Icon for transgender activism Miss Major Griffin-Gracy dies at 78
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- An icon for transgender activism died at the age of 78 on Monday.
The legendary Miss Major Griffin-Gracy was a trailblazing black transgender activist who spent decades fighting for justice.
'MAJOR!' is a documentary that follows what many consider a once-in-a-generation leader in the trans and queer liberation movement.
Born Griffin Gracy in 1946, Gracy came out as trans and was affectionately known to the world as Miss Major.
"Major was known for refuting respectability," Fran Tirado said.
Tirado is the editor-in-chief of "Them," an online magazine that recently published a look back at Major's life.
Her more than 5 decades of activism were rooted in her own experiences, her time behind bars for robbery and as a showgirl in New York City.
She touched so many in the 80s, those with HIV and Aids, and through her work at the TGI Justice Project.
"She opened up the first needle exchange in San Francisco; she was known for her work with the House of GG, she's known for prison abolition," Tirado said.
Her name is synonymous with the Stonewall riots. She was there in 1969 as police moved in.
"Stonewall was a major inciting incident of what liberation could look like for trans and queer people," Tirado said.
Eyewitness News reporter Kemberly Richardson met Major during the 2024 Pride March, where she served as a grand marshal.
Her work was a runway for critical change as trans rights are under attack.
"Mayor was very principled on that, she knew fighting back by any means her quote, was the way to do it," Tirado said.
National LGBTQ Task Force President Kierra Johnson released a statement saying, 'She was a sharp and unyielding truth teller, undeniably loving and generous to those who called her Mother, Auntie, colleague and friend. There will never be another like her.'
On October 13th, Major passed away at home. She was 78 years old.
"Major is the go-to person you call to seek advice. It's a caretaking and a mentorship that most aren't lucy enough to know," Tirado said.
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