Too often, conversations about Black history center on cisgender men while leaving out the women, queer folks, and trans people who built movements and redefined what liberation looks like. Black trans people are Black history, and this month, we make sure that truth is undeniable.

This guide isn’t just a celebration. It’s a reclamation. Let’s get into it.

Black History Month’s ‘Negro History Week’ Origins (1926)

In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) announced the second week of February to be “Negro History Week”. This week was chosen because it coincided with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln on February 12th and that of Frederick Douglass on February 14th, dates which Black communities had celebrated since the late 19th century. 

At the time of Negro History Week’s launch, Woodson emphasized that the teaching of Black History was essential to ensure the physical and intellectual survival of the race within broader society:

“If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”

Negro History Week grew in popularity throughout the following decades, with mayors across the United States endorsing it as a holiday.

Black History Month: Brought to you by Black Scholars

By the 1960s, Negro History Week had expanded into what we now celebrate as Black History Month, thanks to Black educators and the Black United Students at Kent State University, who initiated the first Black History Month in February 1970. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized it, urging Americans to honor the “too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans.”

In the Black community, Black History Month prompted the creation of Black history clubs, an increase in interest among teachers, and interest from non-Black allies.

On February 21, 2016, 106-year Washington, D.C., resident and school volunteer Virginia McLaurin visited the White House as part of Black History Month.

When asked by President Barack Obama why she was there, McLaurin said: “A Black president. A Black wife. And I’m here to celebrate Black history. That’s what I’m here for.”

Black Trans People and African Gender Traditions

Before Western colonization, many African societies had fluid understandings of gender identity. While the term “two-spirit” is specific to Indigenous North American cultures, Black trans and gender-diverse identities have existed for centuries. 

• Woman-to-Woman Marriages: Documented in over 40 African societies, these marriages allowed a woman to take on the role of a husband, challenging the binary gender norms. This practice was prevalent across various cultures, indicating a different approach to gender and marital roles compared to Western norms.
• The Chibados and Quimbanda: In Angola, male diviners known as Chibados or Quimbanda were believed to carry female spirits, demonstrating the existence of gender-variant roles in African spiritual practices.
• Queen Nzingha Mbande (Angola): Ruled in the 1600s, she exhibited gender fluidity, being referred to as “King” and taking on roles traditionally assigned to men, such as leading troops in battle.
• King Mwanga II (Uganda): Openly gay or bisexual, he resisted British colonial influence and exemplified pre-colonial acceptance of diverse sexual orientations.
• Area Scatter (Nigeria): A gender non-conforming musician in the 1970s, she challenged gender norms through her artistic expression and performance.
• Simon Nkoli (South Africa): A prominent anti-apartheid and gay rights activist, he played a significant role in advancing LGBTQ+ rights in Africa.

The Impact of Colonialism on Black Trans and Queer Identities

Despite colonial narratives that paint queerness and transness as “un-African”, these histories prove otherwise. It was colonization that imposed transphobia and homophobia, not African culture itself. 

In pre-colonial Africa, gender was not always a primary organizing principle. For instance, among the Yoruba people, gender roles were not strictly defined, and women held positions of prominence and power in society. Women were involved in politics and trade and were key decision-makers in their communities. In Ghana, queen mothers in the Asante culture were part of a dual-gender system of leadership, holding significant authority alongside tribal chiefs. Similarly, Yoruba women were central figures in long-distance trade and could hold the chieftaincy title of “iyalode,” signifying considerable power and privilege​

The arrival of colonial powers in Africa introduced patriarchal structures and binary gender norms that significantly devalued the roles and contributions of women, leading to a dramatic reshaping of family structures and gender relationships. This imposition of European norms drastically reduced women’s influence and power, especially in public and political spheres, relegating them to subordinate roles and causing a significant loss of their earlier societal status. 

Additionally, European colonizers, influenced by their own cultural biases, often condemned and criminalized non-heteronormative sexualities and gender expressions. Historical accounts, such as those of Francisco Manicongo from Central Africa, highlight the oppressive colonial attitudes towards gender and sexual diversity. 

These interventions not only suppressed but also pathologized diverse gender expressions and sexual orientations, leading to the ironic import of homophobia and transphobia into African cultures, contrary to the pre-colonial acceptance of gender and sexual diversity​

Black Transgender History & Trancestry

The term “trancestry” was coined by Black trans activist CeCe McDonald. It describes the practice of telling transgender peoples’ stories to honor their historical significance.

Frances Thompson is an example of a transcestor; a Black trans woman living openly, according to her own gender identity, long before the existence of Black History Month. CeCe, who fought for her rights in a very public legal battle, stands on the shoulders of Frances Thompson.

Black Transgender & Queer Historical Figures

While we cannot definitively label historical figures as transgender using modern terms, we can glean insights from the ways they defied and navigated gender norms of their time. Many such individuals exhibited behaviors and traits that resonate with what we now understand as transgender identities. Their lives and actions provide valuable context for understanding the evolving nature of gender expression and identity. By examining these historical nuances, we gain a deeper appreciation for the diversity of gender expressions throughout history and their connections to contemporary transgender experiences.

Mary Jones (1836-1853):

Mary Jones, born a free African-American, lived her life as a Black sex worker defying the rigid gender norms of her time. Her arrest in 1836 was not only for ‘cross-dressing’ but also involved other charges,  marking one of the earliest recorded instances of a Black transgender person in American history. 

Despite the legal and societal challenges she faced, Mary Jones’s story is a story of death-defying class jumping, colorful creative indulgences, and the sensual existence of Black trans women long before the term itself was coined.

Frances Thompson

In 1866, Frances Thompson was the first out Black trans woman, the first Black woman, and the first out transgender person to testify during a hearing held by the US Congress about being sexually assaulted by white men. She spoke on behalf of herself and a cisgender woman who was also assaulted. 

Ten years later in 1876, after a decade of being targeted for speaking out, Thompson was arrested for “being a man dressed in women’s clothing”, and died that same year. Even behind bars, Thompson never lost her fight, answering rude questions about her gender with “none of your damn business.”

