These factions argue that transgender issues (like puberty blockers or surgery) harm the "hard-won" rights of gay and lesbian people, specifically regarding safe spaces. For example, some lesbians argue that allowing trans women (assigned male at birth) into lesbian bars or prisons violates their safety.

To celebrate LGBTQ culture is to celebrate the transgender community. Their fight is our fight. Their joy is queer joy. And as long as there is a single trans person fighting to live in truth, the rainbow will still have its most vibrant hue. Keywords incorporated: transgender community, LGBTQ culture, trans visibility, Stonewall, Marsha P. Johnson, gender identity, non-binary, anti-trans backlash, LGB drop the T, healthcare, intersectionality.

As the political climate darkens in many parts of the world—with trans existence becoming a wedge issue for conservative movements—the broader LGBTQ culture faces a litmus test. Will the "LGB" sacrifice the "T" to gain a seat at the table of straight society? Or will the community remember its radical roots?

Johnson, a self-identified drag queen and trans activist, and Rivera, a Latina transgender woman, were at the front lines of the violent rebellion against police brutality. In the years following Stonewall, while gay men and lesbians began to push for assimilation (seeking the right to marry and serve in the military), Rivera and Johnson were fighting for the "gay outcasts"—the homeless youth, the sex workers, and the trans community that mainstream gay groups wanted to distance themselves from.

Gen Z has embraced the transgender community as the vanguard of the queer movement. To a 16-year-old, being "gay" is almost seen as conservative compared to being "trans." This has created tension: older LGB activists sometimes feel erased, while young trans activists feel the older generation is moving too slowly.