Sylvia Rivera

Born to a Venezuelan father and Puerto Rican mother, Sylvia Rivera was abandoned by her father and orphaned by her mother at a young age. Raised partially by her grandmother, she hit the streets of New York City at age 10 and became a familiar face in the burgeoning queer underground, eventually finding a home among fellow transgender people and drag queens.

Rivera was a key figure in the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, often credited with being among the first to resist police harassment. Along with her friend Marsha P. Johnson, she co-founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), an organization dedicated to housing and advocating for homeless trans youth, drag queens, and sex workers. She fought fiercely for the inclusion of transgender people and people of color within the broader gay liberation movement, often clashing with more mainstream activists who sought to exclude them.

Her activism, though sometimes controversial within the movement itself, laid foundational groundwork for transgender rights. Rivera's unwavering commitment to those on the fringes, combined with her lived experience, made her an enduring symbol of resistance and compassion. She was, quite literally, a STAR.