Today, The Transgender Education Foundation (formerly The Frances Thompson Education Foundation) facilitates Black transgender and non-binary scholarship and advancement, through direct financial, written, and oral scholarship.

Frances Thompson is Black History, and she stood on the shoulders of Sojourner Truth, a Black cisgender woman, who in 1851, in front of a crowd of mostly white cisgender women, demanded body autonomy & rights for Black women in her legendary speech “Aint I A Woman?” at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio.

Both Frances Thompson and Sojourner Truth fought for Black women long before the white feminist movement even considered Black women worthy of equal rights. While white women in the United States earned the right to vote in 1920, Black women and many women of color had to wait nearly five more decades to exercise that right.

Sir Lady Java (1943-2024):

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1943, Sir Lady Java, also known simply as Lady Java, emerged as a pioneering figure in the transgender community and the entertainment industry. She embraced her identity from an early age, transitioning with the support of her mother.

Java’s career spanned across various domains – she was a talented exotic dancer, singer, comedian, and actress. In the 1960s, Java faced discrimination due to Rule Number 9, a Los Angeles law that restricted drag performance. Her fight against this law marked her as a transgender rights activist and a pioneer in the struggle for equality. She was one of the first transgender individuals to be defended by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In June 2016, she was honored at the 18th annual Trans Pride L.A. festival alongside CeCe McDonald. 

For Black cisgender and transgender people, representation in media has helped to shift public perception of Black lives and Black achievements and to inspire action. Today in 2023, there is still a long way to go in our fight for equality and equity, but we are inspired by Black trans and cisgender legacies that continue to make an impact today.

Black Cisgender & Transgender Representation in Media

The world’s first television stations first started appearing in America in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and Ethel Waters, a cisgender Black woman, was the first Black performer seen on television. Her one-night variety special, The Ethel Waters Show, aired on NBC in 1939, and paved the way for many Black entertainers. Ethel Waters is Black History.

By the 1950s, nuanced representations of Black people in media were still lacking; many white people were accustomed to strictly seeing Black people on television primarily as sources of entertainment: singers, dancers, athletes — and in news footage as targets of police brutality, as the civil rights movement gained more screen time in homes across America.

In 1955, Black and non-Black people could turn on their televisions and see footage from protests such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and then change the channel and see Black entertainers on The Nat King Cole Show. For many Black people of all genders during this era, Black representation in media felt like a double-edged sword. Racist tropes abounded. For some Black viewers, Martin Luther King Jr.‘s brilliance and charisma on their flickering TV sets emboldened them to keep fighting for their rights.

But despite more visibility for Black actors in the 50s and 60s, white network and studio heads, directors, writers and actors continued to perpetuate anti-Black notions about who Black people are and what they deserve.

Black trans entertainers were featured even less on stages and screens during this era, but we existed; our trancestor Sir Lady Java was an entertainer and activist who successfully fought against an anti-crossdressing ordinance in Los Angeles in the late 1960s.

In 1976, Java portrayed herself in the Dolemite sequel The Human Tornado. In 1978, Java performed with Lena Horne at a birthday party for nightclub owner and columnist Gertrude Gipson. Since the 1980s, Java has kept a lower public profile. After retiring from performance and recovering from a stroke, she made a limited return to public life, appearing locally in southern California and giving interviews. In June 2016, she was a guest of honor at the 18th annual Trans Pride L.A. festival alongside CeCe McDonald. Lady Java is Black History.

Willmer Broadnax (1916-1992) , also known as “Little Axe,” “Wilbur,” “Willie,” and “Wilmer,” was a Black trans man who moved to Southern California from Houston, Texas, in the 1930s with his brother to join the Southern Gospel Singers. He and his brother later formed their own group called “Little Axe and the Golden Echoes.” Eventually the brothers parted ways and joined various other groups throughout their musical careers. In retirement, Broadnax continued to record new material occasionally with the Blind Boys into the 1970s and 1980s.

As Black trans blogger, writer, and transgender rights advocate Monica Roberts documented, there is a dispute as to when Broadnax actually died.  Various sources claim it was 1994, but the Untitled Black Lesbian Elder Project website asserts that he met his untimely demise in Philadelphia in 1992. He and his girlfriend Lavinia Richardson were arguing when she stabbed him on May 23, 1992, and he subsequently died on June 1, 1992. It was on the autopsy table that Willmer Broadnax was ultimately revealed to be a trans man. Little Axe is Black History.

Prismatic Blackness: A Threat to White America

Respectability politics rooted in anti-Blackness and homophobia dictated how Black people of all genders were judged in white and Black-led media. Malcolm X, a Black cisgender man who was vocal advocate for Black empowerment, did not receive the same reception as Martin Luther King Jr.; Malcolm X was even featured in a 1959 New York City television broadcast about the Nation of Islam, The Hate That Hate Produced.

Reactions to Malcolm X’s assassination in 1965 were varied. But in a telegram to Betty Shabazz, Martin Luther King Jr. expressed his sadness at “the shocking and tragic assassination of your husband.” He said: While we did not always see eye to eye on methods to solve the race problem, I always had a deep affection for Malcolm and felt that he had a great ability to put his finger on the existence and root of the problem. He was an eloquent spokesman for his point of view and no one can honestly doubt that Malcolm had a great concern for the problems that we face as a race.

For many white people, witnessing Black people fighting for their rights felt like a threat to their power.

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

– James Baldwin

Interracial relationships on TV and in film were especially controversial. It wasn’t until 1967 that American audiences saw a nuanced film about the topic: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, starred the legend Sidney Poitier (February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022).

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner was one of the few films of the time to depict an interracial marriage in a positive light, as interracial marriage historically had been illegal in many states of the United States. It was still illegal in 17 states, until June 12, 1967, six months before the film was released and scenes were filmed just before anti-miscegenation laws were struck down by the Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia.

