Sylvia Rivera

“I think Sylvia’s role in gay history was that she was one of the first people to highlight that our movement needed to be more inclusive of people who did not fit in the mainstream.”

- Carrie Davis, Chief Programs and Policy Officer at New York City’s LGBT Community Center -

Sylvia Rivera became a very assertive LGBTQ+ activist in the 1960s, and went to rallies and made speeches to fight for what she believed in. Her good friend Marsha P. Johnson and her went through hardships trying to fight for their rights. As an early activist, Sylvia was well known, but not always in a positive way. “I will no longer put up with this sh*t. I have been beaten. I have had my nose broken. I have been thrown in jail. I have lost my job. I have lost my apartment. For gay liberation, and you all treat me this way? What the f**k’s wrong with you all? Think about that!” - Sylvia Rivera. Sylvia and Marsha P. Johnson have been gaining more recognition in recent years for their actions in the 1960s. “Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera are just now (in the past few years or so) getting the recognition they deserve.” - Meredith Worthen, 2021.

“We have to be visible. We are not ashamed of who we are.”
- Sylvia Rivera

“I will no longer put up with this sh*t.
I have been beaten.
I have had my nose broken.
I have been thrown in jail.
I have lost my job.
I have lost my apartment.
For gay liberation, and you all treat me this way?
What the f*ck’s wrong with you all?
Think about that!”

- Sylvia Rivera, 1973 -