Earlier this month, the National Park Service removed the word “transgender” from the Stonewall National Monument website. Erasing the contributions of trans people from one of the most pivotal sites in LGBTQ+ history is completely unacceptable. Trans people are integral to the history of Stonewall and to the continued fight for LGBTQ+ rights, and to erase their existence from the website is a meager attempt to erase the entire community.
However, we will now allow LGBTQ+ history to be rewritten. We know the truth and knowledge is power. Soon after this occurred, a protest was organized at the Stonewall National Monument to protest against this erasure. Protestors carried signs that read “TRANS HISTORY IS REAL” and “National Park Service: You can’t spell history without the T.”
Despite this news from the National Park Service, Christopher Street Tours will continue to share and uplift trans history and trans stories. This post includes three stories of trans liberation that we share on our Village Pride tour in New York City.
Stormé DeLarverie
Self-proclaimed as the “guardian of the lesbians in the Village” and a bouncer at NYC lesbian bars Henrietta Hudson and Cubbyhole, Stormé DeLarverie was a Black lesbian and drag king who played a pivotal role in LGBTQ+ history. She began singing in New Orleans clubs at just 15, toured across Europe, and eventually became the “master of ceremonies” at the Jewel Box Revue, a racially integrated variety show featuring 25 drag queens, with Stormé as the only drag king. Many consider Stormé’s gender nonconformity, both on and off stage, to have influenced the growing visibility and societal acceptance of gender-fluid expression.
Some say that Stormé, a regular at the Stonewall Inn, was the person who “started” the Stonewall Riots of 1969, though this has never been officially confirmed. According to accounts, a “mysterious butch lesbian” was being arrested for violating the three-piece clothing law, and she either called on the crowd to take action or struck an officer herself, sparking the resistance that followed.
Regardless of the exact details, Stormé DeLarverie’s impact on LGBTQ+ history is undeniable. She spent her life protecting and uplifting the LGBTQ+ community, and her legacy lives on as a symbol of resilience, defiance, and the fight for justice.
Marsha P. Johnson & Sylvia Rivera
Both Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera fought tirelessly for trans rights. In a time when trans rights weren’t often seen as priority, Marsha and Sylvia refused to be silenced by anyone (including mainstream gay and lesbian activists who tried to silence trans voices from the movement). Both Marsha and Sylvia dedicated their lives to fighting for trans rights and queer liberation.
Together, Marsha and Sylvia created the first trans advocacy organization in the world, the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), in 1970. STAR addressed issues faced by trans youth of color experiencing homelessness and other marginalized people who were not being adequately supported or represented by other LGBTQ+ organizations. Shortly afterwards, Marsha and Sylvia formed STAR House, a shelter for young queer and trans youth. STAR House is considered the first LGBTQ+ youth shelter in North America and the first trans woman of color-led organization in the United States. While STAR no longer exists, it created an important precedent for future trans advocacy organizations.
“We fed people and clothed people. We kept the building going. We went out and hustled the streets. We paid the rent. We didn’t want the kids out in the streets hustling…there was always food in the house and everyone had fun.”
-Sylvia Rivera on STAR House
Angie Xtravaganza
Born in the Bronx, Angie Xtravaganza (a Puerto Rican drag queen and trans woman) was raised in a strict Catholic family of 13. Angie left her biological house when she was a young teenager and soon began supporting other queer and trans youth. They lovingly referred to her as “Ma.”
When she was 14, Angie started doing drag and performed in the Harlem Balls, learning the art from the legendary performer and designer Dorian Corey, mother of the House of Corey (featured in Paris is Burning). She was known to walk the “model’s effect” category, in which contestants were rewarded for most convincingly embodying the runway performance of a fashion model. Angie was said to have “fashion sense that could cut glass.” She eventually became the Mother of the House of Xtravaganza.
The House of Xtravaganza continues to thrive in the world of Ballroom and beyond. As one of the oldest active houses in the Ballroom community, the House of Xtravaganza and its members continue to make their impact in the fashion, television, dance, music, and film.
At Christopher Street Tours, we are committed to ensuring that these stories are never forgotten. We will continue to uplift and share the voices of trans pioneers on every tour, because their contributions to LGBTQ+ history – and to our present – are invaluable, relevant, and important. Representation matters. Visibility matters. Honoring the people who paved the way before us is not just an act of remembering, but a call to action. Their legacy lives on in the streets they once walked, in the communities they fought for, and in every person who refuses to be silenced.
