TransLab

Stormé DeLarverie lived at the intersection of performance, resistance, and community protection. For decades afterward, Stormé walked the streets of Greenwich Village helping protect q***r people, especially le****ns, drag queens, and vulnerable youth. Many called her “the guardian of the le****ns in the Village.” As a guardian figure in Greenwich Village, she helped create safer spaces for q***r people at a time when violence and harassment were constant realities.

Her legacy reminds us that q***r history is not only about moments of protest, but also about everyday acts of protection, courage, and care. Many people and communities shaped the resistance surrounding the Stonewall uprising, especially trans people, le****ns, drag performers, and q***r people of colour.

Honouring these histories means remembering both the uprising itself and the years of care, organizing, and protection that followed.

OFTV looks back at the life of the Black drag king who was central to the Stonewall Rebellion. Listen to the episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/oftv-6-the-art-of-the-possible/id1071270085?i=1000364902990

Pride did not begin as a corporate celebration. It began as resistance led by q***r and trans people, especially those most marginalized by racism, poverty, policing, and oppression.

The modern Pride movement traces back to the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City, when q***r and trans communities fought back against police raids, harassment, and criminalization. Those on the frontlines were often people most marginalized by society, including trans women, q***r people of colour, unhoused youth, and s*x workers.

Activists like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson remind us that q***r liberation has always been deeply connected to trans activism, mutual aid, and community care. Through the creation of grassroots organizations like Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), they created support systems for trans and q***r youth abandoned by families, institutions, and even parts of the LGBTQ+ movement itself.

Pride can hold joy and complexity at the same time. Remembering these histories is one way to centre trans voices and honour the roots of q***r resistance.
Sources:

“Bitch on Wheels, (2001 June) New York, N”.” Recovering Democracy Archives. https://recoveringdemocracyarchives.umd.edu/rda-speech/?ID=2423
“Marsha P. Johnson.” National Women’s History Museum. 2022.
www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/marsha-p-johnson

Georgina Beyer (November 1957 – March 2023) was a fearless Māori politician, activist, and former s*x worker who made history as the world’s first openly transgender mayor and Member of Parliament. Born in Aotearoa, New Zealand, Beyer became a powerful voice for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, s*x workers’ rights, and Indigenous communities, using her platform to advocate for dignity, equality, and social justice.

Before entering politics, Beyer worked as an actor, performer, and s*x worker, experiences she spoke about openly and unapologetically throughout her life. In 1995, she was elected mayor of Carterton, and in 1999, she became a Member of Parliament. During her time in office, Beyer played a key role in supporting the Prostitution Reform Act and the Civil Union Act, and in advancing protections for q***r and transgender people across New Zealand.

Known for her honesty, humour, and unwavering commitment to her community, Beyer challenged stereotypes and transformed public conversations around gender identity, s*x work, and representation in politics. Her legacy continues to inspire generations of trans people worldwide to live authentically and fight for change.

OFTV celebrates the life of trailblazing trans politician and activist, Georgina Beyer. From the streets to Parliament, she changed history. Listen to the episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/oftv-6-the-art-of-the-possible/id1071270085?i=1000364902990

To learn about the Rainbow Room in the New Zealand Parliament, which was opened to reflect the nation's LGBTQIA+ population. Watch the short film “Rainbow Voices of Aotearoa New Zealand: A Documentary Short Film” here: https://www3.parliament.nz/mi/visit-and-learn/history-and-buildings/buildings-and-grounds/parliament-house/rainbow-room/

Louis Graydon Sullivan (June 16, 1951 – March 2, 1991) was a passionate American author and activist dedicated to supporting transgender men. Sullivan was a trailblazer in supporting the grassroots female-to-male (FTM) community and played a key role in helping individuals access peer support, counselling, endocrine services, and reconstructive surgeries outside traditional gender dysphoria clinics. Sullivan may have been the first trans man to openly identify as gay, and played a significant role in helping the world understand that s*xual orientation and gender identity are two separate, important aspects of our identities.

Created by Lou Sullivan, the FTM newsletter was published four times a year from 1987 until 2008. It fostered a sense of connection and community among transmasculine individuals, featuring articles, books, and film reviews, as well as the ‘malebox’, a space where readers could write to the editors with questions or for advice. Many readers chose to use pseudonyms when reaching out or writing articles, although some contributions from prominent activists are well-known and traceable back to the pages of FTM.

The special double episode of OFTV celebrates the remarkable life of Lou Sullivan, the pioneering gay FTM who was instrumental in shaping the vibrant FTM community we know today. Listen to the episode here: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/one-from-the-vaults-27384/episodes/oftv-19-lou-in-the-city-of-nig-18451889

Today, all 67 issues of FTM can be accessed in person or online via the Trans Archives in Special Collections at the University of Victoria in Victoria, B.C., Canada. This series has been carefully scanned and reviewed to protect privacy, with some personal details redacted.
Check out the FTM Newsletter online here:
https://vault.library.uvic.ca/collections/d13ed5ae-6ea3-4cb8-b72a-4a5c794982b6?locale=en