Transgender individuals are the "T" in LGBTQ+. They have been central to the movement's history and cultural evolution.
Before the widespread use of these terms, conversations about sexuality were often trapped in biological essentialism. It was the transgender community that forced the larger LGBTQ movement to separate from gender identity from sexual orientation . This distinction was revolutionary. It argued that a trans woman who loves men is heterosexual, a trans man who loves men is gay, and a non-binary person who loves anyone is queer.
