Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR)

The Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) was a revolutionary LGBTQ+ activist group founded in the early 1970s by transgender activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. STAR emerged in response to the lack of support and resources for homeless transgender and LGBTQ+ youth in New York City. Johnson and Rivera recognized the urgent need for safe spaces and advocacy for their community. STAR aimed to provide shelter, food, and support for transgender and queer individuals, particularly those who were marginalized and facing homelessness. The organization’s mission extended beyond immediate aid, advocating for broader social and political change to address the systemic issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. STAR played a significant role in the early history of transgender activism and left a lasting legacy in the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights. Sylvia Rivera briefly revived the organization in 2000 and renamed it “Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries.”

A NOTE ON USAGE: The term transvestite was coined in 1910 by German Sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld and used to describe persons whose sex registered at birth did not affirm their gender identity or presentation. In 1965, Dr. John Oliven coined the term transgender and argued this term should replace transsexualism. Transgender gained more popularity after its publication in the TV Guide in 1970 and repeated use by Christine Jorgensen, the first person publicly known to undergo gender affirming surgery (Williams, 2014). Transgender is a more inclusive descriptor – replacing both transvestite and transsexual. Transvestite is now considered derogatory and should not be used. Source: Williams, Cristan. 2014. “Transgender.” Transgender Studies Quarterly, Vol 1, Numbers 1-2: p. 232-234. https://doi.org/10.1215/23289252-2400136.