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Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a celebrated trans rights advocate and longtime grassroots leader who witnessed the seminal Stonewall riots, passed away Monday, according to her representatives.

The influential activist died at her home in Little Rock, Arkansas, surrounded by family. She was 78 years old, and the specifics surrounding her death were not provided.

Years of Dedicated Work

Miss Major was recognized as one of the United States' leading trans rights elders, spearheading efforts in the fight for trans rights for more than five decades. In her remaining time, she offered a refuge for trans and gender-diverse folks in her Arkansas community, while journeying across the country to support transgender causes and connect with emerging trans leaders and other queer community builders.

Miss Major, often referred to by her first name, was widely regarded as an fearless defender for the freedom of Black trans women, fighting for communities that have long suffered widespread bias and violence and have been overlooked by the broader gay rights movement.

A Mother to Many

She was considered a guardian to trans folks across the country, some of whom are prominent leaders themselves. She once mentioned that she ceased keeping count after taking on two dozen daughters.

Her catchphrase, “I’m still fucking here!”, embodied the positivity and wit she incorporated in her advocacy work and became a battle cry for the fortitude of Black trans people – a call to live rich, complete existences in a society that attempts to sideline and ignore the community.

Early Life and Struggles

Miss Major was born in Chicago. Her parents, a postal service administrator and salon manager, accompanied her to her first female impersonation show but opposed her when she identified with the performers. Her family placed her in asylums as a teenager to “cure her of homosexuality”, and her mother destroyed her clothing, she narrated in her 2023 book, Miss Major Speaks.

She went on to take part in the Jewel Box drag show, a theatrical performance in Chicago, guided by a mentor named Kitty who offered her hairpieces, taught her makeup skills and helped her celebrate her authenticity.

Riots and Legacy

Forced out of college in Minnesota for her transgender identity, she ended up in New York, where she supported herself via adult services. Some of her initial advocacy was rooted in the networks of sex workers who cooperated to keep themselves safe from authorities and violent clients.

Miss Major recounted enduring frequent police brutality, including on June 28, 1969, when the New York City police stormed the Stonewall tavern in the West Village, the infrequent safe space that she said accepted trans people.

She and others resisted, and Miss Major shared how she was struck down and imprisoned. “The cops strike you until you fall. Everybody that stood up to them went through that. It wasn’t pretty. It was a riot. We were battling for survival. It was so sad,” she stated in a later interview.

The Stonewall uprising gave birth to modern Pride and were viewed the origin of the present-day queer activism, but the transgender women of color participating in the uprising were marginalized by the leading movements that came after.

“We struggled in vain. It’s a shame the way it turned out. We sparked the rebellion and what did we get? Nothing. Nothing,” she said, noting that LGBT figures were “ashamed to be seen with us|embarrassed to associate with us|unwilling to stand beside us}.”

Jail Time and Activism

During a following incarceration in a New York prison, Miss Major became a student of Frank “Big Black” Smith, who had been involved in a historic prison protest and taught her fundamentals of activism, and how “you can’t throw anybody under the bus|you must not abandon anyone|no one should be sacrificed}”, a guidance that shaped her subsequent activism, she recalled.

Later Work and Legacy

In the eighties, Miss Major formed the Care Angels, a collective of trans folks who acted as caregivers for homosexual men succumbing to AIDS, with operations in California and New York. In San Francisco, she became an esteemed grassroots organizer, driving the city’s first mobile needle exchange van and running a drop-in center for transgender adult workers, despite pushback from its partner AIDS organization.

Miss Major went on to direct the TGIJP, a group that opposes harm of Black and brown trans folks in prison and provides support during transition back to society. Janetta Johnson, now heads the organization, which today is called the TGIJP Black Trans Center.

Recent Times and Continuing Influence

In the past few years, Miss Major faced ongoing health issues, yet she persisted in her activism through the her final organization, which she also referred to as Telling It Like It Fuckin’ Is (Tilifi). The organization invites queer organizers to her colorful Little Rock guest house, called the Oasis, to provide a refuge for rejuvenation and peace.

“I’ve gotta make joy here, because it doesn’t exist in the normal world,” Miss Major said in a past conversation. “They want us to live in the 1950s. No. Get off our fucking backs and let us live … I know the world I would like to live in. It’s in my head, but I try my best to live it now.”

Miss Major is survived by her longtime partner; her children, Asaiah, Christopher, and Jonathon; and her “numerous adopted daughters”.

“She was a dreamer, a visionary, and resolute in her devotion to ensuring liberation for Black and trans individuals with prison experience. Because of her, countless new possibilities have been created for all of us to succeed – today and for generations to come,” the organization shared. “While her physical presence has changed, we have acquired a influential forebear and there is no doubt that she is and always will be with us – leading, safeguarding, and recalling us that she is ‘still fucking here!’”