The transgender community has been a driving force within LGBTQ culture for decades, often leading the movement's most pivotal battles for civil rights. While the broader LGBTQ movement has seen rapid legal successes, transgender individuals continue to face unique and severe challenges, including disproportionate rates of violence, poverty, and healthcare barriers.

Transgender people have existed throughout history, though the specific term "transgender" only emerged in the 1960s to distinguish gender identity from sexual orientation.