We've Been HereAnalysisBased on factual reporting, it incorporates the expertise of the writer and may offer interpretations and conclusions.

Remembering Miss Major in her own words

The late Miss Major was a pivotal activist and organizer for trans liberation for decades

By Cody Corrall • October 15, 2025 2:11 pm EDT

Stonewall veteran Miss Major Griffin-Gracy passed away this week at the age of 78. 

Miss Major was a pivotal activist and organizer for LGBTQ2S+ liberation for decades—from the Stonewall riots, to AIDS activism and abolition work. She founded the House of GG, served as the director of the Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project and fiercely advocated for trans rights throughout her life. In 2023, Miss Major told her story in Miss Major Speaks.

We honour her legacy, and lessons, in her own words.

More From This Contributor

Cody Corrall is Xtra's Social Video Producer. Their work has appeared in BuzzFeed News, TechCrunch, the Chicago Reader, CINE-FILE, Thrillist, Paste Magazine, and other places on the world wide web. He lives in Chicago and speaks English.

Read More About:
Activism, Politics, Video, Video, We've Been Here, Proud Lives, Trans, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, United States, History

Keep Reading

Renée Richards at a tennis match
We've Been Here

The complicated legacy of Renée Richards

The former tennis player broke barriers for trans athletes in 1977. Then she changed her tune
Supporters of HIV AIDS research participate in the 2025 Toronto Pride Parade
HIV/AIDS

Toronto man set to be the first Canadian cured of HIV

The patient received a stem cell transplant for his cancer that acted as a “double cure” because it contained a rare genetic mutation resistant to HIV
A photo of the outside of the New York Times building in New York City
Media

Only 1 in 5 ‘New York Times’ news stories about trans issues quote actual trans people: report

A new 'Assigned Media' report found that the 'New York Times' rarely cited trans people in coverage about trans issues
A side by side of images from On Our Backs, a lesbian magazine.
We've Been Here

The radical legacy of ‘On Our Backs’ magazine

“On Our Backs” filled a void by authentically documenting—and celebrating—lesbian sexuality
Advertisement