30 Lives, 30 Legacies
translash.org
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy Trans Revolutionary and Builder of a Legacy
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iss Major Griffin-Gracy was a trailblazer. When we think of what it means to be trans in the modern world, in nearly every single way, Miss Major was at the forefront. Alongside legends Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson, and Stormé DeLarverie, Miss Major participated in the 1969 Stonewall riots that birthed the modern LGBTQ+ movement. In the following years, her activism wasn’t only about pushing back against oppressive forces. Across the country, Miss Major developed programs to care for people with HIV/AIDS, provided support to incarcerated trans people, and cultivated the next generation of trans leaders. In living this life of leadership, Miss Major became an icon through the documentary film “Major!” and through a photoseries by the gifted artist Mickalene Thomas. Even as she prepared to enter her eighth decade, Miss Major continued to travel the nation tirelessly, fighting anti-trans legislation and mobilizing trans people to get involved. From activism and political leadership to building organizations of care, Miss Major created the road that so many of us now walk on. For that, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy will be a legend forever.
Written By: Imara Jones [she/her]
Dear Reader, Transcestors & Trailblazers: 30 Lives, 30 Legacies is more than a zine — it’s a living archive, mirror, megaphone, and tribute. It is a visible reminder that trans people have always been here, and that we are heroic. Inside, you’ll find three sections that communicate across time, identity, and legacy. We honor our trans ancestors whose resistance, art, and advocacy helped shape the world we live in today. And we honor contemporary trailblazers who are pushing culture forward and creating space for future generations. This zine is a response to the attempts all around us to erase the reality of trans life. But most importantly it’s an offering to trans and queer youth who are searching for themselves in history books that have excluded them. It’s a resource for educators and advocates committed to uplifting truth. It’s a love letter to trans people whose legacies deserve recognition. We chose to showcase these 30 stories in the visually striking style and design of comic books, because comics have always been about resistance, reimagining the world, and uplifting voices too often silenced. As you flip through these pages, we hope you feel affirmed, informed, and ignited. This is your history. Your community. Your moment. Read, reflect, and remember: You are part of this legacy, too. In celebration, TransLash Staff
Table of contents Miss Major Griffin-Gracy / Trans Revolutionary and Builder of a Legacy
Cover
Frances Thompson / First Trans Person to Testify Before Congress
1
Lynn Conway / Pioneer of Modern Computing
3
Kylar Broadus / First Trans Person to Testify Before Senate
4
Cecilia Gentili /Trans Latina Icon and Mother to a Generation
5
Christine Jorgensen / America’s First Trans Celebrity
6
Robina Fedora / Champion of Dignity and Hope
7
Michael Dillon / Surgical Pioneer and Author
9
Marsha P. Johnson / Stonewall Revolutionary
10
MJ Rodriguez / First Trans Actress to Win a Golden Globe
11
Sophie Wilson / Architect of the Smartphone
12
Chris Mosier / From Team USA to Trans Champion
13
We’wha / Zuni Cultural Ambassador
15
Caroline Cossey / Model and Author
16
Tracey “Africa” Norman / From Haute Couture to Fashion Icon
17
Chase Strangio / First Trans SCOTUS Litigator and Defender of Trans Youth
19
Kim Petras / Trans Trailblazer and Sex-Positive Pop Princess
20
Alan Hart / Pioneer of Radiology and Tuberculosis Care
21
Leyna Bloom / Beacon of Beauty and Breakthrough
23
Coccinelle / European Entertainment Icon
24
Andrea Jenkins / First Black Trans Elected Official
25
Lucy Hicks Anderson / Early Civil Rights Pioneer
27
Renée Richards / Tennis Trailblazer
28
Brian Michael Smith / One of TV’s Sexiest Men Alive
29
Rachel Levine / First Trans Four- Star Officer and First Trans Assistant Secretary for Health
30
Laverne Cox / From Breakout Role to Barrier Breaker
31
Phillipe Cunningham / First Out Trans Man of Color To Hold Public Office
32
Rita Hester / From Tragedy to Transcendent Legacy
33
Sarah McBride / First Openly Trans Person To Serve In Congress
34
Sylvia Rivera / Icon of Resistance and Liberation
35
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Frances Thompson
First Trans Person to Testify Before Congress
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rances Thompson was a physically disabled Black trans woman born into slavery in 1840, and she worked as a seamstress and Hoodoo practitioner in adulthood as a free woman. Following the Memphis Massacre of 1866, she became the first transgender person to testify before Congress, as well as one of the first African American women to speak publicly about being sexually assaulted by a white man. Her brave testimony brought widespread attention to systemic violence against newly freed Black Americans, and helped pass the Enforcement Act of 1871. Thompson made a lasting impact on American civil rights and feminist movements through her advocacy for bodily autonomy, legal protections, and human dignity.
