[2][3] Originally from Newark, New Jersey, Norman has modeled and been photographed for such publications as Essence, Vogue Italia and Harper's Bazaar India.
Norman identified as a woman from a young age, but didn't have any queer role models to look up to as a child, stating that "I always felt inside, since far back as I can remember, that I was female.
"[5] As a child, she studied women in her life, such as her teachers and her female family members, in order to learn feminine traits.
[5] At a very young age, Norman was sexually molestated by one of her older neighbors, and for the first time experienced being called a fag.
[5] When she was in junior high school, her art teacher, who she idolized, introduced her to theater, and she got to meet the actress Pearl Bailey.
[2] She was not invited to that photoshoot, but got swept up in the crowd of models and found herself being interviewed by the famous photographer Irving Penn.
Norman also worked for Irving Penn, who promoted her modeling career, and she was billed as the "young Beverly Johnson," which made her very popular in the industry.
[5] She moved to New York to continue her career, and two years later, she appeared on the box of Clairol’s "Born Beautiful" hair color No.
[5] In 1980, while on a photo-shoot with Essence magazine, where she was modeling as Cleopatra, the assistant to her hairdresser, André Douglas, found out about her birth gender and told the editor, Susan Taylor, who was also on the set.
[5] Her career instantly ended, and she struggled to find work, and Essence didn't even pay her for the photos they took that day.
Norman worked local Newark shows for a while, and at this time, she decided to move to Paris with two friends who were also models.
She and her other modeling friends were very poor at this point, and were financially reliant on each other, taking turns to pay the rent.
They struggled to afford food, and would eat sandwiches that were made of bread, French fries, and mustard.
Once that contract ended, Norman found a lack of work in Milan and moved back to New York where she signed with Grace del Marco Agency.
In the late 1980's and 1990's, she competed at the balls to win the prizes for things such as best outfit, and she got a lot of attention due to her modeling walk.
Norman has also stated that she was popular because she one of the more darker skinned ballroom competitors, which made her stand out.
Clairol global associate brand director Heather Carruthers stated that the company was "honored to bring back Tracey Norman as a woman who no longer has to hide her truth."
The campaign focused on the "confidence that comes from embracing what makes you unique and using natural color to express yourself freely.
"[7] In 2016 Norman and Geena Rocero became the first two openly transgender models to appear on the cover of an edition of Harper’s Bazaar.
[9] She has stated that she remembers buying her first dress at S. Klein department store, which was green with floral prints.
It wasn't until a full year after her graduation that she felt like she could pass as a woman in broad daylight in public.
[9] After transitioning, she began to attend local queer Newark bars and clubs with her friends, such as Le Joc and Murphy's.