Introduction
Another article commemorating Pride Month. The LGBTQ+ movement has always been about solidarity, mutual recognition, and collective liberation. Yet, recent calls to remove the “T” — transgender — from LGBTQ+ betray the very principles on which the movement was built. These efforts not only ignore the shared experiences of marginalisation but also deny the historical and ongoing contributions of trans people to lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) rights. This article explores why removing the “T” is both harmful and historically inaccurate.
A Shared Struggle: Identity, Oppression, and Liberation
The notion that trans and LGB people experience separate and unrelated forms of oppression overlooks how gender identity and sexual orientation have long been conflated by dominant power structures. Laws criminalising same-sex behaviour and gender nonconformity often targeted both LGB and trans people under the same social and legal assumptions — that deviation from normative heterosexual and cisgender roles threatens the social order.
For example, in mid–20th century Britain and America, people could be arrested not just for homosexual acts but for “cross-dressing” or being perceived as not adhering to gender norms. Trans and gender-nonconforming people were often the most visible targets of police harassment and violence — and therefore the first to resist.
Trans People at the Frontlines of LGBTQ+ History
Trans and gender-nonconforming individuals have played a pivotal role in the advancement of rights for all queer people. Perhaps the most famous example is the Stonewall Uprising of 1969 in New York City — widely seen as the spark that ignited the modern LGBTQ+ movement. Two trans women of colour, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, were among the leading figures in the uprising against police brutality at the Stonewall Inn. Both later co-founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), an organisation supporting homeless queer youth — many of them trans.
In the UK, the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), founded in 1970, included a broad coalition of people challenging norms around gender and sexuality. Trans people were part of this founding group and helped shape the early demands for equality, visibility, and justice.
More recently, trans activists have led campaigns for inclusive healthcare, legal recognition, and gender identity protections that benefit the whole LGBTQ+ community by challenging rigid societal norms and expanding what it means to live freely and authentically.
The Myth of Division: Manufactured by Power
Efforts to separate the “T” from LGBTQ+ often emerge from political convenience or fear-driven respectability politics. Some LGB-only advocates argue that trans issues “distract” from LGB rights, or that inclusion hinders “progress.” Yet, this argument falls apart under scrutiny.
First, many people are both trans and LGB — trans lesbians, gay trans men, bisexual nonbinary people — making any attempt to cleanly divide the community inherently flawed. Secondly, rights gained by one group often lay the groundwork for others. The broader push for queer rights has always challenged binary thinking, rigid categories, and unjust systems — precisely the terrain on which trans advocacy operates.
Dividing the Movement Harms Everyone
Attempting to remove the “T” risks not only historical erasure but also present-day harm. Trans people are disproportionately affected by anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, hate crimes, and healthcare discrimination. Abandoning them weakens the movement’s collective power and fractures hard-won solidarity.
Moreover, history shows that social progress comes from coalition, not division. The feminist movement has been challenged — and improved — by including trans voices. Anti-racist and disability justice movements have grown stronger by embracing intersectionality. LGBTQ+ rights, too, flourish when they are inclusive and grounded in mutual support.
Conclusion
To remove the “T” from LGBTQ+ is to betray the very heart of queer liberation. Trans people have been — and continue to be — essential architects of the fight for dignity, safety, and freedom. Their leadership, courage, and resilience are not a distraction from the movement; they are its foundation. Preserving and honouring that shared history is not just morally right — it’s strategically necessary.
References
- Stryker, S. (2008). Transgender History. Seal Press. ISBN: 9781580052245
- Rivera, S. (1973). Y’all Better Quiet Down. Speech at Christopher Street Liberation Day Rally.
- Johnson, M. P. & Rivera, S. (1970). STAR Manifesto.
- Stonewall UK. (2024). LGBTQ+ History Month Toolkit. https://www.stonewall.org.uk