The modern LGBTQ+ rights movement owes a massive debt to transgender women of color. The , often cited as the spark for the global pride movement, was led by figures like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera .
For decades, the "T" in LGBTQ+ was often a silent passenger. In the early gay and lesbian liberation movements, trans voices were present at the front lines—think of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera at the Stonewall Riots—but their contributions were frequently sidelined in the mainstream narrative of the movement. The fight for gay rights, centered on sexual orientation, did not always seamlessly include the fight for trans rights, which centers on gender identity. young shemale galleries