The first Black-White kiss on American network television didn’t even take place until November 22, 1968, and is credited to the Star Trek episode, “Plato’s Stepchildren.” In this episode, the Platonians used their telekinetic powers to force Captain Kirk, played by William Shatner, a white actor, and Lieutenant Uhura, played by Nichelle Nichols (1932-present), a Black cisgender actress, to kiss. 

Sidney Poitier and Nichelle Nichols stand on the shoulders & brilliance of James Baldwin, a gay Black writer and thought leader who in 1956, published Giovanni’s Room, one of the first American novels to deal with the topic of homosexuality. Baldwin spoke truth to power in ways that compelled many people of all backgrounds to examine the systemic harm of white supremacy, anti-Blackness, and homophobia. Poitier, Nichols, and Baldwin are Black History.

Black Trans Media Representation: An Evolving Legacy

It wasn’t until decades later that the first-ever Black-White cisgender-transgender/TGNC “romance” would take place on the big screen: in The Crying Game (1992), actor Jaye Davidson, a Black mixed cisgender gay man, plays transgender woman Dil. This film doubled down on the on-screen transphobic trope of the deceptive trans woman who tricks the cisgender man, and what followed was relentless transphobic and anti-Black “jokes” on TV about this film for years to come (learn more about this in the documentary film DISCLOSURE).

Audiences wouldn’t see a Black transgender woman consistently & authentically playing a Black trans woman character on any mainstream network or streaming platform until over a decade later, in Orange Is the New Black (2012-2019). OITNB star Laverne Cox’s big breakthrough happened after years in the industry, when she was cast as Sophia Burset on the Netflix television drama. Cox’s character Burset, a transgender woman, is in prison trying to get hormone treatments.

For her performance, Cox was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 2014, 2017, and 2019. After the show ended in 2019, Cox continued to take on acting roles in movies and on television. Her later credits included the films Charlie’s Angels (2019), Promising Young Woman (2020), and Jolt (2021).

A year after Laverne Cox appeared in the first season of Orange Is the New Black, Sasha Alexander founded Black Trans Media & #blacktranseverything in 2013, which addresses the intersections of racism and transphobia by reframing the value & worth of Black trans people.

Sasha stands on the shoulders of Laverne Cox and Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler, who directed the independent film STILL BLACK: a Portrait of Black Transmen (2008); a collection of six short black-and-white films conceived during the years Ziegler was a doctoral student in the department of African-American studies at Northwestern University. The film explores the theme of FTM transition in the Black community. Upon release to the queer film festival circuit, STILL BLACK: a Portrait of Black Transmen became one of the most sought-after and talked about films representing the Black trans man experience, showing to sold-out crowds in cities such as Los Angeles, Toronto, Seattle, Chicago, and Tel-Aviv.

Ziegler, Alexander, and Cox all stand on the shoulders of Janet Mock, a Black trans woman who began her transition as a freshman in high school and funded her medical transition by earning money as a sex worker in her teens. Mock earned a Master of Arts in Journalism from New York University in 2006. Her career in journalism shifted from editor to media advocate when she came out publicly as a trans woman in a 2011 Marie Claire article.

Mock’s memoir about her teenage years, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More, was released in February 2014. It is the first book written by a trans person who transitioned as a young person, and made The New York Times bestseller list for hardcover nonfiction.

Another 2014 breakthrough: Angelica Ross, a Black trans actress, businesswoman, and transgender rights advocate (and self-taught computer programmer), founded TransTech Social Enterprises, a firm that helps employ transgender people in the tech industry. Ross then began her acting career in the web series Her Story (2016), after which she received critical acclaim for her starring roles in the drama series Pose (2018–2021) and the anthology horror series American Horror Story (2019–present). Ross is the first trans person to star in two season regular roles, consecutively.

Over 100 years later, Black trans people continue to fulfill Carter G. Woodson‘s vision for preserving Black history for future generations — all Black history.

In 2017, three Black trans women founded Compton’s Transgender Cultural District in San Francisco, CA; the first legally recognized transgender district in the world. Originally named after the first documented uprising of transgender and queer people in United States history, the Compton’s Cafeteria Riots of 1966, the district encompasses 6 blocks in the southeastern Tenderloin and crosses over Market Street to include two blocks of 6th street. In 2016, the City of San Francisco renamed portions of Turk and Taylor to commemorate the historic contributions of transgender people, renaming them “Compton’s Cafeteria Way” and “Vikki Mar Lane” respectively. January 31, 2022, marked Compton’s Transgender Cultural District‘s five year anniversary.

A year after the launch of Compton’s Transgender Cultural District, TransLash Media founder Imara Jones, a Black trans woman, released the first in a series of Black trans-affirming short documentary films entitled TransLash Episode 1: Transitioning Genders in Trump’s America (2018). The documentary series was the catalyst for Jones’ platform TransLash Media (2019-present), a nonprofit organization that tells trans stories to save trans lives, all while documenting trans lives through a Black trans lens.

In 2020, TransLash honored Monica Roberts (May 4, 1962 – October 5, 2020), a Black trans blogger, writer, and transgender rights advocate. She was the founding editor of TransGriot, a blog focusing on issues pertaining to trans women, particularly Black and other women of color. Roberts’ coverage of transgender homicide victims in the United States is credited for bringing national attention to the issue.

TransLash Media stands on the shoulders of Monica Roberts, and we at TransLash continue to honor Roberts’ legacy through our Commemorations Project.

In 2021, two Black-trans led orgs focused on technology overlapped in a beautiful way: TransTech Social Enterprises and TransLash Media were beneficiaries of Pride Live‘s  Stonewall Day 2021 fundraising initiative. Folks could text REBEL to 243725 to donate funds to TransLash Media and TransTech Social Enterprises during Pride Month (watch the livestream replay here). Black Trans History is Black History.

Black Trans Representation: 2023 and Beyond

Today, Black transgender people can see themselves onscreen more than ever before, with one seminal series continuing to make waves: POSE (2018 –2021). Set during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City, the groundbreaking series depicts NYC Ball culture in the late ’80s, early ’90s. The television series premiered on June 3, 2018, on FX. Janet Mock was a writer, director, and producer on the show, and was the first Black trans woman hired as a writer for a TV series in history.

