Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a trans activist and Stonewall veteran, has passed away at 78.
Her organization, the House of gg, confirmed her death on Monday, saying she passed in her home in Little Rock, Arkansas, surrounded by her loved ones.
“Her enduring legacy is a testament to her resilience, activism, and dedication to creating safe spaces for Black trans communities and all trans people,” it read. “We are eternally grateful for Miss Major’s life, her contributions and how deeply she poured into those she loved.”
Known affectionately as “Miss Major” and revered as a mother figure within the trans community, her fight for trans liberation spanned more than five decades. She built safe havens for her community through the House of gg, a retreat and refuge for trans leaders; the Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project, advocating for incarcerated trans people; and Angels of Care, a network of trans women who cared for men during the AIDS crisis.
Born in Chicago in 1946, Miss Major was institutionalized and discriminated against for being transgender. She later found her place through performance at the local drag show, Jewel Box Revue.
Miss Major was present a the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York, where she fought back against police and was injured and arrested.
“Miss Major fought tirelessly for her people, her love as vast and enduring as the universe she knew herself to be a part of,” House of gg added. “She was a world builder, a visionary, and unwavering in her devotion to making freedom possible for Black, trans, formerly and currently incarcerated people as well as the larger trans and LGB community.”
Her defiant battle cry, “I’m still fucking here!”, will no doubt continue to be a powerful declaration of resilience and joy.
Miss Major is survived by her partner, Beck Witt, her sons Asaiah, Christopher, and Jonathan, as well as the many chosen children and daughters she lovingly embraced across the world.