: A philanthropist whose work provided millions of dollars to early LGBTQ rights and medical research. The 2026 Landscape: Progress & Challenges

: A veteran of the Stonewall Riots who has dedicated her life to fighting the incarceration of transgender people.

: Widely considered the birth of the modern movement, these riots in New York City were spearheaded by transgender women of color, including Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera .

The contemporary LGBTQ rights movement was largely ignited by the resistance of transgender and gender non-conforming people of color.