Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, one of the LGBTQIA+ community’s most trailblazing and legendary activists, has sadly passed away at the age of 78.
On 13 October, her organisation House of gg announced with “profound sadness” that she died “in the comfort of her home and surrounded by loved ones in Little Rock, Arkansas”.
“Her enduring legacy is a testament to her resilience, activism, and dedication to creating safe spaces for Black trans communities and all trans people,” the organisation wrote, “we are eternally grateful for Miss Major’s life, her contributions and how deeply she poured into those she loved.”
A visionary activist and community mother, Miss Major devoted her life to uplifting the most marginalised members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Born in 1940s Chicago, her experiences as a Black trans woman shaped a lifetime of advocacy for trans liberation, racial justice and the dismantling of systemic oppression.
After facing institutionalisation and discrimination, she found kinship within Chicago’s drag ball scene before moving to New York in the early 1960s, where she became a regular at the Stonewall Inn.
She was among those present during the 1969 Stonewall Riots, a turning point in queer history, and was arrested and injured during the protests. Her role in this defining moment cemented her as a cornerstone of the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement.
Beyond Stonewall, Miss Major’s activism spanned decades. She worked in food banks, helped establish one of the first US needle exchange clinics, and led groups of trans women who cared for gay men during the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
From 2010 to 2015, she served as Executive Director of the Transgender Gender-Variant Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP), advocating for the rights of incarcerated trans people of colour.
Her legacy endures through the House of gg – the Griffin-Gracy Educational and Historical Center – a sanctuary for trans and gender non-conforming women of colour in the American South.
Founded to create safety, community and opportunity, the organisation stands as a living reflection of Miss Major’s lifelong mission: to ensure that Black trans women not only survive, but thrive.
“Because of her, countless new possibilities have been made for all of us to thrive—today and for generations to come,” House of gg continued in their statement.
“She affirmed that our lives hold meaning and that we stand on the shoulders of giants like her, whose courageous love and relentless fight assured our right to live with dignity. We will forever honor her memory, her steadfast presence, and her enduring commitment to our collective liberation.”
Miss Major is survived by her longtime partner, Beck Witt; her sons Asaiah, Christopher and Jonathon; her many daughters including Janetta Johnson, who succeeded her at the TGIJP Black Trans Cultural Center; her sisters Tracie O’Brien and Billie Cooper; and “countless members of community who have been shaped by her mentorship and legacy as a leader”.
House of gg added: “While her physical presence has shifted, we have gained an immensely powerful ancestor and there is no doubt that she is and always will be with us – guiding, protecting and reminding us that she is “still f*cking here!””
Our thoughts are with Miss Major’s family, friends and the global LGBTQIA+ community mourning her loss.