Biography:
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy (born 1940s), often referred to as Miss Major, is a trans woman author, activist, and community organizer for transgender rights. She has played a significant role in activism and community organizing for numerous causes and served as the first Executive Director for the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project. Griffin-Gracy has made substantial contributions to oral history collections, including Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex, The Stonewall Reader, and The Stonewall Generation: LGBT Elders on Sex, Activism, and Aging. Her memoir, Miss Major Speaks: Conversations with a Black Trans Revolutionary, was published by Verso Books in 2023.
Born in Chicago in the 1940s, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy was assigned male at birth. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, her father worked for the post office while her mother managed a beauty shop. Around the age of 12 or 13, she came out to her parents, who responded by enrolling her in psychiatric treatment and taking her to church. Nonetheless, Griffin-Gracy came out as transgender in the late 1950s, finding solace and community in drag balls, which she described as places where You had to keep your eyes open, had to watch your back, but you learned how to deal with that […] We didn’t know at the time that we were questioning our gender. We just knew it felt right.
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy has attributed her experiences to the influence of Christine Jorgensen, a prominent figure in the 1950s known for her gender-affirming surgery. According to Griffin-Gracy, After Christine Jorgensen got her sex change, all of a sudden there was a black market of hormones out there, and she became familiar with how to obtain illicit hormones in Chicago. Sadly, her gender identity strained her relationship with her parents, resulting in her losing her home after they refused to accept her true self.
In order to support herself financially, Miss Major worked as a showgirl at the Jewel Box Revue in Chicago and New York. It was during this time that she adopted the name Griffin to honor her mother. However, sex work became her most reliable source of income. Griffin-Gracy faced further challenges when she was expelled from college for wearing feminine clothing. Her journey led her to an incarceration in a psychiatric facility, leading her to eventually transition and move to New York City.
In a 2014 interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Griffin-Gracy shared that the Stonewall Inn in New York City provided trans women like her with a safe space for social connection. During that time, few gay bars welcomed trans women, making the Stonewall Inn a crucial hub for the community. Miss Major was a regular patron and was present on the first night of the historic 1969 Stonewall rebellion, a pivotal event in LGBTQ+ history.
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy’s activism and dedication to transgender rights have left a lasting impact on society. She was instrumental in establishing the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project and has been actively involved in advocating for the rights and well-being of transgender individuals in prison. Her tireless efforts have helped raise awareness, challenge discrimination, and improve access to healthcare and support for incarcerated transgender people.
Throughout her life, Miss Major has embraced her role as a mentor and inspiration to countless transgender individuals, particularly transgender women of color. Her resilience, courage, and commitment to justice have solidified her place as a pioneering figure in the transgender rights movement and women’s history. Miss Major Griffin-Gracy’s contributions to the struggle for equality and inclusion continue to shape the conversation surrounding gender identity and the rights of transgender individuals around the world.
Awards:
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