51 years ago, on June 28, 1969, the Stonewall riots took place to fight against oppression against the LGBTQIA+ community. They were started by Marsha P Johnson, a black trans woman and gay liberation activist. Thanks to her and many others, we have the rights we have today.

I am grateful for people like Marsha, and the many people who fought for our rights and I hold so much respect for them. I wouldn’t be able to feel proud in my skin if it wasn’t for them. Happy Pride, babes. #Pride   #PrideMonth

Stormé DeLarverie, a butch lesbian, was the one who threw the first punch at the Stonewall Uprising. She was a lifelong gay rights activist and groundbreaking drag performer.

For a while, she was unidentified as the “Stonewall lesbian” who helped incite the Stonewall riots until she told Curve Magazine in 2008 that the photos were of her. She soon became known as the “Rosa Parks of Stonewall.”

Sylvia Rivera was a Puerto Rican, bisexual, trans woman who was a veteran of the Stonewall uprising, founding member of the Gay Liberation front, the Gay Activists Alliance, and the Street Transvestite Action Revoluntionaries.

She was an outspoken activist who rallied against racism, sexual violence and transphobia.

Brenda Howard was a tireless advocate for bisexual rights and organized the 1970 Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day Parade on the one year anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which gave birth to annual Pride parades and gave her the name the “mother of gay pride”.

She also founded the New York Area Bisexual Network.

Lou Sullivan is an American author, activist, and transman known as the founder of FTM International and is largely responsible for the modern understanding of sexual orientation and gender identity as distinct, unrelated concepts.

Harvey Bernard Milk was an American politician who became the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California.

these are only a few who helped pave the way for a more inclusive society! if you’d like to add some people I missed, feel free to add them under this tweet and I’ll add them under this thread!