These Photos of Transgender People Transformed Into Pop Culture Icons Will Give You So Much Life

From Cosmopolitan

More often than not, the images we see in the media and pop culture do not represent the totality of unique people that make up our society. But representing diversity actually does matter, because all people should have a space where they feel free.

Thanks to a new photo series created by BuzzFeed, Bumble and Bumble, and Metro Look, 16 trans people got transformed into their fave pop culture icons for the day - and they slayed, OK?

They got made over into literally every celeb you can think of: Bruno Mars, Madonna, Scary Spice, David Beckham, Zayn Malik, Lauryn Hill, David Bowie, Prince, Ellen Page, Eugene Lee Yang, Kendrick Lamar, Frida Kahlo, Robert Ead, Grace Jones, Wonder Woman, and Freddie Mercury.

These makeovers will give you life because they're so spot-on. They're also an amazing reminder that you can be whoever TF you want to be and don't let anyone tell you different.

Tyler Ford is an agender writer, media personality, and public speaker.

They wanted to be Scary Spice.

So that's what they did. And they killed it!

"When I was little, we would play Spice Girls in school, and I always wanted to be Ginger - but my friends would always tell me I had to be Scary because I was black," Ford told BuzzFeed. "It was upsetting for me as a 6-year-old, but as I got older I started to think, Why would I want to be anyone other than Scary? Scary is clearly the best Spice Girl! So my emotional relationship with Scary Spice is weird, because initially I was forced into a particular role due to my race and appearance, but ultimately I ended up celebrating that I resembled her. Scary Spice is badass, gorgeous, and has a great personality!"

The discussions surrounding the trans community can be emotionally heavy and overwhelming at times. Ford chose to embody Scary Spice to show a more "lighthearted" side.

"I very purposefully chose a fun person to be, and chose to let myself be joyful. I want to show that not everything about being trans is depressing, because it's not - we are multifaceted people, we live full lives, we like to sing karaoke to the Spice Girls, we like to wear leopard print and cute makeup, we like to be nostalgic, we like to have a good time, we are happy and sad and everything in between and beyond! We deserve to celebrate our lives and ourselves," they said.

Vikki Le is an activist, model, and host of Trans Models' Spill the T With Vikki Le.

She's inspired by the one and only queen of pop, Madonna.

Her makeover mastered Madonna's style in so many ways. Take a moment to appreciate that back arch!

"Madonna and I are both strong women who are trying to make a difference in the world. We're both Leos, and I feel like we both share characteristics when it comes to pursuing our dreams: We're very driven, very ambitious … and very blond! I wanted to recreate this look from her Blond Ambition Tour because it's maybe her most recognizable one, and at that time it was incredibly provocative. I loved the way she mixed extremely feminine lingerie with masculine elements like suiting, playing with traditional symbols of gender," Le pointed out to BuzzFeed.

Shane Henise is an advocate for the transgender community.

Ladies, get ready: He transformed into pop culture's biggest heartthrob, Zayn Malik.

Inspired by the singer's style, Henise absolutely NAILED Zayn's swag.

"As a trans man, it's been kind of hard for me to find men who I can even aspire to be, because I feel like our definitions of masculinity and what is attractive are being really tall and buff, and in a trans body, that's hard to attain," Henise told BuzzFeed. "So I'm always looking for different representations of masculinity in celebrities. I feel like Zayn definitely brings masculinity, but it's stylish and alternative - it's the kind of masculine that I want to be. So I look up to him as a fashion icon."

His makeover boosted his confidence a ton too. "It was really validating for me to step into Zayn's shoes. Something I struggle with as a trans person is feeling attractive as a man, so being transformed into him, knowing how many people find him attractive, and seeing myself looking like something I really like to see was so exciting."

To see 13 more of these fun makeovers click here.

Get non-boring fashion and beauty news directly in your feed. Follow Facebook.com/CosmoBeauty.

Follow Maya on Instagram and Twitter.