POSE boasts multiple Black & Afro-Latinx transgender/TGNC actors, including MJ Rodriguez (Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista), Indya Moore (Angel Evangelista), Dominique Jackson (Elektra Abundance), and Angelica Ross (Candy Abundance/Ferocity). On July 13, 2021, MJ Rodriguez made Emmy history by becoming the first trans lead ever nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series.

While we still have a long way to go to attain expansive, prismatic representations of Black cisgender and transgender people in media, things are changing.

Black trans people have innovated and set trends in almost every industry, including the fashion world. Tracey “Africa” Norman, aka Tracey Africa, is an American fashion model, and the first Black trans woman model to achieve prominence in the fashion industry.

Originally from Newark, New Jersey, Norman has modeled and been photographed for such publications as Essence, Vogue Italia and Harper’s Bazaar India. Whether she knew it or not back in the 1970s, Norman paved the way for Black trans models today such as Jari Jones and Aaron Rose Philip. Tracey Africa, along with every Black trans & cis person mentioned in this article, is Black History

Other achievements by the community include:

• Hope Giselle and Peppermint Speak at March on Washington Anniversary (August 2023): Hope Giselle and Peppermint became the first Black trans women to represent their community at the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
• Miss Major Griffin-Gracy’s Memoir Wins Lambda Literary Award (June 2024): Miss Major’s memoir, Miss Major Speaks: Conversations with a Black Trans Revolutionary, received the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Nonfiction, recognizing her lifelong activism and contributions to the Black trans community.
• Zaya Wade Recognized as a Groundbreaker (December 2023): Zaya Wade, daughter of Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, was honored as a groundbreaker at the Out100 event for her advocacy within the LGBTQ+ community.
• Imara Jones Wins the Pulitzer Prize (May 2023): Imara Jones, founder of TransLash Media, won a Pulitzer Prize for her journalism focused on Black trans lives, becoming one of the few trans people ever to receive the honor.

Black Trans Reading List

These are some Black trans & Black LGBTQIA-affirming books to add to your collection during Black History Month and beyond. Did we miss anything? Let us know and we’ll update the list!

• The Echoing Ida Collection (2021) by Cynthia R. Greenlee (Editor), Kemi Alabi (Editor), Janna A. Zinzi (Editor), Michelle Duster. Founded in 2012, Echoing Ida is a writing collective of Black women and nonbinary writers who—like their foremother Ida B. Wells-Barnett—believe the “way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” Their community reporting spans a wide variety of topics: reproductive justice and abortion politics; trans visibility; stigma against Black motherhood; Black mental health; and more. This anthology collects the best of Echoing Ida for the first time, and features a foreword by Michelle Duster, activist and great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Imagining a gender-expansive and liberated future, these essays affirm the powerful combination of #BlackGirlMagic and the unceasing labor of Black people to reimagine the world in which we live.
• Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity (2017) by C. Riley Snorton
• Trap Door: Trans Cultural Production and the Politics of Visibility (2017) by Reina Gossett (Editor), Eric A. Stanley  (Editor), Johanna Burton (Editor)
• A Finer Specimen of Womanhood: A Transsexual Speaks Out by Sharon Davis (1986). With the publication of A Finer Specimen of Womanhood, Ms. Davis became the first Black trans person to publish a memoir. This unprecedented work is no longer in print and difficult to find, but those interested in her life can find a lovely profile in a 1983 issue of Jet available from the magazine’s online archives.
• FIRE!! a Quarterly Devoted to the Younger Negro Artists (1926). Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Wallace Thurman, Aaron Douglas, Richard Bruce Nugent, Gwendolyn Bennett and John P. Davis created FIRE!!. The publication reads as a love letter to the young queer Black community, replete with poetry, plays and short stories. Only one issue was ever made. Read FIRE!! online for free, thanks to POC Zine Project.
• TransLash Zine (2019-present) is an independent publication that centers Black trans & BIPOC trans voices, along with non-Black trans allies. Purchase hard copies here and read online for free.

Give Them Their Flowers: Black Trans Led-Orgs

Here are a few sources to find Black trans leaders and Black trans-led organizations to support.

• Andrea Jenkins is an American politician, writer, performance artist, poet, and transgender activist. Jenkins made history in 2017 as the first Black openly trans woman to be elected to office in the United States.
• Phillipe Cunningham, a Black trans man and another Democrat on the Minneapolis City Council, lost his bid to represent Ward 4 for a second term in 2022, but his impact continues today.
• Mauree Turner is an American politician and community organizer. A member of the Democratic Party, they have served as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives since 2021. Turner is the first publicly non-binary U.S. state lawmaker and the first Muslim member of the Oklahoma Legislature.
• Stanley Martin, a Democrat who won a city council seat in Rochester, New York, in 2021, joins the shortlist as one of the country’s few Black trans and nonbinary elected officials.
• Miss Major is a trans activist who began much of her work during the Stonewall uprising of 1969. As a teen in the late 1950s, she came out and faced abuse. Major ended up homeless and relied on sex work and other illegal activities as a means of survival for more than 20 years. She became the executive director for the Transgender, Gender Variant and Intersex Justice Project, which advocates for incarcerated trans women. She coordinated one of the earliest needle exchange programs in the San Francisco Bay Area and also served the community through various HIV/AIDS organizations. The documentary Major chronicles her life, including her children, romantic partners and her status as one of the most celebrated Black trans figures of our time.
• This list by Raquel Willis is an evolving, community-sourced list of organizations and initiatives that are led by and/or predominantly serve Black transgender, gender nonbinary (NB), and gender-nonconforming (GNC) people.
• Watch The Future of Trans (2020) to learn about even more Black trans leaders.

Before you click away, the latest episode of TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones is a must-listen!

Did you find this resource helpful? Consider supporting TransLash today with a tax-deductible donation.

The post TransLash Guide to Black History Month appeared first on TransLash Media.

