Figures like (a self-identified drag queen and trans activist) and Sylvia Rivera (a Latina trans woman) were on the front lines. Rivera, in particular, fought fiercely to ensure that the early Gay Liberation Front did not abandon homeless queer youth and trans sex workers. When the mainstream gay movement began pushing for respectability politics in the 1970s—toning down "radical" elements to appease straight society—Rivera famously crashed a gay rights rally on stage, screaming, "You all tell me, 'Go away! We don't want you anymore!'... I have been beaten. I have had my nose broken. I have been thrown in jail. I lost my job. I lost my apartment for gay liberation."
This schism exploded in the 2010s and 2020s, leading to high-profile fractures in LGBTQ organizations. When some UK lesbian groups refused to support trans rights, they effectively broke the political alliance that had existed since Stonewall. Many in the broader LGBTQ culture argue that this "LGB without the T" movement is a dangerous co-opting of queer language by conservative actors.
The "T" in LGBTQ+ has unique needs and experiences separate from sexual orientation.