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Lynn Conway
Pioneer of Modern Computing
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ynn Conway worked as a researcher at IBM in the 1960s, where she designed a new method for packing millions of circuits onto a single microchip — a key process for building super fast computers. Despite her major innovations, she was fired when she came out as trans to her employers. Conway then transitioned and lived stealth for 30 years, continuing to innovate in the fields of computer science and electrical engineering. She became a key contributor to the microchip technology used in modern computers and smartphones, and accepted positions as professor and associate dean of the University of Michigan’s engineering school. After coming out publicly in 1999, she was able to take credit for her pre-transition accomplishments and became a vocal activist for trans rights. Nearly 52 years later, in 2020, IBM publicly thanked her for her contributions to the field of technology, and apologized for their treatment of Conway.
Written by: Vera Blossom [she/her]
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Kylar Broadus First Trans Person to Testify Before Senate
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orn under the same sun as the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, it makes sense that Kylar W. Broadus has moved with purpose his whole life. A Black transgender man from Fayette, Missouri, Broadus faced harassment that left him jobless in the 1990s. He turned his pain into advocacy, and helped develop legal protections for transgender people that center the needs of people of color. He’s a professor and attorney whose scholarship, rooted in lived experience, has shaped academic and legal discussions. Broadus founded the Trans People of Color Coalition in 2010. In 2012, he was the first openly transgender person to testify before the U.S. Senate in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. By 2014, he stood next to Obama as he signed legislation protecting LGBTQ people from workplace discrimination. Broadus’s advocacy has fundamentally changed trans rights in the United States. He’s currently fighting against the trans military ban.
Written by: Candace Hansen [they/them]
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Cecilia Gentili
Trans Latina Icon and Mother to a Generation
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orn in Argentina in 1972, Cecilia Gentili was a prominent organizer for trans liberation, an advocate for the decriminalization of sex work, and a mother to a generation of trans people. Engaging in sex work in parts of her life, Gentili was acutely aware of the material needs of working class trans people, and this experience and knowledge informed her decades of advocacy. Santa Cecilia, as she was called by her community, established Apicha Community Health Center’s transgender health services department; acted as director of policy for HIV/AIDS organization, GMHC; developed a free health clinic for sex workers at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center; and took on a laundry list of other organizing efforts, including fighting for a free Palestine. In the final years of her life, Gentili’s creative endeavors took center stage. She published her first book, “Faltas,” in 2022 and performed her acclaimed one-woman off-Broadway show, “Red Ink,” in 2023. Cecilia Gentili stood as a fierce advocate for community care, and her legacy stands as a symbol of the power of chosen family in the face of transphobia.
Written By: Quispe López [they/them]
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Christine Jorgensen America’s First Trans Celebrity
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hristine Jorgensen, an actress and singer, became internationally famous in 1952 when she traveled to Denmark for gender-affirming surgery. Born in the Bronx in 1926, she served in the U.S. Army before seeking medical treatment in Europe, making headlines as one of the first trans Americans to surgically transition. The New York Daily News broke her story with the headline “Ex-GI Becomes Blonde Beauty,” thrusting her into the spotlight. Rather than hiding from publicity, Jorgensen embraced her role as an educator and spokesperson. She toured extensively, giving lectures about transgender issues to packed auditoriums across America. Jorgensen appeared on television shows, wrote an autobiography, and worked as a nightclub performer. Her grace under intense media scrutiny and her willingness to educate the public helped mainstream America understand and relate to transgender people.
