The relationship between the transgender community and broader LGBTQ culture is not always easy. There have been wounds, erasures, and betrayals. But there has also been profound solidarity: gay men marching for trans healthcare, lesbians raising funds for trans youth, bisexual activists amplifying non-binary voices. LGBTQ culture, at its best, understands that freedom is indivisible. You cannot have marriage equality while trans people are murdered for using a bathroom. You cannot have military service while trans soldiers are denied hormones. You cannot have pride without the T.

Despite this shared history, the relationship has not always been easy. In recent years, a small but vocal segment of the "LGB" (excluding the T) has tried to separate transgender rights from gay and lesbian rights, arguing they are different issues. This is a dangerous fallacy.

: A highly controversial and often derogatory term primarily used in the adult film industry. It is generally considered an offensive slur by the transgender community.

Transgender women of color experience disproportionately high rates of violence.