The trans community has incredible people pushing boundaries and making their mark across all fields, including many brave trans Latines who are not only living authentically but are also working to create a more inclusive and equitable world for everyone. To celebrate the start of Trans Visibility Week, running from November 13 to November 19, we wanted to highlight 6 Latine trans icons that have paved the way. Let’s dive in:
Sylvia Rivera: The Revolutionary
Sylvia Rivera at ACT-UP March, 1994. Photograph. 1994. Digital Transgender Archive.
We can’t talk about the fight for LGBTQ+ rights without mentioning the legendary Sylvia Rivera. Born in 1951 in New York City, Rivera was a transgender activist of Puerto Rican and Venezuelan descent who played a pivotal role in the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, which sparked the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Alongside Marsha P. Johnson, she co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), an organization dedicated to helping homeless LGBTQ+ youth, especially trans and gender-nonconforming individuals.
Rivera fought tirelessly against racism, classism, and transphobia within the gay rights movement, often reminding others that trans women of color were at the forefront of the struggle for equality. She advocated for housing, healthcare, and legal protections for trans people, making her one of the most influential figures in LGBTQ+ history.
Bamby Salcedo: A Voice for Trans Rights
Bamby Salcedo is a powerhouse in the trans rights movement. A Mexican-American transgender activist, she’s the founder and president of The TransLatin@ Coalition, an organization that advocates for the rights of transgender Latinx people in the U.S. Salcedo’s advocacy is deeply personal—having faced poverty, incarceration, addiction, and violence, she transformed her life and now dedicates her work to uplifting trans people, particularly those from marginalized communities.
Bamby is known for her work in addressing issues like HIV/AIDS prevention, immigration reform, and transgender healthcare. She has testified in front of Congress, worked with policymakers, and continues to fight for the legal protections and safety of trans-Latine individuals across the country.
Jennicet Gutiérrez: Advocating for Undocumented Trans People
Jennicet Gutiérrez on Instagram
When it comes to activism, Jennicet Gutiérrez is a force to be reckoned with. She’s an undocumented transgender woman from Mexico who rose to prominence in 2015 when she interrupted a speech by President Obama to bring attention to the plight of undocumented LGBTQ+ immigrants held in detention centers. Gutiérrez is a founding member of Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement (TQLM), an organization dedicated to advancing the rights of trans and queer immigrants in the U.S.
Her activism focuses on ending the detention and deportation of LGBTQ+ immigrants, many of whom face severe abuse, harassment, and neglect in immigration detention centers. Gutiérrez’s bold actions have helped shine a spotlight on the often-overlooked issues faced by trans immigrants, particularly in the Latinx community.
Ivana Fred: A Trans Trailblazer in Puerto Rico
Ivana Fred is a Puerto Rican trans activist who has dedicated her life to advocating for the trans community on the island. She’s a spokesperson for the organization Coalición Trans de Puerto Rico, which works to promote the human rights of transgender individuals through education, advocacy, and legal protections.
Fred’s work has been instrumental in advancing LGBTQ+ rights in Puerto Rico, including fighting for better healthcare, legal gender recognition, and safety for trans individuals. Her activism has helped ensure that the voices of Puerto Rico’s trans community are heard and that policies reflect their needs and concerns.
Victoria Cruz: A Fighter for Justice
Victoria Cruz is another Puerto Rican trans woman and a longtime advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, particularly in New York City. Cruz worked at the Anti-Violence Project (AVP) for decades, helping LGBTQ+ people who have experienced violence, harassment, and discrimination. She’s also known for her work as an activist and a survivor of violence herself, channeling her experiences into advocacy to help others.
Cruz was a close friend of Marsha P. Johnson, and she continues to fight for justice in the LGBTQ+ community, particularly for trans women of color. Her work has been featured in the documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, where she investigates the circumstances surrounding her friend’s death. Victoria Cruz was also one of the first trans women of color to work in victim advocacy at AVP, providing vital support to survivors of hate crimes and other forms of violence.
Isa Noyola – Transgender Rights Activist
@muxerisa on X
Isa Noyola is a transgender Latina activist who works on the front lines of the fight for transgender rights and immigrant justice. She’s a deputy director at Mijente, a political home for Latinx and Chicanx organizing, and she’s also involved in the Transgender Law Center, advocating for gender liberation and the decriminalization of immigration. Isa has been especially active in abolishing detention centers and pushing for the fair treatment of trans women in immigration detention.
Her activism goes beyond fighting for the immediate rights of the LGBTQ community—she's dedicated to creating long-term, empowered communities that uplift all women. As a former board member of the Women's March, she worked to expand the organization's reach beyond the annual event, advocating for deeper engagement in critical areas such as immigration, climate change, and reproductive justice. Through her wide-ranging efforts, Noyola confronts systems that seek to limit the progress of intersectional feminism, ensuring it embraces all individuals who identify as women.
These trailblazing trans Latines have made their mark, fighting for their community and inspiring others to keep pushing for justice and equality. As we celebrate their contributions, let’s also commit to supporting and uplifting the trans community in any way we can.
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