Vita Ayala

Afro-Puerto Rican Comics and Prose Fiction Writer

@definitelyvita

Alejandra Caraballo

Latina Civil Rights Attorney and Clinical Instructor

@esqueer 

Laith Ashley

Model, Actor, Activist, and Entertainer

@laith_ashley

Jennicet Gutierrez

Co-Executive Director and Founding Member of La Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement

@jennicetguti

Zander Keig

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Educator, and Coast Guard Veteran

Website: www.zanderkeig.net

Indya Moore

Model and Actor, known for the FX television series Pose

@indyamoore 

Bamby Salcedo

Mexican-American Activist and Founder of TransLatin@ Coalition

@labamby

Marquise Vilson Balenciaga

Artist, Activist, and Veteran: Red Wright in the Amazon Prime Series A League of Their Own

@marquisevilson 

More Latinx/Latine Resources

• In the Shadow of the Health-Care City: Historicizing Trans Latinx Immigrant Experiences during the Coronavirus Pandemic
• Trans-Affirming Guide to Latinx Heritage Month (2021)
• TransLash Podcast: Latinx Heritage Month (2021)

The post Discover Eight Inspiring Trans and GNC Figures this Latinx Heritage Month appeared first on TransLash Media.

Learn More About Cecilia Gentili From People And Organizations Close To The Irreplaceable Trailblazer, In Their Own Words:

Imara Jones’ Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

I can’t remember the first time I met Cecilia Gentili nor the first time I ever heard her name. Perhaps it’s because she’s been an ever-present, powerful force in our community for so long that it’s hard to imagine any time without her.

But even though I can’t remember the first time I met her, what I do know is that she was and always shall remain unforgettable. Her laugh, wit, intelligence, sexiness, bawdiness and sheer grit were all outsized. No matter what room she was in, nor who was it, Cecilia stood out for all of the right reasons. It is fitting that she had a one woman show because no matter who she met Cecilia was unparalleled.

I was fortunate to know her and to see her in more, different types of scenarios than I can remember. Vigils, boardrooms, conference halls, and brunch tables all spring to mind. While she will be feted for her public face, what I recall is her private one. She is one of the shrewdest people I know. Cecilia got so much done on behalf of trans people because she knew where power lay, how to sell to it, and get it do what she wanted. I observed her roll men in suits more times than I can remember. To be honest, in a less transphobic society, #CeciliaGentili would have been an EMMY Award winning actress AND governor of a state. Cecilia had the range.

For all of these reasons, it is hard both for me and our community to fathom life without her. But she would expect nothing else. She knew that the creation of a better world was larger than one person.

I will especially miss her ability to know what I was going to do next even though I had never said it. I still don’t know how she did this exactly.

Lastly, as a journalist I had the opportunity to sit down with her for many hours of interviews. At the end of one for the #antitranshatemachine I said, “The United States is lucky that you chose her to make your life.”

The response to her passing over the last three days underscores how fortunate we all were.

Río Sofia’s Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

I’ve never felt pain like this. I lost my mom yesterday, and I don’t know what to do now. We had been living for six months together on a 10 acre property she bought upstate, with a creek and reservoir and two houses—one for me and Cyd and one for Cecilia and Peter. Cyd and I had just finished clearing a trail through the woods for a more direct path between our doors.

We laughed at the same bullshit, she was so so so fucking funny.

She was my mentor and taught me so much in the art of showing up.

Cecilia helped me and Cyd plan our entire wedding, and insisted on even paying for a huge chunk of it herself. Her defense was that this would be her wedding too—she wanted it to be to the standard she (as my mother) and we (as her children) dreamed of. She showered us with love, attention, and all of her organizing powers, and she made me feel in my bones—despite self doubt—that we deserved this wedding. And that our community deserved it too, an exquisitely over the top and magical T4T love ceremony for all of us.

This was when I learned what it meant to be lucky enough to have a trans mother. My favorite part of the whole thing was seeing the collaboration and co-mothering between my biological mother, Isabel, and Cecilia. They didn’t know each other very well, but they indulged in the rituals together: picking out matching dresses over FaceTime, and both walking me to the altar side by side to give me away. Cecilia knew how central she was to my life and this wedding, and still she was always so careful not to upstage Isabel—even making the utmost sacrifice of going for a (slightly) simpler dress.

Here’s Cecilia’s speech to Cyd. She loved Cyd like a brother, like a son, sometimes like a therapist, and always like a best friend. They spoke the same love languages: cooking for each other, constantly buying gifts, having the deepest talks, and being the first call when shit hit the fan.

The look Cecilia gave me in this video before heading back to her seat is seared into my heart forever. I’ll spend the rest of my life decoding all of the layers of things she was telling me with that look.

My heart is shattered, as I know is true for so many of you. Hold each other tight. I love y’all 

Kay Ulanday Barrett’s Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

Dearest Cecilia,

Thank you for raising so many of us transgender & nonbinary people with your beloved care. NYC, queer, migrant, transgender, SWer, justice seeking hearts are grieving. Cecilia is just so very rare.

Transjustice movements have an immeasurable gap; loss that won’t ever be filled in the same way. It’s like when we talk about we’ll never hear another Whitney Houston or Luther Vandross sing again, their timbre, their musicality.

There isn’t another Cecilia in Trans and Justice building, writing, performance community. A grounded organizer’s organizer. A vivacious artist, a marvelous writer. Liberation trying/making personified.

Personal note:
I wouldn’t have had top surgery if it weren’t for @ceciliagentili72 advocacy. She was my Trans intake person when I was very poor & on workers comp /disability. she ceaselessly advocated for me when I was fatshamed by doctors, rejected for clearance. She pushed back on ableism when I felt alone. She said, Don’t worry, you’re getting your surgery. And I did.

When covid began, she continued to try to be virtual, invited me to perform, speak panel after panel. She checked in on me. We talked about nonfiction & books. She helped me survive so we could talk about accessibility & covid.

In pandemic, many sick & disabled people are left behind. Trans movements, arts hubs, deny ableism & accessibility letting us disappear.

