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Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a renowned transgender rights activist and veteran community organizer who participated in the historic Stonewall riots, left us this Monday, as announced by her organization.

The influential activist passed away at home in Little Rock, Arkansas, surrounded by family. She was 78 years old, and the reason for her passing were not disclosed.

Decades of Activism

Miss Major was recognized as one of the United States' most prominent trans rights elders, at the forefront in the battle for trans liberation for half a century. In her remaining time, she offered a safe haven for trans and gender-nonconforming people in her conservative home state, while visiting various parts of the country to advocate for trans equality and meet with young trans people and other LGBTQ+ organizers.

Miss Major, often referred to by her first name, earned a reputation as an unapologetic defender for the freedom of Black trans women, advocating for communities that have long suffered systemic prejudice and violence and have been overlooked by the larger LGBT activism.

A Matriarchal Figure

She was considered a guardian to transgender females throughout the US, some of whom are well-known community organizers themselves. She once mentioned that she stopped counting after taking on numerous trans daughters.

Her catchphrase, “I’m still fucking here!”, embodied the optimism and comedy she brought to her activism and became a rallying cry for the fortitude of Black trans communities – a call to live long, full lives in a world that pushes to marginalize and ignore the community.

Youth and Adversity

Miss Major was born in Chicago. Her parents, a postal service administrator and cosmetics store operator, accompanied her to her first female impersonation show but were unsupportive when she felt a connection to the performers. Her family had her admitted to asylums as a teenager to “cure her of homosexuality”, and her mother set fire to her garments, she shared in her 2023 book, Miss Major Speaks.

She went on to take part in the Jewel Box performance troupe, a drag revue in Chicago, assisted by a mentor named Kitty who provided her with a wig, applied her cosmetics and taught her to embrace her true self.

The Uprising and Its Aftermath

Expelled from university in Minnesota for being trans, she eventually moved to New York, where she supported herself via adult services. Some of her initial advocacy was stemmed from the communities of adult workers who cooperated to protect one another from law enforcement and abusive patrons.

Miss Major described facing ongoing law enforcement abuse, including on June 28, 1969, when the NYPD invaded the Stonewall tavern in the West Village, the uncommon LGBTQ+ venue that she said did not shun trans people.

She and others resisted, and Miss Major recalled being knocked unconscious and incarcerated. “The cops beat on you till you drop. Everybody that defied them went through that. It wasn’t pretty. It was a riot. We were struggling to stay alive. It was so sad,” she stated in a later interview.

The Stonewall protests sparked the Pride movement and were recognized as the genesis of the present-day queer activism, but the trans women of color part of the demonstrations were cast aside by the mainstream activism that followed.

“We fought for no reason. It’s a shame the way it turned out. We sparked the rebellion and what did we get? Nothing. Nothing,” she said, recalling that queer activists were “ashamed to be seen with us|embarrassed to associate with us|unwilling to stand beside us}.”

Prison and Organizing

During a subsequent period in a New York prison, Miss Major became a protégé of Frank “Big Black” Smith, who had led a major prison uprising and instructed her basics of community building, and how “you can’t throw anybody under the bus|you must not abandon anyone|no one should be sacrificed}”, a advice that shaped her later work, she shared.

Ongoing Contributions and Influence

In the 1980s era, Miss Major formed the Care Angels, a collective of trans folks who provided support for homosexual men succumbing to AIDS, with programs in California and New York. In San Francisco, she became an esteemed grassroots organizer, driving the city’s pioneering needle exchange vehicle and running a community hub for trans sex workers, despite resistance from its affiliated Aids non-profit.

Miss Major went on to head the Transgender Justice Project, a initiative that opposes harm of transgender individuals of color in detention and gives aid during transition back to society. A close protégé, now directs the organization, which today is called the Miss Major Alexander L Lee TGIJP Black Trans Cultural Center.

Final Years and Lasting Impact

In her final decade, Miss Major endured frequent medical problems, yet she carried on with her advocacy through the House of Griffin-Gracy, which she also referred to as Telling It Like It Fuckin’ Is (Tilifi). The organization invites trans leaders to her colorful Little Rock guest house, called the Oasis sanctuary, to provide a refuge for respite and calm.

“I’ve gotta make joy here, because it doesn’t exist in the normal world,” Miss Major said during a recent interview. “They want us to live in the 1950s. No. Get off our fucking backs and let us live … I know the world I would like to live in. It’s in my head, but I try my best to live it now.”

Miss Major is remembered by Beck Witt; her boys, her sons Asaiah, Christopher, and Jonathon; and her “countless trans daughters”.

“She was a dreamer, a forward-thinker, and steadfast in her dedication to ensuring liberation for marginalized communities. Because of her, numerous opportunities have been opened up for all of us to flourish – today and for years ahead,” the organization said. “While her physical presence has transformed, we have acquired a influential forebear and there is no doubt that she is and always will be with us – guiding, protecting and reminding us that she is ‘still fucking here!’”