Figures like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera , both trans women of color, were instrumental in the multi-day riots that catalyzed the international Pride movement.

Interestingly, the right-wing has lumped drag performance (often cis male or non-binary) in with trans identity. By banning drag shows, they are attacking the very heart of queer camp culture. This has unintentionally unified the gay and trans communities in a renewed defensive battle for free expression.

The 1969 Stonewall Uprising—the spark that lit the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement—was led by trans women of color like and Sylvia Rivera . They weren’t fighting for marriage equality back then; they were fighting for the right to exist without being arrested for wearing a dress or living as their authentic selves.