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Robina Fedora Asti Champion of Dignity and Hope
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obina Asti was born in 1921 and transitioned in 1976, quitting her high-paying job and uprooting her life to do so. At the time, there was significantly more prejudice and confusion around what it meant to be transgender. She moved to New York, fell in love, and led a quiet life with her husband Norwood. After his death, she fought the Social Security Administration for survivor benefits, setting the precedent that trans people can receive them. It wasn’t until her 90s that Asti realized the LGBTQ+ community could benefit from her story and advocacy, and soon she began marching in pride parades and sharing her experiences. In 2019, she created the Cloud Dancers Foundation to grant LGBTQ+ elders’ wishes. She passed in 2021, a few weeks shy of 100 years old. Asti is personally inspiring because she’s proof that it’s never too late to be yourself. So many people panic about building out their whole lives by the end of their 20’s. Asti showed you can do that at any point.
Written By: Elly Belle [they/he]
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Michael Dillon Surgical Pioneer and Author
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ichael Dillon was born into an aristocratic family in 1915, and struggled with his gender identity from an early age. A British doctor and author, he began hormone replacement therapy in the 1940s and became the first known transgender man to undergo phalloplasty. His book “Self: A Study in Ethics and Endocrinology” is one of the earliest known academic works on transgender medicine and identity. During his time as a medical student at Trinity College Dublin, he performed Britain’s first gender-affirming orchiectomy on trans racing driver Roberta Cowell in 1951. Later in life, Dillon became a Buddhist monk. He was the first Westerner to be ordained in the Rizong Monastery, where he wrote his posthumously published autobiography, “Out of the Ordinary: A Life of Gender and Spiritual Transitions.” Dillon’s documentation of his medical transition and success as a surgeon opened doors for future generations of transgender men.
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Marsha P. Johnson Stonewall Revolutionary
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arsha P. Johnson was a central figure in the 1969 Stonewall uprising that birthed the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Born in New Jersey, Johnson moved to New York City as a teenager and became a prominent figure in Greenwich Village’s gay community. Known for her colorful personality, elaborate outfits, and flowers in her hair, Johnson was a drag performer and sex worker who looked out for vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth. On the night of June 28, 1969, Johnson was among those who fought back against police harassment at the Stonewall Inn. She co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with activist Sylvia Rivera, providing housing and support for homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Johnson’s activism extended beyond Stonewall, as she participated in AIDS activism with ACT UP and continued advocating for marginalized community members until her death in 1992. Her legacy reminds us that Black transgender women have always been at the forefront of LGBTQ+ liberation.
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MJ Rodriguez First Trans Actress to Win a Golden Globe
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ichaela Jaé ‘MJ’ Rodriguez is a groundbreaking actress, singer, and stage performer. She was the first trans woman to be nominated for an Emmy Award in a major acting category (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series), and the first trans winner of a Golden Globe Award (Best Actress — Television Series Drama). Rodriguez earned these well-deserved accolades for her role as Blanca Evangelista on the 2017 FX television series, “Pose.” In playing Blanca, Rodriguez not only embodied an all too rare multidimensional trans character on television, but she became an undeniable trailblazer and inspiration to trans performers everywhere. Rodriguez continues to act on stage and screen, and is currently a series regular on the AppleTV+ program, “Loot.”
Written by: Caden Mark Gardner [he/him]
Sophie Wilson
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Architect of the Smartphone
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f you’re reading this on a smartphone or computer, you should thank Sophie Wilson. The trailblazing computer scientist was born in Leeds, England in 1957. Her parents were schoolteachers (her mom taught Physics and her dad taught English) who encouraged her to tinker with tech from a young age, including building microelectronics at the dinner table. Wilson studied Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, but she spent one summer vacation building an electronic cow feeder, which eventually led to a job at Acorn Computers in the 1980s. At Acorn, she played a key role in creating the ARM (Acorn RISC Machine) architecture, which still powers smartphones worldwide today. Wilson came out as trans in the ‘90s, and has since used her platform to advocate for inclusion in the tech industry. A true pioneer, she lives by the motto: “Not knowing something is impossible has interesting effects on your work.”
Written by: Jake Hall [they/them]
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Chris Mosier From Team USA to Trans Champion
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hris Mosier is an elite duathlete. In 2015, he became the first known transgender man to represent the United States in international competition. An eighttime member of Team USA, Mosier is the first trans athlete to compete in the Olympic trials — in any sport — outside of the sex he was assigned at birth. He has consistently shone a spotlight on the uphill battle trans athletes face at all levels of sports, and the joy that comes from competing. In 2016, Mosier became the first trans athlete to appear in ESPN The Magazine’s “Body Issue.” At a time when trans athletes are facing escalating attacks worldwide, he advocates for his community relentlessly, offering mentorship and hope for all who seek to play sports as their authentic selves.
