Johnson, a self-identified drag queen and trans activist, and Rivera, a fiery Venezuelan-Puerto Rican trans woman, were not peripheral figures. They were on the front lines, throwing the first bricks and bottles at the oppressive police raids. In the years immediately following Stonewall, they founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), a radical collective that provided housing and support to homeless transgender youth—a population largely abandoned by both their families and the nascent gay liberation movement.

In the 21st century, transgender creators, athletes, politicians, and activists have moved from the margins of culture directly into the spotlight, fundamentally shifting how the world understands gender. Media and Representation