The common narrative of LGBTQ history often begins with the Stonewall Riots of 1969. But for decades, the faces in those riots were whitewashed and cisgender-washed. In reality, the uprising was led by transgender women of color, most notably Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.

Johnson, a Black trans woman, and Rivera, a Latina trans woman, were at the frontlines of the resistance against police brutality. At the time, the "gay liberation" movement was often exclusionary, pushing trans people to the background because they were deemed "too radical" or "bad for public image." Yet, it was the transgender community that threw the first brick and the first high-heeled shoe.

This history is foundational to LGBTQ culture. Without the transgender community, Pride as we know it would not exist. This shared origin story creates an irrevocable bond: the rights gained by gay and lesbian individuals in the late 20th century were built on the sacrifices of trans activists who refused to be invisible.

For members of the broader LGBTQ culture who are cisgender (identifying with the gender assigned at birth), genuine allyship to the transgender community requires active work:

LGBTQ culture is not a ladder, with cisgender gay men at the top and trans women at the bottom. It is a circle, or better yet, a prism. The rainbow flag bends light, and every color depends on the others to exist. The red of life (for the cis lesbian) touches the orange of healing (for the trans elder). The green of nature (for the bisexual man) blends with the violet of spirit (for the nonbinary youth).

To understand the transgender community is to understand that queerness is not a deviation from the norm; it is a critique of the norm itself. And no one critiques the norm more boldly, more beautifully, and more bravely than transgender people. Their fight for authenticity, healthcare, and safety is our fight. Their joy is our joy. As long as the T stands strong, the rainbow will not fade.

In the end, there is no LGBTQ culture without the Transgender community. There never was. And there never will be.