February is Black History Month, and we want to to share the stories of trans people of color (POC). This is a great opportunity to learn about trans individuals who may or may not be familiar to you!
Black History Month: Amplifying LGBTQ Voices
On February 26, 2021, we partnered with LGBTQ organizations nationwide to present Black History Month: Amplifying LGBTQ Voices as a virtual event. We hope you enjoyed the event, but if you missed it, you can check it out on our YouTube channel!
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy
Griffin-Gracy, also known simply as Miss Major is a transgender activist and community leader whose advocacy efforts focus on trans women of color. Miss Major was born in Chicago and came out as a teenager in the late 50s. She participated in Chicago drag balls in her...
Andrea Jenkins
Jenkins became the first openly transgender black woman elected to public office in November 2017 when she earned approximately 73 percent of the vote in the race for an open seat in the Minnesota City Council. In 2022, she was made history after being voted in as the...
Angel Haze
Haze is an agender, pansexual, black and Native American rapper and singer who uses they/them pronouns. Haze was born in Detroit, Michigan to a military family. Haze’s father died before their birth and their mother got involved with a religious cult when Haze was...
Kye Allums
Allums was the first openly transgender person to play NCAA Division I sports when he played college basketball for the George Washington University women’s team. As a child Allums was a tomboy and would often say that he was a boy despite being born as a biological...
Tona Brown
Brown is a mezzo soprano vocalist and has an international career as a violinist. She began playing violin at age 14 and has now performed throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Brown had challenges with her gender identity growing up and referred to herself...
Brian Michael Smith
Smith is a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan and is known for his ground-breaking TV performances and his advocacy for transgender representation in the media. Smith was perceived as male often throughout his childhood. He was a gifted athlete growing up and set records...
Honey Mahogany
Mahogany is a San Francisco-based transgender activist, drag performer and musician. She began performing drag while she was a student at the University of Southern California then co-founded the annual drag competition: Berkeley’s Next Top Drag Performer in 2008...
Stormé DeLarverie (1920-2014)
DeLarverie was born in Louisiana to a black mother who was a servant to a white homeowner, her father. DeLarverie spent 1955 to 1969 as the MC of the Jewel Box Revue, a touring variety show featuring both black and white entertainers who dressed in drag. The Jewel Box...
Marli Washington
Washington is a latinx and black trans man who began recognizing in college that his gender identity was not aligned with his body. He was binding his chest with compression shirts designed for cisgender men which he found uncomfortable and inadequate. In 2015,...