Written by: Julie Kliegman [they/them]
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We’wha Zuni Cultural Ambassador
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e’wha was born circa 1849 in New Mexico as a member of the Zuni people. In Zuni culture, We’wha was recognized as a lhamana — a traditional third gender that encompasses both masculine and feminine roles and qualities. We’wha was a beloved ceremonial leader and artist renowned for pottery, weaving, and other traditional crafts. During We’wha’s lifetime, the U.S. government heavily pressured Indigenous peoples to assimilate into dominant American culture. As part of the Zuni delegation to Washington D.C., We’wha met President Grover Cleveland and aided anthropologist Matilda Coxe Stevenson in ethnographic research for the Smithsonian Institution. We’wha served as a cultural ambassador, participating in anthropological studies and helping to preserve Zuni knowledge and traditions for decades to come.
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Caroline Cossey Model and Author
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aroline Cossey, also known as Tula, is a model and author who appeared in the 1981 James Bond film “For Your Eyes Only.” Shortly after the film’s release, the British tabloid News of the World outed her as transgender, marking a pivotal moment in trans media visibility. Rather than retreating from public life, Cossey chose to fight back with dignity, publishing her first autobiography, “I Am a Woman,” the following year. She was the first trans model to appear in Playboy magazine. During the 1980s and early ‘90s, Cossey spent years fighting the British courts and the European Court of Human Rights for legal recognition and the right to marry. Her efforts brought mainstream attention to transgender rights. Today, Cossey continues to use her platform to educate the public about her experiences as an intersex trans woman, and is an advocate for acceptance and understanding.
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Tracey “Africa” Norman From Haute Couture to Fashion Icon
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orn in Newark, New Jersey in the early 1950s, Tracey “Africa” Norman’s meteoric rise followed a 1975 Italian Vogue photo shoot that cemented her reputation as fashion’s “it girl,” and opened doors to campaigns with Clairol and Avon. But on the set of an Essence photo shoot in 1980, Norman was outed as a trans woman. Her mainstream career success came to an immediate halt, and she eventually became revered in New York’s ballroom scene, where she won numerous awards and was inducted into the Ballroom Hall of Fame. A 2015 tell-all interview with
New York Magazine’s The Cut took Norman’s career full circle, and global brands that once shunned her were quick to embrace her. In 2016, Clairol once again booked her to be the face of a new campaign. Norman and model Geena Rocero soon became the first openly trans models to appear on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar. Tracey “Africa” Norman’s ability to reinvent herself in an industry that tried to erase her is remarkable. Today, the fashion world honors her among its brightest and most beautiful icons.
Written By: Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko (pronoun agnostic / gender atheist)
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Chase Strangio First Trans SCOTUS Litigator and Defender of Trans Youth
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was lucky enough to organize with Chase Strangio when I was younger. He is incredibly compassionate, empowering, and inspiring. Seeing his work ethic and strength taught me how to be a better ally — not just to others, but also to myself. When I got older, I had the privilege of attending the United States v. Skrmetti rally, where Strangio made history as the first openly transgender attorney to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. It was a monumental moment in the legal world, and in the broader fight for trans justice. Strangio is an attorney, activist, and fierce advocate for trans rights, serving as codirector for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project. He has been an instrumental force in landmark legal battles, including Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board, and in his defense of health care access for trans youth. He has paved the way for generations to come, proving to trans youth around the world that they are loveable and forever valued.
Written By: Daniel Trujillo [he/him]
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Kim Petras
Trans Trailblazer and Sex-Positive Pop Princess
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im Petras is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter who started transitioning at age 13 and made headlines for undergoing gender-affirming surgery at 16. For just over a decade, the German 33-year-old has been recording her distinctive songs heard in gay clubs nationwide. She’s collaborated with industry legends Nicki Minaj (“Alone”) and Sam Smith (“Unholy”) — the latter producing her first number one hit that earned her that history-making Grammy Award. Petras is known for her uncensored, carefree, and lustfully bubbly beats like “Slut Pop,” “Coconuts” and “Throat Goat.” Despite our vast difference in age, I’m inspired by her sex-positive messaging and advocacy for trans youth. But at a time like this, what we really need is the escape from our troubles that Kim Petras provides.
