Sylvia Rivera

Sylvia Rivera was an LGBTQ+ activist, particularly known for her committment to amplifying the voices of the most vulnerable people in the LGBTQ+ community, including transgender people of color, homeless queer youth, and incarcerated queer people.

She rose to prominence after the Stonewall Uprising. Rivera was an active member of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA).

She quickly received a reputation as a trouble-maker for her vocal advocacy for those marginalized within the gay rights movement as gay rights organizations became more conservative. She fought tirelessly for trans people of color and was often silenced by the majority cis white activists in the mainstream organizations.

Rivera co-founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with Marsha P. Johnson, another remarkable LGBTQ+ activist. Through their work with STAR, Rivera and Johnson supported homeless queer youth through direct outreach and organized for trans-inclusive legislation in New York.