Sylvia Rivera

#SylviaRivera (July 2, 1951 – February 19, 2002): Born and raised in #NewYorkCity, Rivera was of #PuertoRican and #Venezuelan descent. Abandoned by her father and then orphaned by her mother, she was raised by her grandmother who disapproved of Rivera’s truth. When she was nearly 11, she began a life on the streets, working as a child prostitute and being looked after by local drag queens who gave her the name she is known by today. Though she reported she had been present at the #StonewallUprising, some historians debate whether or not she was present based on contradictory statements. That said, she was nevertheless a powerhouse in the #GayActivistsAlliance and gay liberation protests throughout the 1970s with her close friend, #MarshaPJohnson. Often pushed off to the side by more mainstream (i.e. white gay male) gay activists, she never stopped using her voice to fight for the rights of drag queens, homeless youth, gay inmates, and the transgender community. Together with Marsha P. Johnson, she co-founded #StreetTransvestiteActionRevolutionaries (or #STAR, now #StreetTransgenderActionRevolutionaries) to house homeless LGBTQ+ youth. After her dear friend’s death in 1992, Rivera continued the fight to reopen the investigation into a possible homicide. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Rivera continued her advocacy for the marginalized and fought for the inclusion of the transgender community and of LGBTQ+ People of Color in public gay spaces. In the mid-1990s, she was banned from New York’s LGBTQ Center after demanding they take in poor and homeless LGBTQ+ youth. In 2002, Rivera passed away from complications of liver cancer, and since her death many have fought to keep her memory and her significant contributions to LGBTQ+ liberation alive. #PrideMonth#LGBTQIA#LGBTQIAPride#Pride#LegendsOfPride#YouCannotEraseUs