Gen Z, the most gender-diverse generation in history, does not draw hard lines between sexuality and gender. For them, identity is fluid. A young person might identify as a "non-binary lesbian" or a "transmasculine bisexual." These identities challenge old guard definitions but are celebrated in grassroots queer spaces.
For cisgender members of the LGBTQ community, the call to action is clear: Do not retreat to a "gay-only" safe space when trans rights come under fire. Show up for the trans women who threw the first bricks at Stonewall. Advocate for trans healthcare. Use those pronouns. And remember that your own freedom to love who you love is historically and politically tied to their freedom to live as who they are.
The leaders of the uprising were not clean-cut gay men in suits, but rather drag queens, trans women of color, and homeless queer youth. , a self-identified drag queen and trans activist, and Sylvia Rivera , a Latina transgender woman, were at the forefront of the rebellion. For years, their contributions were erased or minimized by mainstream gay organizations that were trying to present a "respectable" image to straight society.