The rioters were not clean-cut gay men in suits. They were "street queens"—transgender women, drag performers, and homeless gay youth. Marsha P. Johnson, a Black trans woman and sex worker, did not throw the first brick (that is apocryphal), but she was one of the first to resist. Sylvia Rivera, a Latina trans activist, had to physically fight to be included in the early gay political machine that followed.
In recent years, much of the political friction surrounding LGBTQ+ rights has shifted specifically toward trans-inclusive healthcare and sports.
The root enemy is the same:
