''American Horror Story'' (''AHS'') is an American horror film, horror anthology series, anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy (producer), Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the Cable television, cable network FX (TV channel), FX. Th ...

'' (2019–21), both from FX.

Early life

Angelica Ross was born on November 28, 1980, in

Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Wisconsin, fourth-most populous city in Wisconsin, with a population of 99,986 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. S ...

, then raised to the north in nearby Racine. Ross, a

trans woman A trans woman or transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity and may experience gender dysphoria (distress brought upon by the discrepancy between a person's gender identity and their ...

, has said she was perceived as feminine from a young age. In 1998, when she was 17, she

came out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

to her mother, an

evangelical Christian Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

. Her mother did not receive the news well; according to Ross, "she told me I should commit suicide or she would, because she couldn't have someone like me as her child." Ross considered ending her own life and overdosed on medication, but survived. Upon graduating high school at 17, Ross briefly attended the

University of Wisconsin–Parkside The University of Wisconsin–Parkside (UW Parkside or UWP) is a public university in Somers, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and has 4,644 students, 161 full-time faculty, and 89 lecturers and part-ti ...

before dropping out after one semester. Ross decided to join the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

(after her parents signed a waiver so that she could join as a minor) in order to qualify for the

G.I. Bill The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I. (military), G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in ...

. Ross initially moved to

Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

, before being stationed in

Yokosuka, Kanagawa is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has a population of 373,797, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th-most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city is ...

. After six months of service, she requested and received an "uncharacterized" discharge under the " Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy (which was then in force) due to being harassed by enlisted men who coerced her into saying she was gay. Ross moved back home, and made friends with a

drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses Drag (entertainment), drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate Femininity, female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have ...

named Traci Ross who helped her begin her

gender transition Gender transition is the process of affirming and expressing one's internal sense of gender, rather than the sex assigned to them at birth. It is a recommended course of treatment for individuals experiencing gender dysphoria, providing impro ...

at the age of 19. Upon discovering that she was transitioning, her mother threw her out and Ross moved in with her biological father (who was slightly more accepting of her) in

Roanoke, Virginia Roanoke ( ) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It lies in Southwest Virginia, along the Roanoke River, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Blue Ridge range of the greater Appalachian Mountains. Roanok ...

. Although Ross and her parents were estranged for a time, she states that they have since mended their relationship. During the six years that she lived in Roanoke, Ross worked as a waitress at

Applebee's Applebee's Restaurants LLC. is an American company that develops, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar restaurant chain. The Applebee's concept focuses on casual dining, with mainstream American dishes such as salads, ...

so she could earn enough money to pay rent and attend cosmetology school. Ross then moved to

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb in the Miami metropolitan area. The population of Hollywood was 153,067 as of 2020, making it the Broward County#Communities, third-largest city in Broward County, th ...

and worked as a model and escort, then web manager, until 2003. She started a web development and graphic design business and took acting classes. She later moved to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

to become the employment coordinator for the Trans Life Center.

Career

Acting

In 2005, Ross made her acting debut in the comedy film '' Natale a Miami'', followed by a role in the short film ''Bella Maddo'' (2010). In 2016, Ross received recognition for starring in '' Her Story'', a

web series A web series (also known as webseries, short-form series, and web show) is a series of short scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet (i.e. World Wide Web), which first emerged in the late 1 ...

about trans women in Los Angeles. The series was nominated for a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama. In 2017, she made guest appearances in the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

legal drama series ''

Doubt Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, and is certainty, uncertain about them. Doubt on an emotional level is indecision between belief and wikt:disbelief, disbelief. It may i ...

'', the

TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

crime drama series ''

Claws A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or tars ...

'', and the

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

comedy-drama series '' Transparent''. She also executive produced and starred in the short film ''Missed Connections'', which went on to be an official selection at Outfest 2017, Baltimore International Black Film Festival 2017, La Femme International Film Festival 2017, and Outflix Film Festival 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. In June 2017, Ross provided voice work for the

Amazon Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

animated series '' Danger & Eggs''. Her breakthrough role came in 2018, as Candy Ferocity in Ryan Murphy's FX drama series '' Pose''. For her performance, she earned critical acclaim. She went on to star as psychologist Donna Chambers in the FX anthology horror series '' American Horror Story: 1984'', which made her the first transgender actress to secure two series regular roles. The series was also her second collaboration with Murphy. Her performance garnered critical acclaim by fans and critics alike. In 2021 Ross returned as a series regular for the show's tenth season. In 2020, Ross signed a deal with Pigeon to develop its television projects. She portrays Georgia, a transgender woman, in the 2022 film ''

Framing Agnes ''Framing Agnes'' is a 2022 Canadian documentary film, directed by Chase Joynt. An examination of transgender histories, the film centres on Joynt and a cast of transgender actors reenacting various case studies from Harold Garfinkel's work with ...

