Transgender individuals often face "institutional erasure" in healthcare, including provider ignorance and direct refusal of care. About 22% of trans people in the U.S. have no health insurance.

Following Stonewall, Rivera and Johnson founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) to provide housing and support for queer and trans youth and sex workers.

Modern LGBTQ+ activism was sparked by riots led largely by transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals.

Despite increased visibility, the transgender community continues to face severe systemic barriers and discrimination.

Gender diversity predates modern terminology, with historical examples including the Hijra of South Asia and Two-Spirit individuals in Indigenous North American cultures. Current Challenges and Issues

Transgender women and drag queens fought against police harassment at the 1959 Cooper Donuts Riot in Los Angeles and the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria Riot in San Francisco.

The 1969 Stonewall Riots, a defining moment for the movement, were driven by transgender women of colour like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera .