Johnson, a self-identified drag queen and trans activist, and Rivera, a Latina trans woman and co-founder of the militant activist group STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), were the vanguard. In an era when "gay liberation" often sidelined trans issues as too radical or embarrassing, these women fought for inclusion in their own movement.

Before Pose and Legendary brought it to streaming services, Ballroom culture was a secret refuge for Black and Latinx trans women and gay men in 1980s New York. Created as an alternative to racist and transphobic pageant circuits, Ballroom offered categories like "Butch Queen Realness," "Femme Queen Realness," and "Face."

Terms used by those whose gender exists outside the traditional male-female binary. This can include feeling like both, neither, or a fluid mix of genders.

Despite being part of the broader LGBTQ movement, transgender people face disproportionate hardships: The Performance of Transgender Inclusion - Public Seminar