Speaking of Stonewall, we realized we missed the July 2nd birthday of one of the most important people who was not only there, but spent the rest of her life fighting for the rights of transgender, gay, bi, and queer folks. Sylvia Rae Rivera was was a founding member of both the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance and helped found STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), a group dedicated to helping homeless young street transwomen, with her friend Marsha P. Johnson. After the "revolution" simmered down and more "mainstream" gays and lesbians began to dismiss transgender people, Rivera fought even harder. Her legacy lives on and New York City officials even named a street in Greenwich Village after her. Rivera lost her battle with liver disease in 2002.
No comments:
Post a Comment