Cecilia always asked you what you thought. She never left me behind. We challenged eachother towards a fuller more comprehensive justice. I felt seen with her even if our understandings were on different wavelengths. She truly wanted everybody to win & everybody to be fed. Her work wasn’t driven by clout, followers, fads,likes. She was earnestly old skool, brilliantly trying for all Trans and BIPOC people. We are blessed to work with her. This loss. This loss. To feel her radiance imprint on everything we are & will become.

Thank you for everything. 

Qween Jean’s Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

Cecilia Gentili we honor you.

You are an eternal saint who guides us toward freedom!

You loved, protected & led our community through the darkest times and carried us to victory with fearless joy.

Your spirit will always beat in our hearts.

Nos Veremos En El Paraiso

Thank You @ceciliagentili72 For Your Testimony, Your Sacrifices and Unwavering Commitment To Making This World A Much Better Place For US ALL To Breathe and Exist!

Cecilia’s Declaration For Collective Liberation
@ceciliagentili72 We Lead With Love For The Wellness of All Humanity

Raquel Willis’ Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

Today is a tough day for all of us. Cecilia Gentili was a living legend. A titan, an unapologetic example of joy and power. Her spirit lives on in all whom she touched and all she built for us. We get to relish in her words eternally through her memoir, Faltas, her appearance in docs like The Stroll, all the videos and photos of her performances, and through the encouraging words she showered on us day in and day out.

I was always in awe of how vulnerable she was and grateful to hear her life’s testimony on more than one occasion. Most recently, I interviewed her for the final episode of this season of @afterlives.pod. It made sense for her to be the conclusion and she shared even more than this clip. She loved our people OUT LOUD. She made us burst out in laughter. She made us take ourselves seriously and not all at once. She MOTHERED in every sense of the word. She loved her some @gogograham, @therealgialove, and @rioxofia. And she had far too many children, nibblings, and fam to name in one sitting.

We last texted last week and she said, “Sister! I just wanted to tell you I love you so much. I will do anything for you anywhere. I truly love you sister.” And you know, if Ceci said it she meant it.

Rest powerfully and peacefully, Mami. And go kiki with the ancestors. You deserve eternal pleasure.

Gia Love’s Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

“Let me photograph you in this light
In case it is the last time
That we might be exactly like we were
Before we realized
We were scared of getting old
It made us restless
It was just like a movie
It was just like a song“

My mother is gone @ceciliagentili72. I am devastated. I am confused. I met @ceciliagentili72 at APHICA at my first appointment to start my transition. She was so kind, giving, and honest. She believed in community. She believed in me! My heart is broken again. I will forever feel the weight of her absence. Please pray for me, pray for Peter, Oscar, Chiqui, Mya, Amari, Gogo and sooooo many more family members that are in mourning. We lost an icon today. I just can’t believe I performed this song for her on her Birthday, and it was the last time……

Chase Strangio’s Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

love you forever. thanks for watching over me in so many ways for so long. i will carry you with me always. i know lorena is holding you.

Dominique Jackson’s Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

AN ACTIVIST, AN ICON, A TRAILBLAZER, A MOTHER, A WIFE, AN ACTRESS AND COMEDIAN, AN AMAZING SISTER AND A PHENOMENAL HUMAN BEING!

@fxnetworks @poseonfx

“I am deeply saddened by your departure dear sister! Even in death you are force to be reckoned with, your legacy one of movement, love and compassion unapologetic and true. I thank you dearly for ALL the work you have done,” Jackson wrote. “You sacrificed you boldly telling your truth and living it and for that you have changed and influenced many lives and the world. I LOVE YOU FOREVER BEAUTIFUL STRONG SISTER! REST WELL!”

Cecilia Gentili stared opposite Dominique Jackson in FX’s beloved TV series “Pose.”

Indya Moore’s Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

My friend Cecilia included so many people in her love & strength. She made life worth living & and she made life liveable for so many people. Cecilia made everything she was a part of more brilliant than it was before. To be embraced by her was a blessing & to embrace her was an honor.

Oh Cecilia, I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to see you & love you on this timeline, to be inspired by you, to stand in solidarity with true love & faith with you. Transition in blissful mystic wonder my friend.

ALOK’s Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

rest in power @ceciliagentili72 ! thank you for being a leader, a mentor, a mother, a sister for me for over a decade. i will never forget the sound of your laughter. i heard it pierce through the crowd just last week at my show in new york. thank you for being there. thanks for always being there.

i laughed so hard at your show last may. when we took this photo outside i told you that you were one of the funniest people i knew & that it was a testament to the work you had done to heal and alchemize so much of the pain you had experienced. it was the first time i had ever seen you bashful. it was so cute and human and real and i loved you so much for it.

just like i loved you for our side chats at every gala, the real talk, the side eyes, the knowing glances. the quips and eye lash flutters. you always made me feel like something greater than myself. even in my hesitations & doubts — something greater than myself.

this is so fresh, and so awful. and the world feels so much less glamorous, less possible without you in it. you did so much for us & fought so long and hard. thank you. thank you. thank you. for teaching me how to love trans people more than they could ever hate us.

my heart goes out to your family. and i know that because of how you lived your life: that includes the entire city of new york. maybe even — the entire world.

dear world: we lost our sun. we lost our sun.

Devin-Norelle’s Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

I have so many feelings about this photo, taken a couple days before Cecilia’s bday, because it might just be the last one I took with Cecilia. Tabytha simply wanted to take a selfie, but I’ve become a person that has moved towards taking less photos- I rather live in the moment, these days, and enjoy the eneegy of the people in my company. I’m glad @tabythagonzalez insisted, because I am reminded today that sometimes I SHOULD take that selfie and keep those memories with me forever.

Before this photo was taken, we had just left an all day retreat for our (Tabytha and me) first board meeting. Cecilia had long been a member, but recruited us to join her. We’d embark on a mighty important task.  I can not reveal exactly what that is as it is confidential, but what I will say is that Cecilia envisioned a trans revolution, and she recruited us as her mentees to work towards a trans takeover, not just for the Foundation, but for all and any work we would be doing going forward.

If no tranny left behind was a thing, that program would be ushered in and efficiently run by Cecilia. 