''. Ross made her

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

debut as

Roxie Hart Roxanne "Roxie" Hart is a fictional character. She is the main character of the 1926 play ''Chicago'' and its various remakes and derivatives. Development The playwright, reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, was inspired by the trials, both of which ...

in the musical ''

'' in a limited engagement from September 12 to November 6, 2022. With this role, she became the first trans woman to play a leading role on Broadway. On September 21, 2023, Ross posted on

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

that she is "leaving Hollywood", having experienced what she perceived as a pattern of mistreatment in the industry. In an interview published the following day, she related more details about her experiences on the set of ''American Horror Story'', and stated that she is moving back to Georgia and preparing to run for public office.

Technology

Ross taught herself coding, and started her journey in the technology industry in web management. She also learned graphic design and photography using videos online, taking photos for rappers and designing backstage passes. Ross later was hired by the Chicago House's TransLife Center which caters to trans individuals seeking employment, housing and other aid. Her role focused on employment coordination program development. In 2014, Ross founded the company TransTech Social Enterprises, acting as CEO. The nonprofit creative design firm trains and contracts transgender and other workers.

Melissa Harris-Perry Melissa Victoria Harris-Perry (born October 2, 1973), formerly known as Melissa Victoria Harris-Lacewell, is an American writer, professor, television host, and political commentator with a focus on African-American politics. Harris-Perry hoste ...

brought more attention to the firm in 2015, choosing Ross as her show's first "Foot Soldier" of the year. Educating others on the mission of the firm included MSNBC airing a documentary about it. Ross returned as head of TransTech in 2024, replacing outgoing Executive Director E.C. Pizarro III. Ross is also the president of Miss Ross, Inc. and founded the TransTech Summit. Ross described the goals of TransTech as including to foster skills in the technology industry, especially for trans people. As the world became more digitized, Ross saw the opportunity for expanding remote working via telecommunication as there can be flexible solutions to workplace issues. Ross was a featured speaker at the 2015 White House

LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...

Tech and Innovation Summit.

Other ventures

In January 2024, Ross announced the launch of a new weekly podcast, ''N.O.W.: No Opportunity Wasted'', featuring "deep discussion on everything from politics to pop culture with world leaders, celebrities and everyday people".

Activism

Ross was a celebrity ambassador to the 50th Anniversary Stonewall celebration that took place in June 2019 during Pride. On September 20, 2019, Ross hosted the 2020 Presidential Candidate Forum on LGBTQ Issues. This made her the first openly transgender person to host an American presidential forum. On September 28, 2019, Ross was a featured speaker at the National Trans Visibility March in

Washington D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Personal life

Ross was once engaged, but called off the engagement as her fiancé did not want others to know that Ross was transgender. She is a practicing

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Honors

* In 2015, Ross was named "1st Foot Soldier of the Year" by

* In June 2019, to mark the 50th anniversary of the

Stonewall riots The Stonewall riots (also known as the Stonewall uprising, Stonewall rebellion, Stonewall revolution, or simply Stonewall) were a series of spontaneous riots and demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of ...

, an event widely considered a watershed moment in the modern LGBTQ rights movement, ''

Queerty ''Queerty'' is an online magazine and newspaper covering gay- and LGBTQ-oriented entertainment and news, founded in 2005 by David Hauslaib. As of June 2015, the site had more than five million monthly unique visitors. History ''Queerty'' was ...

'' named her one of the ''Pride50'' "trailblazing individuals who actively ensure society remains moving towards

equality Equality generally refers to the fact of being equal, of having the same value. In specific contexts, equality may refer to: Society * Egalitarianism, a trend of thought that favors equality for all people ** Political egalitarianism, in which ...

, acceptance and dignity for all

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

people".

References

External links

*
TransTech Social Enterprises
web site * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Angelica African-American female military personnel American computer programmers American television actresses American women chief executives African-American LGBTQ people Transgender Buddhists American transgender actresses American LGBTQ businesspeople American LGBTQ rights activists LGBTQ people from Wisconsin Living people People from Racine, Wisconsin Transgender rights activists Transgender businesspeople African-American company founders American company founders American women company founders Transgender military personnel American LGBTQ military personnel American military personnel discharged for homosexuality People from Kenosha, Wisconsin 21st-century African-American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Wisconsin American Buddhists Women in the United States Navy 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people 21st-century American LGBTQ people 20th-century African-American women African-American United States Navy personnel 1980 births