Hari Nef: Transgender supermodel on choosing to date straight men

'In order to really connect with someone, I can’t have this gender cloud hanging over me'

Hari Nef ELLE UK/ Bjarne Jonasson ( ELLE UK/ Bjarne Jonasson)

Hari Nef says she has started dating straight men after seeing mostly gay or bisexual men since beginning her transition.

In a major step forward for trans visibility, Nef made history by becoming the first transgender woman to be signed to IMG models in 2015. She is now appearing alongside Kristen Stewart, Amandla Stenberg and Zayn Malik on the cover of Elle's September issue as one of four key influencers among millennials.

Elle’s 'Rise of the Rebel' edition focuses on activism, sexuality, transgender visibility and LGBTQI issues.

The 23-year-old is vocal about transgender issues and began her modelling career while transitioning, telling Vogue a few months after being signed: “I’m not trying to self-aggrandise, but it’s more than a job to me. It is political.”

In her interview, Nef described how she had begun dating straight men, but said she preferred queer men because of their ability to understand gender as fluid and not the definition of who she is.

“At first gay men were all I ever knew how to be attracted to. Now I’m seeing straight men regularly for the first time in my life…I prefer men who are queer. Not gay men, but queer men – guys with an open mind. Bisexual men, because they’re able to understand the different elements of the body without judging that I don't conform to a certain ideal.

“In order to really connect with someone I can’t have this gender cloud hanging over me. When I ignore it, people tend to ignore it as well. The more causal I am about this stuff, the more casual other people are.”

The September issue will be available on newsstands from 3 August.