A longer version of this article was published in Before Stonewall: Activists for Gay and Lesbian Rights in Historical Context, edited by Vern L. Bullough (2002).

Something special is taking center stage in Wilton Manors — and so is one of country music’s fastest-rising stars.

As a 58-year-old transgender woman of color, I feel incredibly fortunate to have reached this age. I've faced immense injustices, including employment and housing discrimination, and medical disparities that led to dangerous black-market injections. I've survived three violent physical attacks.

Trump has ordered more deadly bombings of small fishing boats, killing everyone onboard, this time off the coast of Colombia. More strikes were announced on Oct. 24, killing six more people and bringing the number of fatalities among people Trump calls “narco-terrorists” to 43.

On a humid South Florida evening, the neon glow of Wilton Drive spills onto the pavement like a rainbow river. Music thumps from open-air bars, drag queens greet tourists with hugs, and couples stroll hand-in-hand beneath palm trees at times wrapped in Pride flags. Welcome to Wilton Manors — a two-square-mile city that has quietly become one of America’s most vibrant LGBTQ plus capitals.

Last month, Trump signed an Executive Order formally designating “antifa” a domestic terrorist organization. Vowing to unleash the full might of unrestrained federal firepower against its members, organizers and funders, Trump declared, “Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law.”