Trans models get naked for PETA anti-fur campaign
By Will Stroude
Two of the world’s biggest transgender models have got naked in the name of animal welfare.
Benjamin Melzer and Loiza Lamers are the latest stars to have strip off as part of PETA’s ‘I’d rather go naked than wear fur’ campaign, which encourages people to ditch the animal hides from their wardrobe.
The pair were shot completely in the nude by fashion photographer Ray Depatti for the project’s latest eye-catching poster, which declares: “Transform Your Wardrobe – Don’t Wear Fur.”
29-year-old Melzer, who made history last year when he became the first transgender man to appear on the cover of Men’s Health‘s German edition, said of the campaign: “Fur has no place in anyone’s wardrobe, and we encourage all compassionate people to leave it where it belongs: on animals.”
Lamers, who became the first transgender contestant to win Holland’s Next Top Model in 2015, added: “Wearing the pelt of a tormented animal who was electrocuted, beaten, drowned, or skinned alive is creepy and cruel. There are so many fur-free clothing options available now that it’s easy to have a killer look without killing animals.”
Speaking to Attitude about his position as one of Germany’s most prominent transgender people last year, Ben said: “I don’t tell people I am trans as soon as I meet them. Once I form a friendship then I’ll open the conversation. It’s hard for me to say ‘I’m a trans guy’ because I just feel like a normal guy, and most people treat me like a man.
He continued: “I’m not like a lot of guys in Germany. I love fashion and sports; I am my own guy. I think most of Germany doesn’t know anything about transgender people, but it’s a tolerant, open place. I want to show everyone we are not freaks; we are normal guys. We didn’t choose this; we were born this way.”v
There’s plenty more of Ben to enjoy over on his Instagram too, fyi…
More stories:Scream’s top 10 most iconic deaths, rankedCelebrity Big Brother’s Jordan caught without his pants on