Miss Major Griffin-Gracy
October 25, 1946 - October 13, 2025 (78)
“I’m still f*cking here. And that, baby, is the revolution.”
Activist
Biography
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy (she/her), affectionately known as “Miss Major”, lived her life as a force of truth, resilience, and revolutionary love. Born in 1946 in Chicago, Illinois, she became one of the most powerful voices in the modern LGBTQ+ and civil rights movements, dedicating more than five decades to the fight for trans justice and the dignity of all who have been pushed to society’s margins.
A veteran of the historic 1969 Stonewall Rebellion, Miss Major was on the frontlines of a movement that forever changed the course of queer liberation. But her activism did not begin or end there. As a Black trans woman who had endured incarceration, homelessness, and systemic discrimination, she transformed her pain into purpose, using her own survival as a beacon for others navigating similar struggles. She became a fierce advocate for incarcerated trans women, sex workers, and those living with HIV/AIDS, offering not only activism but direct, life-saving care and mentorship to countless people society had forgotten.
Through her work with organizations like the Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP), Miss Major helped center the voices of those most affected by the prison-industrial complex, especially Black and Brown trans women. Her leadership emphasized that liberation cannot be achieved without healing, community, and love, the kind of love that shows up in shelters, hospital rooms, and courtrooms, not just at rallies or on television screens.
Miss Major’s voice carried across generations, reminding young activists that visibility means nothing without protection and care. She stood in solidarity with trans youth in Arkansas when the state became the first in the nation to ban gender-affirming medical care in 2021, and her words often pierced through the noise of politics with clarity and compassion. “I’ve been where you are,” she would often tell trans youth. “And I’m fighting so you don’t have to go through what I did.”
Even in her final years, Miss Major continued to inspire, attending the 2024 Democratic National Convention and receiving the Sue Hyde Longevity in the Movement Award for her lifelong commitment to justice. Her activism, like her spirit, never dimmed. On October 13, 2025, Miss Major passed away peacefully at home in Little Rock, Arkansas, surrounded by loved ones.
Her passing marks not an end, but a continuation of the movement she helped ignite. The National LGBTQ Task Force called her a “revolutionary, visionary, and foundational mother of our movement.” The ACLU remembered her as a “sharp and unyielding truth teller” who never let us forget our collective power, even in the face of legislative and cultural backlash. Her Instagram memorial captured it best: “Her enduring legacy is a testament to her resilience, activism, and dedication to creating safe spaces for Black trans communities and all trans people.”
Miss Major’s life was both protest and prayer, an embodiment of survival as resistance. Her love built bridges between generations, her truth reshaped what justice looks like, and her legacy will continue to guide the movement she helped birth.