I’ve known Cecilia for so many years; we only became closer this year as I helped her and her kids with one or two of her events. She always thought of me over the years for various projects . But this year was different. She invited me to have a monthly dinner with her, and it at our first dinner that she let me know she wanted to mentor me. When Cecilia says she wants to take you under her wings, you don’t walk, you run. 

She is the most generous with her wisdom, and will pour into you heavily.  And even now, Cecilia is the gift that keeps on giving to so many.

A visionary, a mom, a wife, a sister, a force, a comedian if I may, an artist, an auntie, a mentor, an activist and a lover of all humans, Cecilia was a true beacon when there is darkness.

After this photo was taken, we took Cecilia’s little blue car, she joked about how she got her license to lighten the mood as we drove to our sibling Sasha’s funeral.

To know Cecilia is to know the scope of the work she has done. We are living in a world that she made possible.

Black Trans Femmes In The Arts’ Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

We are heartbroken to hear of the loss of our sister, Cecilia Gentili. Cecilia was a light in our community. She never failed to make us laugh even in the darkest of moments and she was never afraid to push boundaries and break doors down.

She is a trailblazer and was one of my inspirations and guiding lights when I started BTFA. I am so grateful to have worked alongside her and been a part of the same movement. She was an absolute force. I will always treasure our moments together. It brings me some peace to know that her last words to me were “I’m proud of you.” I hope I continue to make her proud, and I hope that we as a community will forever honor her legacy and carry her vision forward.

Rest in Power, Cecilia.

– Jordyn Jay and the BTFA family

GLAAD’s Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

We are devastated to hear about the death of Cecilia Gentili. Cecilia was a pillar in the trans community, a dedicated advocate, a striking actress on the hit TV program Pose, an incredible journalist, and a sex worker. She did direct service through The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center, Callen Lorde, and the APICHA (originally the Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS) Community Health Center in New York, and later was managing director of policy for GMHC.

Several years ago she founded Trans Equity Consulting and has collaborated with many major organizations on transgender and gender nonbinary rights. Cecilia was also a founding member of Decrim NY, a coalition working toward decriminalization, decarceration, and destigmatization of sex workers. She also led the charge alongside other trans journalists to speak out against the New York Times’ biased and inaccurate trans coverage. Cecilia just celebrated her 52nd birthday, surrounded by friends, loved ones, and community.

In the anthology, Surviving Transphobia, Cecilia wrote about growing up under dictatorship in Argentina, about being inspired by American movies to be her authentic self. She poured that passion for visibility and acceptance into her life and many others:

“I say this to trans people, trans women of color, and to trans women of color who are undocumented or sex workers or both, people like me: Do what you can to achieve whatever level of empowerment you can get, but also be safe… I’ll probably never call myself radical, especially in two countries with such high rates of trans femicide and histories of coups. I’m okay with it. I never want to judge my work by how ‘radical’ I am. But I do judge it on what I’m doing for my people and for myself.”

Her book Faltas: Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn’t My Rapist won the American Library Association’s 2023 Stonewall Book Award. Her one-woman show Red Ink was slated to make a comeback at the Public Theater this April.

NY Transgender Advocacy Group’s Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

Today, our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of Cecilia Gentili @ceciliagentili72 , a cherished community leader, pioneer, and fierce advocate for equal rights. Her passion, wisdom, and dedication will continue to inspire us all. Rest in power, Cecilia.  

The Okra Project’s Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

Through our deep heartbreak, we affirm Cecilia Gentilli was undoubtedly an angel on earth and will live on and through us all the same. Her contributions, art, and insatiable love of community are forever. Her spirit stands as a powerful roadmap to our collective freedom and liberation.

So, as we navigate the turbulent waters of grief, let us take comfort in the belief that our dearest angel, Cecilia, remains by our side and guides us with her love and light. Until we are reunited once more in the embrace of eternity. Her work and love live forever.

-Gabrielle Inés Souza & The Okra Project Family

interACT’s Tribute To Cecilia Gentili

We at interACT deeply mourn the loss of our friend and co-conspirator Cecilia Gentili. Cecilia was and is so many things – advocate, leader, teacher, caregiver, mother, warrior, truth-teller, mirror – and not least of all, she was a caring ally to intersex people, as she was to all she encountered in the fight for liberation and justice. She will always be with us, siempre juntos. —Erika

TransLash Family On Instagram Honors Cecilia Gentili

On February 6, 2024, @translashmedia published this call for memorials:

What did #CeciliaGentili mean to you? Share in the comments and we will add your memorials to our memorial this week. We love you and are holding space for your grief as we process our own. – Team TransLash

We will compile your responses and add them here through February 2024.

About Cecilia Gentili’s Legacy

As reported by Entertainment Weekly, outside of her work on “Pose” and as a published author, Gentili’s activism led to a partnership with the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center in 2021, which resulted in the creation of her namesake Cecilia’s Occupational Inclusion Network health program that provided free care for sex workers.

Callen-Lorde Released The Following Statement From CEO Patrick McGovern:

“We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Cecilia Gentili. Cecilia was a fierce, fearless advocate and a leader, who spoke candidly about her own experiences as a trans woman of color. In doing so, she inspired countless others and truly paved the way for our communities — especially, sex workers and trans women of color — to access high quality and judgment free healthcare. Her legacy will live on through our work at Callen-Lorde and beyond.”

New York State Senator Brad Hoylman Issued A Statement Describing The Work And Impact Cecilia Gentili Delivered:

“I’m devastated to learn of the passing of Cecilia Gentili, a pathbreaking civil rights activist, healthcare advocate, author and actress. I was honored to work with Cecilia on many issues in Albany as we passed legislation enshrining the civil rights protections for transgender New Yorkers into law, including the Gender Expression Nondiscrimination Act (GENDA), ending the so-called ban on “walking while trans,” eliminating the gay and trans panic defense in our criminal statutes, making New York a safe haven for transgender youth and their parents seeking gender-affirming care, and the creation of the New York State Lorena Borjas TGNB Wellness & Equity Fund. We could not have passed the multitude of bills improving the lives of transgender New Yorkers without her help and guidance. Cecilia was a force of nature who leaves a long trailblazing legacy behind. l will miss her deeply.” 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Shared This Statement:

Democracy Now! Shared This Obituary:

In New York, beloved transgender advocate, author, and actor Cecilia Gentili has died. Gentili migrated from Argentina years ago and dedicated her life fighting for the rights of sex workers, LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities.

