Did you know that October is not just LGBTQ+ History Month, it's also Hispanic Heritage Month? So, it's time to learn all about the Historicon Sylvia Rivera.
Sylvia Rivera (1951-2002) was a drag queen and Trans activist. Often associated with the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, the Weinstein Hall sit-in at NYU in 1970, and her famous "Y'all Better Quiet Down Now!" speech at the 1973 Christopher Street Liberation Day March, she's probably best known for co-founding Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (or STAR House) along with her friend Marsha P. Johnson. (It's also a clue in our Stonewall Uprising puzzle.)
STAR House helped LGBTQ+ youth who struggle with their identity with food, shelter, and emotional support. In her words, "STAR was for the street gay people, street homeless people, and anybody who needed help at that time.
The first STAR House was a trailer truck that was parked in Greenwich Village and it housed some two dozen youths before it moved to a building located on E 2nd Street.
Rivera's legacy lives on today through the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, which was founded after her death in 2002. It is dedicated to guarantee that all people are free to self-determined gender identity and expression regardless of income or race without facing harassment, discrimination or violence.
Thank you y Gracias a Sylvia Rivera!