Written by: Dawn Ennis [she/her]
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Alan Hart Pioneer of Radiology and Tuberculosis Care
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r. Alan Hart was a groundbreaking physician, radiologist, and novelist who pioneered the use of X-ray technology to detect asymptomatic tuberculosis. Born in Kansas in 1890, Hart struggled with his gender identity from childhood but found no medical understanding or support. In 1917, he became one of the first transgender men in the United States to have genderaffirming surgery when he underwent a hysterectomy — a revolutionary procedure for its time. Hart went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Oregon, and later earned master’s degrees in radiology (Penn) and public health (Yale). He established X-ray clinics and TB screening programs across the country, and was known for his preeminence in the field of tubercular radiology. Hart’s methods have saved countless lives and are still used today.
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Leyna Bloom Written by: Haley Bossé [they/them]
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Beacon of Beauty and Breakthrough
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eyna Bloom is a Black Filipina model, dancer, actor, and educator known for her many historic firsts. In 2019, she became the first openly trans woman of color to star in a film that premiered at Cannes Film Festival. The film, “Port Authority,” introduced the world to the love story of Bloom’s character, Wye, whose role in the ballroom community was crafted from Bloom’s own dance experience. In 2021, Bloom was the first trans woman of color to be featured in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue. As an educator, Bloom has spoken in the Philippines and at universities including Harvard, Columbia, and Brown. Her prolific career bolsters trans visibility and opens doors for other talented artists. As Bloom teaches the world how to love the trans community, she teaches the trans community how to love ourselves.
Coccinelle European Entertainment Icon
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acqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy — best known by her stage name Coccinelle — was born in Paris in 1931, and became Europe’s first widely known transgender celebrity. She rose to fame in the 1950s as a cabaret performer at Le Carrousel de Paris, where she captivated audiences with her beauty, talent, and charisma. In 1958, Coccinelle underwent gender-affirming surgery in Casablanca, Morocco, making headlines across Europe. Her success in the entertainment industry challenged widely held stereotypes about transgender people. She appeared in films, recorded albums, and maintained a successful performance career for decades. In 1960, she married journalist Francis Bonnet in a ceremony that attracted international media attention, making her one of the first transgender women to achieve legal marriage recognition in Europe. Coccinelle’s glamorous public image and artistic success helped normalize transgender identity in European culture while inspiring countless others to live authentically.
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Andrea Jenkins First Black Trans Elected Official
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orn in Chicago, Andrea Jenkins is a politician, writer, artist, and activist who became the first Black openly transgender woman elected to public office in the United States. She was elected to the Minneapolis City Council in 2018 and became its president in 2022. Prior to being elected, she spent 12 years as a policy aide with the Minneapolis City Council. In 2015, Jenkins founded the Transgender Oral History Project in collaboration with the University of Minnesota’s Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies. This project is an effort to record the lived experiences of transgender people and diversify the voices included in the Tretter Collection. Jenkins’ attentiveness to listening to and amplifying the many voices of the transgender community ensures the preservation of these stories for generations to come.
Written By: Emilia Ruzicka [they/them]
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Lucy Hicks Anderson Early Civil Rights Pioneer
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ucy Hicks Anderson, born in Kentucky in 1886, wanted to wear dresses to school as a child. Her mother subsequently sought advice from a medical professional, and the doctor suggested she let young Lucy live her life as a girl. As an adult, Anderson moved to California, where she built a successful life as a chef, businesswoman, and socialite. She married twice — first to Clarence Hicks in 1920 and later to Reuben Anderson in 1944 — and her legal battles over these marriages brought national attention to transgender rights decades before the dawn of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. When prosecuted for perjury regarding her legal sex, she told the court, “I defy any doctor in the world to prove that I am not a woman.” Anderson’s courage to live authentically and fight for her legal rights has cemented her legacy as an important figure in trans history.
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Renée Richards Tennis Trailblazer
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r. Renée Richards broke barriers in medicine and professional sports. Before her transition, she was a successful ophthalmologist and amateur tennis player. After transitioning in the 1970s, Richards faced discrimination when she attempted to compete in women’s professional tennis tournaments. The United States Tennis Association initially barred her from competition, leading to a landmark 1977 court case that ruled in her favor. Richards’ legal victory established important precedents for transgender athletes’ participation in professional and club sports. She competed on the women’s professional tennis circuit and later coached Martina Navratilova to two Wimbledon titles. After retiring from play, Richards returned to medicine and wrote her autobiography, “Second Serve,” bringing more mainstream attention to transgender rights. Her fight to compete as a woman in professional sports set an example for future transgender athletes.
