The modern LGBTQ+ rights movement didn’t start in boardrooms; it started in the streets, led largely by transgender women of color. Figures like and Sylvia Rivera were at the forefront of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. At the time, the distinction between "gay" and "transgender" was less rigid in the public eye—everyone who defied traditional gender and sexual norms was grouped together.
The transgender community is not a footnote to LGBTQ history; it is a foundational pillar. From Marsha P. Johnson’s brick at Stonewall to the ballroom legends of Harlem to the modern teen advocating for pronouns in a Midwest high school, trans people have always been here.
In recent years, much of the political friction surrounding LGBTQ+ rights has shifted specifically toward trans-inclusive healthcare and sports.
