As a transgender woman and the founder of TransVitae.com, I’ve spent a significant amount of time engaging with the transgender community, researching, writing, and sharing stories to educate and support others. Over time, I’ve often found myself asking, “Am I an activist, or am I an advocate?” The distinction between these two roles can be blurry, and many people—even within the LGBTQ+ community—use them interchangeably. But there are important differences.
In this article, I’ll break down what it means to be a transgender activist versus a transgender advocate, why both roles are essential in our fight for equality, and highlight individuals who exemplify each path.
What Is a Transgender Activist?
A transgender activist is someone who actively works to change policies, laws, and societal norms that affect transgender individuals. Activists are often seen leading protests, engaging in direct action, organizing movements, and publicly challenging institutions that uphold discrimination. Their work is often bold, visible, and confrontational because they are fighting against deeply ingrained systems of oppression.
Traits of a Transgender Activist:
- Engages in protests, demonstrations, and direct action
- Calls out systemic injustices publicly and consistently
- Often takes legal or political action to push for policy changes
- Uses their voice and platform to demand immediate transformation
- Challenges those in power through direct confrontation
Examples of Transgender Activists:
- Marsha P. Johnson: Perhaps one of the most iconic transgender activists in history, Marsha P. Johnson was a Black transgender woman who played a pivotal role in the Stonewall Riots of 1969. She co-founded the Gay Liberation Front and the advocacy group STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) with Sylvia Rivera. Marsha was a fierce fighter for trans rights, particularly for homeless trans youth, sex workers, and those impacted by the AIDS crisis.
- Miss Major Griffin-Gracy: Miss Major is a lifelong transgender activist and a former leader of the Transgender Gender-Variant and Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP). A veteran of the Stonewall Riots, she has spent decades advocating for the rights of transgender people—particularly trans women of color and incarcerated transgender individuals. She is known for her unyielding activism against the prison-industrial complex and police brutality toward trans people.
- Raquel Willis: Raquel Willis is a modern transgender activist who has worked as the former executive editor of Out Magazine and a leading voice in the fight for trans rights. She has played a significant role in Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ activism, and her public speaking, writing, and organizing efforts aim to create structural change in society.
What Is a Transgender Advocate?
A transgender advocate, on the other hand, works to support, educate, and create spaces for transgender individuals within existing systems rather than focusing primarily on dismantling those systems. Advocates may engage in policy reform, community education, and personal support networks to improve the lives of transgender individuals without necessarily being confrontational.
Traits of a Transgender Advocate:
- Works within existing structures to create positive change
- Provides resources, education, and support for transgender individuals
- Helps organizations, companies, and policymakers implement trans-inclusive policies
- Focuses on helping individuals navigate legal, medical, and social challenges
- Often engages in media, public speaking, and storytelling to normalize transgender experiences
Examples of Transgender Advocates:
- Dr. Rachel Levine: Dr. Rachel Levine made history as the first openly transgender federal official confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Assistant Secretary for Health. She has focused on public health policies, LGBTQ+ health equity, and transgender medical care. Rather than leading protests, her work as an advocate is within the government, ensuring transgender people receive adequate healthcare and protections.
- Laverne Cox: While Laverne Cox is a celebrity known for her role in Orange Is the New Black, she is also one of the most influential transgender advocates in media. She has worked tirelessly to educate the public about transgender issues, fight against transphobia in the entertainment industry, and empower trans individuals through storytelling. Her Emmy-winning documentary Disclosure examines how Hollywood has historically misrepresented transgender people, making her advocacy work crucial in shaping media narratives.
- Mara Keisling: Mara Keisling is the founder and former executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE). Her advocacy work has centered around lobbying for trans rights, advising policymakers, and creating educational materials to support transgender individuals navigating legal and medical transitions. She has been instrumental in helping transgender people gain access to accurate identification documents, healthcare, and workplace protections.
Am I an Activist or an Advocate?
As someone who runs TransVitae.com, I personally identify more as a transgender advocate than an activist. I don’t organize protests or march in the streets, but I write, educate, and provide resources to help transgender individuals on their journey. That’s not to say I don’t deeply respect activists—I do. They are essential to our progress.
Sometimes, advocacy and activism overlap. A single individual can be both an activist and an advocate, depending on the situation. Someone like Raquel Willis, for example, has led protests (activism) while also working within media and advocacy spaces to push for change (advocacy).
The key difference is in approach:
- Activists shake up the system and push for rapid change.
- Advocates work within the system to help individuals and institutions evolve over time.
Why Both Roles Matter
Activists and advocates both play crucial roles in the transgender rights movement. Without activists, we wouldn’t see the bold, necessary challenges to systems that have oppressed transgender people for decades. Without advocates, many transgender individuals wouldn’t have the resources, education, and support they need to navigate life safely and with dignity.
If you’re wondering which role fits you best, ask yourself:
- Do you prefer direct action, protests, and legal challenges? You might be an activist.
- Do you prefer educating, supporting, and working within structures? You might be an advocate.
Regardless of which role resonates with you, both are valuable, necessary, and contribute to the fight for transgender rights.
The Bottom Line
Whether you are an activist, an advocate, or somewhere in between, your work in the transgender community is important. Change doesn’t happen in a vacuum—it takes voices in the streets, voices in politics, voices in education, and voices in everyday life to create a better world for trans people.
As someone who identifies more with advocacy, my goal with TransVitae.com is to provide information, resources, and a sense of community for transgender individuals navigating their journeys. But I will always stand beside the activists who are fighting the fight in more direct ways.
So, are you an activist? An advocate? Or a bit of both? No matter where you land, the most important thing is that you show up, do the work, and uplift the trans community in ways that feel authentic to you.
