Long before the terms "transgender" or "gender non-conforming" were widely used, these individuals were the front-line soldiers against police brutality. However, despite their heroism, the post-Stonewall gay liberation movement often sidelined trans issues. In the 1970s and 80s, some factions of the gay rights movement attempted to gain mainstream acceptance by distancing themselves from drag queens and trans people, viewing them as "too radical" or "bad for public image."

Today, one could argue that The rejection of binaries (gay/straight, man/woman) is the central ethos of the modern LGBTQ+ movement. The trans community’s insistence that identity is self-determined, not assigned, has liberated countless cisgender queer people to express themselves with less fear of gender policing.

The intersection of racism and transphobia creates disproportionate dangers. Black and Latine transgender women face alarming rates of fatal violence, housing insecurity, and employment discrimination compared to other segments of the LGBTQ+ community.