Transgender rights activist Miss Major Griffin-Gracy dies at 78

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy attends the 2024 NYC Pride March in June 2024 in New York. (Rob Kim/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, the activist who championed transgender rights and protested in the historic Stonewall rebellion that galvanized the LGBTQ2S+ civil rights movement, has died. She was 78.

Griffin-Gracy died Oct. 13 “in the comfort of her home and surrounded by loved ones in Little Rock, Arkansas,” according to a post on her Instagram page.

Griffin-Gracy spent more five decades advocating for Black trans women, gender-nonconforming people, trans women who survived incarceration and police brutality, and the AIDS crisis, the post read.

“Her enduring legacy is a testament to her resilience, activism, and dedication to creating safe spaces for Black trans communities and all trans people – we are eternally grateful for Miss Major’s life, her contributions and how deeply she poured into those she loved,” it said.

Civil rights groups shared memories and tributes to Griffin-Gracy on Tuesday.

The National LGBTQ2S+ Task Force said in a statement that Griffin-Gracy inspired the work many LGBTQ2S+ activists are doing today. The group highlighted Griffin-Gracy’s public appearances, including speaking at the Creating Change conference and attending the Democratic National Convention in 2024.

Griffin-Gracy also received the “Sue Hyde Longevity in the Movement” award in 2024 for her work in the LGBTQ2S+ community, the Task Force said.

“There will never be enough words to fully describe the impact Miss Major had on the LGBTQ people, on leaders across movements, on those she loved and were touched by her work and her words,” National LGBTQ Task Force President Kierra Johnson said in the statement. “She was a revolutionary, a visionary, a legend – a foundational mother of our movement and an inspiration to those fighting for liberation. She was a sharp and unyielding truth teller.”

The ACLU also honoured Griffin-Gracy on Tuesday, noting she was known for speaking out in the streets, in state legislatures, city council meetings, and in court.

Griffin-Gracy showed up to court hearings and stood in solidarity with young trans people when Arkansas became the first state to outlaw gender-affirming medical care for trans youth in 2021, according to a statement from Chase Strangio, co-director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ2S+ & HIV Project.

“She ensured that we never lost touch with our history and that we believed in our power regardless of the outcome of any election, any legislative debate, or any court case,” Strangio said. “In her honuor, we will continue the fight for trans justice, not just in the legal battles we fight but through the love and care we bring to our communities and to this work.”