The tapestry is stronger for every thread. And the thread labeled "T" is the one holding the fabric together. If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 or The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.

While mainstream history often centers on gay men like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, this is a sanitized version. The truth is more radical. (a self-identified drag queen and trans activist) and Sylvia Rivera (a trans woman and co-founder of STAR—Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) were at the violent forefront of the uprising against police brutality.

Pride was a riot. And that riot was led by trans women. To honor LGBTQ culture is to defend, uplift, and celebrate the trans community—not just in June, but every time someone bravely says, "My name is... and my pronouns are..."

The transgender community and the broader LGBTQ culture are intrinsically linked, sharing history, battlefields, and biology. Yet, they are not the same. To understand one, you must understand the delicate, symbiotic, and sometimes strained relationship between gender identity and sexual orientation.