To fully understand transgender integration into LGBTQ+ culture, one must distinguish between gender identity and sexual orientation. Sexual orientation concerns whom a person is attracted to (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual). Gender identity concerns a person’s internal, deeply felt sense of being male, female, a blend of both, or neither (e.g., transgender, non-binary, agender).

The modern transgender rights movement has its roots in the 1950s and 1960s, when trans individuals like Christine Jorgensen and Marsha P. Johnson began to speak publicly about their experiences. However, it wasn't until the 1990s that the transgender community began to gain more visibility and momentum. The 1992 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, for example, included a significant presence of transgender activists.

Transgender women of color experience disproportionately high rates of violence.