Photos : See these 10 men who were originally born women

These ten men were originally born women. They have all undergone surgeries and embraced their new sexuality, and they are all successful, handsome, and heroes in their chosen fields.

1. Buck Angel

Adult filmmaker and transsexual Buck Angel is now an icon in the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community. 

His secondary sex characteristics began to develop at around age 16. Unaware of treatments for gender dysphoria, he lived for years as a female professional model, dissatisfied with his identity and existence. Eventually, Buck Angel came to terms with his sexuality, became an adult film performer and the 2007 winner of the Adult Video News Award 'Transsexual Performer of the Year'. 

He currently works as an advocate, educator, lecturer and writer, and runs his own production company.

2. Balian Buschbaum (Yvonne Buschbaum)

Balian Buschbaum was born in 1980 as Yvonne Buschbaum, and he is a former German pole vaulter. Though he was the second best female pole vaulter in Germany, in 2007 Buschbaum announced his retirement due to a persistent injury. He also expressed his desire to begin gender reassignment therapy. In 2008 he officially changed his name and underwent gender reassignment surgery to become a man.

3. Loren Rex Cameron 

Loren Rex Cameron is an American photographer, author and transsexual activist. His work includes portraiture and self-portraiture which consist of lesbian and transsexual bodies; he documented his own physiological transition from female to male. Cameron's photography captures images of the transsexual body that 'provide an affirming visual resource for transgendered people and to demystify the transsexual body for the non-transgendered viewer.

4. Ian Harvie

American Ian Harvie is a stand-up comedian who often uses his transsexuality as material in his act. He has performed with Margaret Cho and many other notable celebrities and is a well-known fixture in the LGBT pop culture community.

5. Lucas Silveira

Born in Canada in 1979, Lucas Silveira made history being the first openly-trans man to be in a rock band which was signed to a major record label.

Silveira is a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter for The Cliks, he has also released a new solo album which is available now. 

6. Katastrophe

Rocco Kayiatos is known as Katastrophe, an American hip-hop rapper and producer. Kayiatos is widely credited as the first openly transgender singer in the hip-hop genre. 

7. Thomas Beatie 

Thomas Beatie gained international attention for being the one of the world's most visible "pregnant" men. Born female, Beatie lived his life as a woman until his mid-twenties. He then began taking male hormone therapy but decided to retain his female sex organs so that he and his wife, who could not conceive herself, could have children together using donor sperm. Beatie has since had three children and is back on his male hormones.

8. Ryan Sallans (Kimberly Ann Sallans)

Ryan Sallans was born as Kimberly Ann Sallans, and he is now an LGBT rights advocate and public speaker who travels the U.S. to educate people about transgender issues and changes to the health care system. He underwent his transformation from female to male over the course of several years and completed his transition in 2005. 

9.  Andreas Krieger

Andreas Krieger was a German shot putter who competed as a woman on the East German athletics team. From his early teens he was given anabolic steroids without his knowledge, which lead him to become more and more masculine in appearance and attitude. Krieger retired from the sport in 1990 and underwent sex reassignment surgery in 1997.

10. Chaz Bono (Chastity Bono)

Chaz Bono was born Chastity Bono, the daughter of famous American performers Sonny and Cher. 

Chastity came out as a lesbian when she was 25 before realizing that she was actually transgender. Chaz underwent a sex change operation over the course of two years and is now happily living his life as a man.