To celebrate LGBTQ pride without centering trans lives is to celebrate a hollow victory. When we protect trans kids, fund trans healthcare, and listen to trans elders, we are not just saving a small subset of the population. We are saving the soul of queer culture itself.
Figures like (a self-identified transvestite and gay liberation activist) and Sylvia Rivera (a Latina transgender activist) were not just participants in the Stonewall riots; they were leaders. Rivera, in particular, fought tirelessly to ensure that the Gay Liberation Front did not abandon drag queens, trans sex workers, and homeless queer youth. She famously shouted at a gay rights rally in 1973, "You all tell me, 'Go and hide in the bathroom'... I have been beaten. I have had my nose broken. I have been thrown in jail. I have lost my job. I have lost my apartment for gay liberation." a trans named desire 2006xvid shemale rocco siffredi link
As Marsha P. Johnson once said when asked what the "P" stood for: "Pay it no mind." In an age obsessed with categorizing and policing bodies, the transgender community teaches us a more profound lesson: Pay it no mind. Love who you are. Fight for who you are. And never leave your siblings behind. To celebrate LGBTQ pride without centering trans lives
If you or someone you know needs support, contact The Trevor Project (866-488-7386) or the Trans Lifeline (877-565-8860). I have been beaten