For those reading this article: If you are cisgender and queer, your allyship cannot be conditional. Show up for the trans women in your drag show. Learn the history of Marsha and Sylvia. Use the pronouns. And remember that the most radical act of queer culture is not assimilation—it is loving your family exactly as they are, sharp edges, hormone injections, and all.

An umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Leo picked up a muddy hot dog and tossed it to Gus, who caught it mid-air. “Nobody belongs yet. That’s the whole point. The ‘yet’ is the belonging.”

To my trans siblings: You are not a debate. You are not a political wedge. You are loved.

The modern transgender rights movement has its roots in the mid-20th century, with the work of pioneers like Christine Jorgensen, a trans woman who gained international attention in 1952 for her transition. The 1969 Stonewall riots, a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ rights movement, also saw significant participation from transgender individuals, particularly trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.