Who are they?

<p><strong>We'wha</strong> <em>(they/them)</em>, is a Zuni Native American from New Mexico. They're an accomplished weaver, potter, and the most famous <em>lhamana</em>, a traditional Zuni gender role, which is now most commonly described as mixed-gender or Two-Spirit. They took on both male and female tasks, and endeavoured to preserve the history, traditions, and knowledge of the Zuni people.</p>

<p><strong>Bayard Rustin</strong> <em>(he/him)</em>, was an American political activist, and a prominent leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights. Bayard was the chief organiser behind the historic March on Washington, and in the 1980's became a part of the LQBTQ+ movement and an advocate for AIDS education. In a 1986 testimony on behalf of New York State's Gay Rights Bill, he stated that <em>"Gay people are the new barometer for social change.".</em></p>

<p class="fr-img-space-wrap2"><strong>Marsha P Johnson</strong><em>&nbsp;(she/her)</em>, was a black transgender activist, drag queen and an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. She's best known for her role in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stonewall.org.uk/news/stonewall-uprising-50-years-lgbt-history?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAkJO8BhCGARIsAMkswyh8ecCpcSRmwbqgts_hL_55p-YUtj2uUase01q7owRx1OX-VJrjQy4aAieOEALw_wcB" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Stonewall Uprising</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;of 1969</strong>, which was a pivotal event in the fight for LGBTQ+ liberation. Marsha co-founded the&nbsp;<a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/story/street-transvestite-action-revolutionaries/RQLyn203HhbhJA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries</strong></a> (STAR) with <em>Sylvia Rivera</em> to support homeless LGBTQ+ youth and individuals. She was a key figure in the early gay rights movement, and always said the "P" in her name stood for <em>"Pay it no mind".</em></p>

<p class="fr-img-space-wrap2"><strong>Sylvia Rivera&nbsp;</strong><em>(she/her)</em>, was a Latina-American drag queen who was a gay and transgender activist in the 1960's and 70's. She's also well known for participating in the Stonewall Uprising and for establishing&nbsp;<a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/story/street-transvestite-action-revolutionaries/RQLyn203HhbhJA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>STAR</strong></a> with fellow friend and drag queen <em>Marsha P Johnson</em>. In honour of Sylvias activism in the gay and trans community,&nbsp;<a href="https://srlp.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>The Sylvia Rivera Law Project</strong></a> (SRLP) was founded in 2002. <strong>SRLP</strong> <em>"works to guarantee all people are free to self-determine gender identity and expression, regardless of income and race"</em> by giving the LGBTQ+ community access to legal services, as well as teaching leadership and advocacy skills.</p>

<p><strong>Laverne Cox</strong> <em>(she/her)</em>, is an American actress and LGBTQ+ activist who achieved a number of 'firsts' as an openly transgender woman in the entertainment industry. &nbsp;She's best known for her role as <em>Sophia Burset</em> on the Netflix series 'Orange Is the New Black', becoming the first transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy award. In <strong>May 2016</strong>, Laverne was awarded an Honorary Doctorate form the The New School in New York City for her progressive work in the fight for gender equality.</p>