But the final diary entry, dated 1994, was heartbreaking. Frankie had died of complications from HIV. The city was condemning buildings for “urban renewal.” And Eleanor had written: “They want us erased. So I’m putting us in the walls. Someday, someone who needs us will find us.”

Transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals have existed throughout history, often documented as "third genders" or through various cultural roles across the globe. However, the modern transgender movement emerged most visibly in the mid-20th century. Key figures like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera

Transgender individuals have been the primary architects of much of the language and aesthetics used in LGBTQ+ culture today.