Back Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries AST Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries Spanish Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries French Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries Portuguese
 Sylvia Rivera standing in front of a STAR banner in 1970 | |
| Abbreviation | STAR |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1970 |
| Founders | |
| Dissolved | 1973 (reformed 2000–2002) |
| Purpose |
|
| Headquarters | STAR House 213 East 2nd Street New York, New York 10009 US |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 40°43′18″N 73°58′59″W / 40.721743°N 73.983125°W |
| Affiliations | |
Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) was an organization founded by Stonewall veterans Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson in the wake of the Weinstein Hall occupation to advocate for LGBTQ rights. Taking influence from contemporary gay advocacy groups such as the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) and the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), as well as from revolutionary nationalist groups like the Black Panther Party, STAR advocated for bodily autonomy, in addition to free clothing, education, food, healthcare, housing, and transportation. It also condemned transphobic abuse and discrimination, both in and out of the LGBTQ community.
In 1970, STAR founded STAR House in the East Village, Manhattan. The house, which was open from November 1970 to July 1971, provided food and shelter for transgender[a] youth. During that time, STAR also advocated for prison reform and worked with various organizations, including the GAA, the GLF, and the Mattachine Society to support LGBTQ rights. After the closure of STAR House, STAR participated in discussions regarding the New York City Gay Rights Bill proposed by the GAA in 1970, attending several hearings about the bill to advocate for the inclusion of transgender rights.
STAR's activity began to decline in 1972. According to Rivera, the group "died" in 1973 after attempts to exclude transgender people during the Christopher Street Liberation Day rally that year.[2] However, it was temporarily revived in 2000 after the murder of Amanda Milan. STAR has been commemorated in museum exhibits and documentaries. Academic Benjamin Shepard credits STAR as "[America]'s first trans political organization".[3] Others, such as Stephan Cohen and Abram J. Lewis, argue that STAR prefigured later developments in queer theory and transgender activism.
- ^ Cohen 2008, p. 94.
- ^ Rivera 2002, p. 53.
- ^ Shepard 2002, p. 158.
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