Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, an early activist for transgender rights and one of the protesters in the Stonewall Inn riots that sparked the modern movement for LGBTQ+ equality, has died. She was 78.
Miss Major, as she was known professionally, died on Oct. 13 in the comfort of her home in Little Rock, Arkansas, surrounded by loved ones. Her death was announced by House of gg, the non-profit educational and historical center she founded.
No cause of death was provided.
Born in Chicago on Oct. 25, 1946, Miss Major fought for more than 50 years for the rights of trans people, those who are gender nonconforming, and the broader LGBTQ+ community – especially for Black trans women, trans women of color and those who have survived incarceration and police brutality.
“Being transgender is not the road to hell,” she said during an interview with USA TODAY earlier this year.