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Brian Michael Smith One of TV’s Sexiest Men Alive
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rian Michael Smith was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1983, and first made waves as a high school student athlete, setting records in varsity football, shot put, and pole vaulting. He started his stage career as a comedian, but his launch to fame came in 2017 when he played Toine Wilkins in Ava DuVernay’s “Queen Sugar.” In 2020, Smith became network television’s first openly trans man of color to be a series regular, starring in FOX's “9-1-1: Lone Star” as firefighter Paul Strickland. The following year, he became the first trans man to be featured on People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” list. Smith is a fierce advocate for Black and trans representation in entertainment.
Written By: Elena Novak [they/them]
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Rachel Levine First Trans FourStar Officer and First Trans Assistant Secretary for Health
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n March 2021, Dr. Rachel Levine became the first openly transgender official confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health. Seven months later, she was commissioned as both the nation’s first openly transgender four-star officer, and the first woman to serve in this capacity. Educated at Harvard and Tulane Medical School, Levine built a distinguished career in pediatrics and adolescent medicine. As Assistant Secretary for Health, she maintained an unwavering dedication to LGBTQ+ health amid targeted harassment. Rather than retreat from public service, she used her federal platform to champion gender-affirming care, and through her advocacy, she helped establish the framework for federal protections against healthcare discrimination based on sex and sexuality. Levine brought empathy and understanding to the struggles of transgender youth, consistently framing trans healthcare as an equity issue rather than a political debate, and speaking out against state attempts to restrict access to life-saving medical care.
Written by: Baxstar Jonmarie Ferguson [he/they]
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Laverne Cox Written by: Alec Berg [he/they]
From Breakout Role to Barrier Breaker
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averne Cox is a prominent transgender actress and activist who rose to fame when she masterfully played Sophia Burset on the Netflix series, “Orange is the New Black.” This show caught my attention in 2016, while I faced my own battles in the American criminal justice system. As a deeply closeted transgender man, I felt so inspired watching Cox deliver her beautiful performance of a thoughtful, complex character. Cox has continually defied limits, and she challenges the assumption that trans artists are one-note. She was the first trans person to appear on the covers of Time magazine and Cosmopolitan. Her advocacy for our community has inspired many cis, straight allies, whose voices are more important now than ever. Cox’s fictional work and grounded push for the trans community will continue to inspire generations beyond her.
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Phillipe Cunningham First Out Trans Man of Color To Hold Public Office
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hillipe Cunningham is a politician and activist, known for being the first out trans man of color to hold public office in the United States. In 2017, he was elected to the Minneapolis City Council, where he served as the representative for the city’s fourth ward — an area in which the majority of residents are people of color. He served alongside Andrea Jenkins, a Black trans woman elected that same year. During his time in office, Cunningham fought to implement domestic violence prevention programs, tenant protections, and alternatives to policing using a public health approach. Following the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin, Cunningham and Jenkins joined seven other council members in a vow to reimagine the Minneapolis Police Department through the Safety For All Budget Plan. After leaving office in 2021, Cunningham became a board member at the Transgender Law Center and founded Minneapolis’s Excellence in Changemaking Institute.
Written by: Alma Avalle [she/her]
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Rita Hester From Tragedy to Transcendent Legacy
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ust two days before her 35th birthday, on November 28, 1998, Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman, was stabbed to death in her apartment in Allston, a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. Hester was one of roughly a dozen antitransgender murders that we know of from that year. At the time, her murder — which remains unsolved to this day — was overshadowed by the murder of Matthew Shepard, a young white gay man. Like so many victims of anti-trans violence, it seemed likely that she would simply be forgotten. But it was Rita Hester’s death that inspired the Remembering Our Dead project, which later led to the creation of Transgender Day of Remembrance. The latter has been honored in countless cities across the globe for the past 25 years. A park and a large mural exist near where Rita Hester lived, keeping her alive in our collective memory.
