Sandy Stone, the first trans person inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in the United States

On March 5, Sandy Stone made history by becoming the first openly trans woman to be inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. The event was described by Stone as “super emotional” and “emotionally charged.” In an interview with PinkNews, she highlighted the importance of being able to “say something that can mean something to a lot of people.”

Despite the celebratory moment, Sandy acknowledged the difficult reality faced by many trans people. “Here I am on stage celebrating, while there are people being persecuted and killed for being trans, living in perpetual fear,” she said. In her speech, Sandy balanced the celebration with a message of support for trans people who face persecution and rejection.

Sandy asked her trans “sisters” who “feel lost in a vast and hostile world” to “speak as if they were speaking [com] their community”, ensuring that the community will find them.

Sandy Stone is an academic, media theorist, author, and artist with roots in Olivia Records, a legendary queer music collective and important feminist organization of the 1970s. Her prominent role has made her a target of anti-trans activists, such as lesbian feminist Janice Raymond, author of The Transsexual Empire. In the book, Raymond questioned the legitimacy of transgender identity, claiming that it was an attempt to “colonize feminist identification, culture, politics, and sexuality.”

By Ezatamentchy