Black transgender activists are getting some much-deserved recognition this month.
To mark Black History Month, LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD created a video to celebrate 14 influential black trans people, all of whom have made vital contributions to the movement.
The video, which focuses on visionaries from the past century, features Stonewall-era leaders like Marsha P. Johnson and Miss Major, as well as modern-day advocates like Laverne Cox and Janet Mock.
“Black transgender people have been at the forefront of the fight for trans equality for decades.”
“Black transgender people have been at the forefront of the fight for trans equality for decades,” said Nick Adams, director of GLAAD’s Transgender Media Program. “We celebrate Black History Month by honoring the lives of these historic pioneers and the trailblazers of today who are changing the national dialogue on trans rights.”
Recognizing the work of black transgender leaders is crucial, especially when you consider the amount of adversity the community faces. Black transgender people, especially black trans women, are often considered to be one of the most vulnerable populations in the LGBTQ community due to complex experiences with racism, sexism and LGBTQ discrimination.
Transgender people are disproportionately affected by anti-LGBTQ acts of violence. In 2015, 67 percent of LGBTQ homicide victims were transgender women, according to GLAAD. The majority of those women were trans women of color.
Even though discrimination against black transgender people is alarmingly common, the community has gifted the LGBTQ rights movement with some of the most influential leaders in the fight for quality. And that deserves praise — during Black History Month and beyond.
