June 4, 2025 · Season 1 · Episode 7
Sylvia, Marsha, and STAR
40 Min, 39 Sec · By The Dot Femme Podcast
“We hustle so they don’t have to.”
In this episode of Dot Femme, Dany Gonzalez and Claire Michelle travel to New York City, circa 1973, to uncover the revolutionary (and short-lived) history of the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, better known as STAR.
Founded by best friends Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, STAR was more than just a name — it was a movement, a shelter, a protest, and a declaration that queer people living at the margins would no longer be left behind. We dive into their fight for survival, their defiance of exclusion within the gay liberation movement, and that unforgettable 1973 speech Sylvia delivered when the revolution tried to move on without her.
You’ll also hear about how language, identity, and power collided in the early 70s — before “transgender” was in our vocabulary — and how STAR’s radical vision continues to inspire liberation movements today.
🔗 Historical Resources
🎙️ Sylvia Rivera’s 1973 speech – archive.org/details/sylvia-rivera-yall-better-quiet-down-1978
📜 The STAR Manifesto – digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/fj236244p
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Music by Master Planned Music.
Other Episodes you might enjoy:
Episode 2 – Magnus Hirschfield