Written By: Gwendolyn Ann Smith [she/her]
Sarah McBride First Openly Trans Person To Serve In Congress
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arah McBride was born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1990 and became the first transgender person to serve in the United States Congress. The highest-ranking transgender politician in American history, McBride was sworn in to represent her home state as an at-large representative on January 3, 2025. Prior to her term in Congress, McBride was a state representative for Delaware’s First Congressional District, and has been credited with shaping President Joe Biden’s views on transgender people. In her position as a Congresswoman, McBride has advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, workers’ rights, women’s rights, and greater access to health care. Her husband was the late Andrew Cray, a trans man who advocated for nondiscrimination protections in the Affordable Care Act.
Written by: Rylee Dunn [she/her]
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Sylvia Rivera Icon of Resistance and Liberation
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elf-described radical revolutionist Sylvia Rivera was born into a Puerto Rican-Veneuzlan family in New York City. As a child, she engaged in survival sex work, which led her to meeting her best friend and comrade, Marsha P. Johnson. Rivera self-identified as a drag queen and later as transgender. Her political involvement began with the Gay Liberation Front's Drag Queen Caucus, and later Gay Activists Alliance, where she first voiced concern for the exclusion of drag queens and other trans-feminized people — especially trans women of color — in the gay rights movement. Rivera later joined the Young Lords Party. Alongside Johnson, she co-founded Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries (STAR) to care for homeless queer youth. A parked trailer truck in a Greenwich Village parking lot was home to STAR’s first shelter, which housed two dozen young people. They later transitioned to a more permanent home, with the top floor serving as a school for reading and writing.
Written by: Adryan Corcione [they/ them]
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This special edition TransLash Zine was created to honor Trans Awareness Week, which is a time to celebrate the power, brilliance, and resilience of our community. Across the United States, trans stories are being silenced and erased. This issue stands as our resistance — a visible reminder that trans people are here and have always been here, and that we are heroic. Through courage, creativity, and truth-telling, we continue to shape the world with our light.
Trans stories — especially those of people of color, disabled people, queer people, and others who are multiply marginalized — are too often erased from mainstream history. This zine challenges that narrative. It is an accessible, intergenerational resource connecting the past to the present through personal reflection and bold visual storytelling. Each page celebrates the collective strength of our community, and reaffirms that being unapologetically ourselves is how we change the world.
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This TransLash Zine would not be possible without the support of many people. Team TransLash extends our deepest gratitude to the contributors whose resonant words fill these pages with power. Each of you has helped build a living archive of trans experience that affirms who we are and the future we are creating together. A special shoutout to Meredith Hutchison for her extraordinary design talents. Her artistic vision and collaboration brought this zine to life with the fearless energy and vibrant color our community deserves. TransLash Media remains committed to paying every TGNC creator and contributor for their labor. To support our ongoing culture production, please consider making a tax-deductible donation at translash.org/donate.
Creative Director Hillary Esquina [she/her] Art Director and Illustrator Meredith Hutchison [she/her] Editor Tyler Ford [they/them] Contributing Writers Alma Avalle [she/her] Elly Belle [they/he] Alec Berg [he/they] Vera Blossom [she/her] Haley Bossé [they/them] Adryan Corcione [they/them] Rylee Dunn [she/her] Dawn Ennis [she/her] Baxstar Jonmarie Ferguson [he/they] Caden Mark Gardner [he/him] Jake Hall [they/them] Candace Hansen [they/them] Imara Jones [she/her] Quispe López [they/them] Julie Kliegman [they/them] Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko [pronoun agnostic/ gender atheist] Elena Novak [they/them] Kai Proschan [she/her] Emilia Ruzicka [they/them] Gwendolyn Ann Smith [she/her] Daniel Trujillo [he/him] Special thanks and gratitude to Imara Jones for believing in and supporting this project from the very beginning, and to the entire TransLash staff and our community whose dedication and collaboration made this zine possible. TransLash Media is the publisher of TransLash Zine. Read digital versions of every issue for free, and purchase print editions to support our contributing writers and artists at translash.org/zine.
TransLash media tells trans stories to save trans lives. We hope you enjoyed this special issue of TransLash Zine. To learn more about how to access print editions of this issue and past issues, visit translash.org/zine
Copyright © 2025 TransLash Media. All rights reserved. This zine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever for commercial use without the express written permission of the publisher, TransLash Media. Learn more: translash.org/zine
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