An internal sense of being male, female, or another gender.

Figures like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were instrumental in these riots, which are widely considered the birth of the modern LGBTQ rights movement.

Trans women and drag queens in Los Angeles fought back against random arrests by throwing doughnuts at police.

Physical or emotional attraction to others.

How historians are documenting the lives of transgender people

Despite these contributions, trans activists often faced exclusion from mainstream gay and lesbian organizations that sought a more "palatable" image for the public. Evolving Cultural Identity

The term "transgender" gained wider usage in the 1960s and 1990s as activists like and Leslie Feinberg popularized it to distinguish gender identity from sexual orientation. This distinction was crucial:

A pivotal uprising in San Francisco led by trans women and drag queens against police brutality.

Transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or asexual. The introduction of the in 1999 by Monica Helms—with its blue, pink, and white stripes—provided a distinct visual symbol for this growing community. Current Challenges and 2026 Legislative Landscape

As of early 2026, the transgender community faces a significant wave of legislative and social pushback.