Artists like Kim Petras (the first trans woman to hit #1 on the Billboard charts) and Arca are blurring the lines between pop, electronic, and avant-garde. In the punk/hardcore scene, trans bands like G.L.O.S.S. (Girls Living Outside Society’s Shit) created anthems of fury and joy that have been adopted by queer youth globally.

A small but vocal minority of lesbians, gays, and bisexuals argue that transgender issues are separate from sexual orientation issues. They claim that trans people are "erasing" lesbians by advocating for inclusive language (e.g., "people with uteruses" instead of "women") or by allowing trans women into women-only spaces like lesbian bars and sports leagues.

Rivera famously struggled for years to be included in mainstream gay liberation groups. At the 1973 Christopher Street Liberation Day rally, she was booed off stage while trying to speak about the imprisonment of trans women. "I have been beaten. I have had my nose broken. I have been thrown in jail," she shrieked. "You all tell me, 'Go away, we don’t want you.'"