Queer people have always faced prejudice, discrimination, and marginalization by certain segments of society. And for a long time, being queer was considered a mental illness.
We have moved forward since those times, much of that movement in the US being in the form of laws and Supreme Court decisions. And long suppressed queers began to enjoy new rights and political self-determination. Their rights became equated with human rights.
Trans people, who had always been more marginalized than others in the LGBTQ+ population, sort of participated in this “change of heart” on the part of federal and state governments, but not fully. In fact, gender non-conforming people have always faced more struggles and challenges than the queer community, just by being born in the wrong body.
What the Research Says
Trans people have always faced more struggles than the rest of the queer community. Here is what research shows:
Discrimination and Violence
Discrimination in employment, education, and healthcare has always been there. And the discrimination results in harassment, social exclusion, and physical violence. the National Center for Transgender Equality has reported that 46% of trans people have reported verbal harassment and 47% have been the target of sexual harassment.
Mental Health Issues
A trans person has always been far more prone to mental health challenges. They experience depression, anxiety, stress, and high rates of suicide contemplation. 41% of trans young people have attempted suicide which is overwhelmingly more than the general population (1.6%). Trans young people face incredible pressure to conform to what society demands, and they face self-shame and rejection – all of which contribute to their lack of mental well-being.
Healthcare Challenges
Finding insurance that covers gender-affirming treatments and transition surgery is tough. And lots of other healthcare providers simply won’t see a trans person because of their unique status and potential health issues.
Legal Issues
A trans person faces challenges getting legal recognition of their gender identity. This can affect their rights regarding legal documents, marriage, adoption, and use of public facilities (more on this later).
Financial Issues
Transgender people face more financial challenges that the rest of the queer population. Their unemployment and poverty rates are 15%, almost 3X higher than the general population. They may face homelessness if their families have kicked them out as young people.
As the general situation eased for the entire queer community throughout the first quarter of the 2000s, it also eased somewhat for the transgender population, though not as much. Still, there was optimism that things would continue to improve.
The About Face
But in today’s political climate, the entire LGBTQ+ community is facing new pressures and discriminatory actions on the part of the US federal government, especially relative to the trans community. As of May 2025, for example, trans people are no longer allowed to join the military. And this has unleashed a nationwide movement to marginalize transgender folx, including a host of state laws that restrict equal rights for this population and have closed doors and shuttered windows that they moved through easily just several years ago.
The federal declaration that there are only two sexes, male and female, and that those are set in stone at birth, has upended the existence of intersex, non-binary, and, of course, transgender people who were born in the wrong body.
Responses from the Trans Community
Actually, responses from the trans community have come throughout the history of the LGBTQ movement, going all the way back to Stonewall.
Sylvia Rivera
Here’s a true hero and a legend in the transgender community.
Early Life
Rivera was born a boy. Her father abandoned the family, and she was orphaned when her mother died of cancer. Her grandmother took her in but beat her for her effeminate behavior. At age 11, she ran away.
AS a girl, Rivera lived on the streets and was ultimately taken in by a group of drag queens where she found her true home.
Her Activism Begins
At age 17, Sylvia Rivera participated in the Stonewall riots, and it is said she threw the 2nd Molotov cocktail at the police.
She founded the Gay Liberation Front, and then, together with Marsha P (Johnson), the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries. Johnson also grew up on the streets.
Partnership with Marsha P (Johnson)
After that, the two cohorts founded STAR House, a a facility that still provides housing, clothing, and food to LGBTQ youth.
Put on the Shelf
In the 70s, when members of the LGBTQ population met with NYC officials on a gay rights bill, Rivera was left out of the discussion, and the final bill prevented discrimination based on sexuality, not gender identity. Believing that the LGBTQ population had abandoned her, she moved and set up a catering business, living in her own private world.
Back to It – Off the Shelf
But she couldn’t help herself. She became involved in the LGBTQ rights movement in the 90s, joining ACT UP during the AIDS crisis. She participated in demonstrations and protests for better treatment of HIV/AIDS victims.
Place of Honor
In 1994, the 25th anniversary of Stonewall, Rivera was given a spot of honor during NYC’s Pride Parade. Later, in an interview with the New York Times, she said, “The movement had put me on the shelf, but they took me down and dusted me off…it was beautiful. I walked down 58th Street, and the young ones were calling from the sidewalk, ‘Sylvia, Sylvia, thank you, we know what you did.’ After that, I went back on the shelf. It would be wonderful if the movement took care of its own.”
Mental Health Crisis
In 1995, due to drug and alcohol abuse, Rivera attempted suicide. Ultimately, she moved into Transy House, a collective in Brooklyn, and met her future partner, Julia Murray, who she credited with getting her off drugs and helping her curb her drinking.
Quotes That Have Lived On
Among trans women, Sylvia Rivera stands out as a legend and as the most revered transgender and civil rights advocate, a legacy she truly deserves. Here are some of Rivera’s transgender quotes that live on.
“We were the frontliners. We didn’t take no shit from nobody. We had nothing to lose.”
“The movement had put me on the shelf, but they took me down and dusted me off.”
“Hell hath no fury like a drag queen scorned.”
“We have to do it because we can no longer stay invisible. We have to be visible. We should not be ashamed of who we are. We have to show the world that we are numerous.”
“I’m glad I was in the Stonewall riot. I remember when someone threw a Molotov cocktail, I thought: ‘My god, the revolution is here. The revolution is finally here!’”