Gentili starred as Miss Orlando in the acclaimed television series “Pose.” Her debut memoir, “Faltas: Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn’t My Rapist,” was released in 2022, detailing her life before leaving Argentina. Last year she began performing in her autobiographical off-Broadway show called “Red Ink.”

Gentili was also the founder of Trans Equity Consulting, an organization that supports trans women of color, sex workers, immigrants and incarcerated people. A post on her Instagram said Tuesday, “Our beloved Cecilia Gentili passed away this morning to continue watching over us in spirit. … Please be gentle with each other and love one another with ferocity.”

Gentili was 52 years old.

REPLAY: Funeral Of Cecilia Gentili At Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, NYC, On February 15, 2024

Video Description:

𝑪𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒊 leaves a burning legacy of love, brotherhood and an infinite fire in our hearts to fight for the liberation of trans people, sex workers, migrants and people who have been pushed to the margins.

We honor her life, love and power with the 𝑪𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂’𝒔 𝑳𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒄𝒚 𝑭𝒖𝒏𝒅 and the following arrangements: gofundme.com/f/cecilias-legacy-fund

Please note, services are open to the public, but all media inquiries or politician requests must email media AT transequityconsulting DOT com to arrange details.

In following Cecilia’s wishes, any plaques, recognitions & awards must accompany material support for NYC’s trans & SW community, preferably through Cecilia’s Legacy Fund.

Wake: No press permitted Wed. 2/14, 2-8pm, Bushwick United Methodist Church

Funeral: Thurs 2/15 9:30-11:30am (sharp), St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Repass: Thurs 2/15 1-5pm, Nowadays NYC

Attire: Mother requests you all look fabulous & ¢vN+!

Bring RED flowers: 10% discount at Brooklyn’s Mwah Flowers (mwahflowers.com) by mentioning Interboro Funeral Home.

Explore All Of TransLash Media’s Content Featuring Cecilia Gentili

•  TransLash Podcast Episode 27, ‘Latinx Heritage Month’
•  TransLash Guide to Hispanic Heritage Month
•  The Anti-Trans Hate Machine Episode 3, ‘Transphobia In A Suit’
• WATCH #LivesAtStake: does the COVID-19 crisis reveal it’s time to declare sex work lawful? Imara Jones spoke with with trans activists Aria Sa’id, Toni-Michelle Williams, and Cecilia Gentili on April 23, 2020 (captions provided).

Did you find this resource helpful? Consider supporting TransLash today with a tax-deductible donation. Were you in community with Cecilia and would like to add your tribute? Let us know and we’ll update this memorial.

The post What Cecilia Gentili Means To Trans People appeared first on TransLash Media.

The Pose star shared their refreshing wisdom at the 40th annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, at the world premiere of River Gallo-penned and produced Ponyboi. During the Q&A, Moore—who plays Charlie in Gallo’s intersex-affirming & Jersey-set thriller—complimented cis director Esteban Arango on being incredible due to his emotional intelligence.

Watch what we recorded at the Ponyboi world premiere Q&A and access the transcript below:

Indya Moore At Sundance 2024 Replay Transcript

“Well, I actually was enamored by River before I came on to the project. I actually told River; I shared with them that I had a crush on them.

Yeah, they’re really beautiful, and brilliant, and kind. And I’m strong and honest. And that really helped me to bring Charlie to life.

Also, the director Esteban is so emotionally intelligent and I think that’s a hallmark for an incredible director. As we all know, storytelling is really emotional. And it’s, I think what makes us impacted by storytelling, is empathy. Our abilities to connect with the experiences of these characters and these people that exist outside of us in our lives.

And you have to be someone who understands what it means to feel, and not just what it means to feel generally. You also have to be somebody who understands how something in a moment feels.

And also you have to be somebody who’s open to also actively empathize and receive that moment on set and to understand, OK, this is what this feels like. And this is, this is the story in this moment that we’re telling.

I’m not a director. I aspire to be, but if I were to be one, I would take Esteban’s example, and I’m really grateful.

And also something I was thinking about being here. I mean, I want to center Victoria for a moment because her performance and the story she was telling was so heavy.

And I think it speaks to, because there are so many circumstances that make women and trans people and queer people and intersex people really, really vulnerable to receiving any kind of love and any kind of person when we really need it.

And Victoria [Pedretti] helped so much, and there’s so much trauma and abuse [in the film]. I think, like that it’s really traumatic to enact, to experience, to remember and to also embody. You know, like that’s—it’s also traumatic.

But like also I just want to to say you’re really incredible, you’re so powerful. You’re so brilliant, and you are too [at rest of the cast], and thank you.

And also the love in this space, the love that these people created with each other is so powerful and strong.

I was sitting here and I’m like, wow, I’m like what does one do with all this love? And that’s what my head when I was like, how does one, how does one just experience so much love just in space with someone?

And I was just like, if you hold it, hold it, yeah. And you receive it.

And you let it change you.

And I feel like that’s what happened with everyone here. And I hope that the movie was able to impact everyone else in that way too.”

In Ponyboi, an intersex runaway searches for love and a way out of his working class New Jersey neighborhood. Follow the film on social for updates: @ponyboi_film

Want more? TransLash’s guide to the 40th annual Sundance Film Festival is a living document being updated with trans-affirming films and resources through February 2024.

Did you find this resource helpful? Consider supporting TransLash today with a tax-deductible donation. Did we miss anything? Let us know and we’ll update the guide with your suggestion, crediting you as the contributor.

The post Indya Moore at Sundance 2024: ‘The Hallmark of an Incredible Director is Emotional Intelligence’ appeared first on TransLash Media.