Research Paper On Sylvia Rivera

700 Words3 Pages
I believe that Sylvia Rivera is one of the three most important LGBTQ+ figures in America since 1970, because of her actions during her lifetime and the legacy that she left behind. In particular, her activism called out the conservative and exclusionary politics of LGBT rights groups in the 1970s, and the erasure of transgender women and drag queens from larger movements despite their significance to those groups. Much of Rivera’s activism focused on the inclusion and protection of transgender people, and that legacy continues today. For example, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, an organization that provides legal help to non-cisgender people of color, is named in her honor and fights for many of the same causes that Sylvia herself did. Sylvia, along with her friend and fellow activist Marsha P. Johnson, formed the organization Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) in the 1970s, to advocate for and house homeless drag queens in New York City. Although STAR was not a particularly long-lasting organization, Sylvia’s work through STAR and the Metropolitan Community Church of New York left their mark, and the Metropolitan Community Church of New York’s shelter for LGBT youth is named after Sylvia. Because of her impact upon the LGBT community during and after the 1970s, I think that Sylvia Rivera would be an excellent choice for one of the three most important LGBTQ+ figures since 1970. A second person who I think is one of the three most important LGBTQ+ activists
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