In a world where transgender rights are stripped back more every day, Trans+ History Week is more important than ever. Looking back at trans stories through time shows the world that trans+ individuals have always been here; they have left (and continue to leave) a beautiful, lasting mark on our collective human story. And that’s something we will forever get behind!
Every year, the organisers of Trans+ History Week publish an educational workbook to shed light on some incredible transgender profiles from history. To mark this year’s event, we’ve picked out some of these stories for this blog. Here are three stories from trans+ history you should know about today.
Trans history is not new. It is global, powerful, and still shaping the present.
Miss Major Griffin-Gracy
Not only does Miss Major Griffin-Gracy’s legacy as a trans woman of colour include more than five decades of queer resistance, but she was also present during one of the most important milestones in LGBTQ+ history, the Stonewall Riots. Lest we forget that trans women, like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, played a leading role in the protests.
Born on Chicago’s South Side, Miss Major’s life experience with homelessness, police violence and imprisonment at Attica Prison, fuelled her to become a powerful advocate for incarcerated trans women. To many, she also played the role of “Mama Major,” helping girls discarded by society.
Her work in community services spanned food banks, direct community support for trans women, and healthcare during the AIDS epidemic. In the 00s, she became Executive Director of the Transgender Gender Variant & Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP), assisting transgender people who are at higher risk of violence in prison. Miss Major’s historical legacy is timeless: we protect each other, or none of us is free.
The mudoko dako from pre-colonial Uganda
There’s a common misconception that transgender individuals have only ever existed in the West; however, the trans+ community reach every corner of the world. In fact, countries that were part of the British Empire, like Uganda (previously Buganda), used to have many interpretations of sexualities and genders — before they were erased by colonialism.
One of these groups, the mudoko dako, could be found North of Lake Kyoga in the Lango region. Born male but “transformed into women,” the mudoko dako were recognised by the Lango as a distinct third gender. They lived as accepted women, dressing in female clothing, performing traditional women’s roles, and even simulating menstruation. So integrated into and accepted by the community were the mudoko dako that they could freely marry men; some were even welcomed by their husbands’ co-wives, fully integrating into Bugandan family life.
As well as the mudoko dako, there is another slice of pre-colonial LGBTQ+ history from this part of the world: King Mwanga II. Reigning from 1884 to 1888, the last independent King of Buganda is remembered for his resistance to British imperialism and for his multiple male lovers. The king’s rule ended in 1894, when the British Empire declared the country a British protectorate. In 1950, the Penal Code Act was created, criminalising ‘unnatural offences’, and in 2023, the Ugandan parliament passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA).
The ‘onabe’ in Japan
If you were to go back half a century to 1970s Tokyo, you might hear the words ‘okama’ and ‘onabe’. Now-outdated, these words were once used as slang for identities in the Japanese queer community; ‘okama’ referred to gay men and trans women, while ‘onabe’ was used to describe trans-masculine people, specifically female-to-male (FTM) transgender men, trans-masculine non-binary people, or (in some contexts) masc lesbians. It was the ‘onabe’ who were also associated with Japan’s entertainment industry, particularly as hosts who worked with straight female patrons.
In 1995, the documentary Shinjuku Boys was released, following three ‘onabe’ protagonists as they navigated both Tokyo’s nightlife industry and their transmasc identities. Three decades on, the outlook of Gaish, Kazuki, and Tatsu is just as relatable today. From the vast range of sexualities to the powerful non-conformity, this trans+ community is a perfect example of how transgender people have always been here, and always will be.
Celebrate Trans+ History Week with our complete trans range
Frequently Asked Questions About Trans+ History Week
When is Trans+ History Week?
Trans+ History Week takes place every year during the first full week of May. In 2026, it runs from 4–10 May and is anchored by Trans+ History Day on 6 May. The date marks the anniversary of the 1933 Nazi raid on the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft in Berlin, the world’s first clinic dedicated to sexual and gender diversity.
Who started Trans+ History Week?
Trans+ History Week was originally developed as a launchpad project by QueerAF before becoming its own Trans+ led nonprofit organisation, Trans+ History Week CIC. The initiative was created to celebrate trans, non-binary, gender-diverse, and intersex history while investing in trans+ creatives, education, and storytelling.
What is the purpose of Trans+ History Week?
Trans+ History Week exists to celebrate and share the long, global history of trans, non-binary, gender-diverse, and intersex people. Through educational resources, events, exhibitions, and creative storytelling, the week helps challenge historical erasure and reminds people that trans+ communities have always existed across cultures and throughout history.
Tilly Brogan
Tilly is a queer Freelance Copywriter based in Manchester. She balances her time between working with LGBTQ+ organisations and women’s rights charities - and people watching in various Manchester cafes. She is also a proud lesbian. You can read more of her work here.
0 comments