Janet Mock
Like Rivera, Janet Mock is a trans woman of color. But there the comparison ends. While Rivera was on the streets, Mock was living in Hawaii, studying journalism, and then on to an MA in journalism from New York University.
But there is one part of her that is more like Rivera – she raised money for her transition surgery as a sex worker. She transitioned at a young age, supported by many from the transgender community in Hawaii.
Mock wrote two memoirs – Redefining Realness and Surpassing Certainty, both of which made the New York Times bestseller list.
As a journalist, Mock has been committed to telling stories of marginalized communities and “forcing” her readers to understand the world of gender non-conforming and other non binary women and men.
She has also functioned as a writer, director, and producer, most predominantly for the Emmy award-winning series “pose.”
Mock is her authentic self through and through. And here are some of her most noteworthy words:
- “I believe that telling our stories, first to ourselves and then to one another and the world, is a revolutionary act.”
- “Being exceptional isn’t revolutionary, it’s lonely. It separates you from your community.”
- “Those parts of yourself that you desperately want to hide and destroy will gain power over you. The best thing to do is face and own them.” (In other words, if you are ashamed of who you are, then that shame will destroy you. Instead, hold close and fully embrace who you are).
- “My grandmother gets who I am, so when you ask me about people who don’t understand, or people who are on their bully pulpits saying you shouldn’t accept people, I’m like, ‘What’s happened to you that, of all the things you can talk about, of all the injustices in the world, the one thing you want to concentrate on is trans people living their truth?'”
- “We have to organize. We have to build up coalitions across all of these people who are considered “the other.” If we all banded together and built coalitions that were truly intersectional, we would be in power. I believe in the power of the people.”
Elliot Page
Elliot Page was born Ellen Page in Canada in 1987. He is an actor, producer, and a transgender rights activist.
His power is as a role model for others who can find emotional support from his journey, celebrate their own identities, and, hopefully, thrive as their new selves.
Page’s memoir, Pageboy, is an inspirational read for anyone having a trans moment, as he did when he reached puberty and understood that his existence as a girl was wrong. But he continued to portray female roles in some hugely successful films like “Hard Candy” and “X-Men: The Last Stand.”
Page did not come out and, in his own memoir, talks about his gender dysphoria and other mental health issues he experienced. When he ultimately made the decision to transition in 2020, it was not just a medical transition according to him. It was his joy at finally living authentically as the gender he was meant to be.
Page has shared a wealth of quotes that reflect his journey and the experiences of transgender individuals. Here are some of his most impactful quotes on being transgender:
- “To be seen as I am has been one of the greatest gifts of my life.
- “I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self.”
- “I want to live my life as the person I always knew I was.”
- “Coming out has been the most liberating experience I’ve ever had.”
- “For the first time in my life, when I look in the mirror, I see me.”
If Page does nothing else, it will be to show others how to make that step forwards to be one’s true person, to stand proud, to not be afraid to be who they really are and to thrive as he does.
Jazz Jennings
Right now, Jennings is a student at Harvard University studying philosophy, gender and sexuality. She was accepted earlier but deferred attendance while she worked on her mental health issues.
Jennings’s story is unlike any other known by human beings who follow LGBTQ+ history will ever hear.
Early Life
Jennings was born in 2000 in Florida in a male body and named Jared. She began to identify as female very early on, by the age of two her parents say. By age four, she was experiencing gender dysphoria, and her parents made the decision to have transition surgery. She became the earliest on record transition surgery.
From age 4 forward, she became Jazz, not Jared.
At the age of 7, she was interviewed by Barbara Walters on the TV show “20/20.” This was her “moment,” and from then on, she became an advocate, a visible activist, working to educate others, to support and celebrate the trans community, especially trans youth.
A Visible Activist
She co-founded the TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation to give support to trans youth and their parents, support they deserve, hope for being able to live as who they are without fear.
Jennings also co-authored a kid’s book, I Am Jazz, to educate kids about gender identity and to talk about her experiences as a trans kid. Obviously, in the current political climate, this book has been both praised and damned.
Jennings also is the star of a TLC series, “I Am Jazz” that aired in 2015, telling her life story that was not adequately explained by earlier media coverage.
Personal Issues
Jennings is a person who holds the idea that being public about trans struggles is a part of being an activist. She has been open and honest about her struggles – an eating disorder and coping with online harassment that many in the gay population also experience.
Throughout her journey, Jennings has become a role model for many, demonstrating the importance of authenticity, acceptance, and resilience in the face of challenges.
Jennings’s abiding passion is getting others to accept themselves as they are rather than to see the difference between themselves and others and to exist without shame or fear of what the majority might think or believe. Here are some quotes that should inspire others from the moment they choose their trans identity to their choice to exist as who they really are, and that they do not have to wait until others are ready to accept them.
- “I want to show people they don’t have to be scared of being different.”
- “I think I’ve been able to find happiness, and I’ve learned to love myself. That’s a huge accomplishment for anyone, learning to love yourself.”
- “I wish everything was gender neutral. I wish we weren’t separated by boundaries like pink and blue.”
- “I want to help transgender individuals who might be struggling realize that they have to love themselves and stay true to who they are.”
- “I wouldn’t change myself at all. Being transgender makes me who I am: a strong person, a confident person.
- “I want to show people that being transgender is just a part of who I am, not all of who I am.”
Are You Inspired?
We hope so. If you are trans or support the trans community, these quotes from trans people who can wield influence and inspire others should inspire you to do more.
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