The first official San Francisco Trans March took place in June 2004. It was sparked by a mistrial in the Gwen Araujo murder case and served as a response to transphobic violence against transgender women of color.

Long before formalized "marches," transgender individuals—often referred to in historical records with terms like "street queens" or "transvestites"—led radical acts of resistance against police harassment.

Trans women of color, such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, were at the forefront of the Stonewall Riots in New York City.

In 1970, Johnson and Rivera founded STAR, the first organization in the U.S. led by trans women of color, providing shelter and support for homeless trans youth. Language and Visibility