The modern LGBTQ+ rights movement was largely built on the courage of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals. For decades, marginalized communities found strength in numbers, standing together against systemic oppression.

Marsha P. Johnson, a self-identified drag queen and trans activist, and Sylvia Rivera, a trans woman and co-founder of STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), were on the front lines when police raided the Stonewall Inn. In an era when "homosexuality" was criminalized, trans people faced the highest rates of police brutality and social ostracization.

In the collective imagination, the LGBTQ+ community is often represented by a single, broad brushstroke: the rainbow flag, the pride parade, and the fight for marriage equality. However, to truly understand the movement, one must zoom in on a specific, vibrant, and often misunderstood segment: .

An individual's enduring physical, romantic, and emotional attraction to other people. This relates to who a person is attracted to .

In recent years, the transgender community has become a primary target in political culture wars. Activists routinely fight against legislation aimed at restricting access to public restrooms, banning trans athletes from sports, limiting gender-affirming care, and censoring LGBTQ+ topics in schools. Intersectionality and Violence