Sisters in Arms: A Photo Gallery of Transfem Pride
by Pax Ahimsa Gethen
Trans women are actresses and activists, authors and filmmakers, musicians and legislators. From art to academia, the contributions of these women have been instrumental to the Pride movement in the United States. Combating police harassment at Compton’s and Stonewall in the 1960s and fighting the fascist disinformation of the 2020s, trans women have persevered in the face of violent oppression, radiating joy and power.
As a long-time resident of San Francisco, I have been privileged to meet and photograph many notable trans women. In honor of Pride Month, here is a selection of photos I’ve taken of these remarkable leaders appearing at Pride events in San Francisco.
Janetta Johnson with El/La Para TransLatinas
Janetta Johnson is a trans rights activist and prison abolitionist. She is the executive director of the TGI Justice Project, a nonprofit working to end human rights abuses against trans, intersex, and gender-variant people in prisons and detention centers. In 2017, Janetta co-founded The Transgender District in San Francisco with Honey Mahogany and Aria Sa’id, who I interviewed for Assigned Media in February. In this photo, Johnson speaks on stage at the 2016 San Francisco Trans March alongside members of El/La Para Translatinas, a San Francisco nonprofit providing services to trans Latinas.
Susan Stryker is a professor, historian, author, and filmmaker whose work focuses on gender and sexuality. She co-directed the 2005 documentary Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton's Cafeteria, about the 1966 uprising of trans women and drag queens against police harassment in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. In this photo, Susan speaks in the Transgender District at the 2017 Trans March, which ends near the location of the former cafeteria (now designated as a historic site).
Cecilia Chung and Ivory Aquino
Cecilia Chung is an activist for LGBTQ rights, HIV/AIDS awareness and social justice. Originally from Hong Kong, she has served as chairperson of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and as president of the San Francisco Pride board of directors. Chung was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.
Ivory Aquino is a Filipina-American actress. She portrayed Chung in the 2017 TV miniseries When We Rise, which documented the history of LGBTQ rights advocacy in the US. In this photo, Aquino appears with Chung and fellow When We Rise actress Emily Skeggs at the 2017 Trans March.
Raquel Willis is a writer, editor and trans rights activist. She has served as the executive editor of Out magazine, and as a national organizer for the Transgender Law Center. In 2025, Time magazine named Willis as a woman of the year, and as one of the 100 most influential people. In this photo, she speaks onstage at the 2017 Trans March.
Jennicet Gutiérrez is a trans Latina activist. She is a founding member and co-executive director of Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement. In 2015, she drew attention by interrupting Obama during a Pride reception at the White House, calling on him to “release all LGBTQ immigrants from detention and stop all deportations.” In this photo, she speaks onstage at the 2018 Trans March.
Our Lady J is a screenwriter, pianist and singer-songwriter. She was the first openly trans person hired to write for a Hollywood television production, and the first openly trans woman to perform at Carnegie Hall. She has received numerous awards and nominations for her writing for the TV series Transparent and Pose. In this photo, Our Lady J speaks onstage at the 2018 Trans March.
Zooey Zephyr is a member of the Montana House of Representatives, the first openly trans person elected to its state legislature. She has served as a representative since 2023, and has faced transphobia and expulsion from the House floor for speaking out against anti-LGBTQ bills. She is featured in the documentary Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr. Zephyr is married to journalist and trans activist Erin Reed. In this photo, she speaks at the 2023 People’s March in San Francisco.
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Jiggly Caliente was a Filipina-American entertainer and drag performer. She competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race and had a recurring role in the third season of the TV series Pose. She died in April 2025 at the age of 44, following a serious infection. In this photo, Jiggly Caliente performs at the 2023 Trans March.
Pax Ahimsa Gethen (they/them) is a queer agender writer, editor, and curator. They were named 2023 Media Contributor of the Year by Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales. All images licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.