Rivera and Johnson co-founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) in 1970 to provide housing and support for homeless queer youth.

Figures like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, both trans women of color, were instrumental in the Stonewall Riots of 1969.

The roots of the modern LGBTQ+ movement are deeply tied to transgender activists who led early resistances against systemic harassment.

While trans people have existed throughout history, the term "transgender" gained traction in the 1960s to distinguish gender identity from sexual orientation. Core Cultural Concepts