In 1968, drag performer and trans woman Crystal LaBeija had a small appearance in the movie The Queen, which documented a New York City drag queen pageant. After losing to a  white drag queen, Crystal confronted a judge who had the audacity to say, "You're showing your color" -- a horribly racist term that was popular back then. 

Crystal LaBeija responded with, "I have a right to show my color -- I'm beautiful and I know I'm beautiful!" Watch above.

Octavia St. Laurent pioneered the ballroom scene -- a subculture encompassing dance, family, fashion and competition -- and was featured in the 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning. In 1993, St. Laurent had a response to people who have an issue with trans people, which is still relevant today, "I am here and nothing can push me aside, nothing can change what goes on in this world -- this world is for me too, honey." 

If you are a fan of TS Madison, you know her quotes and one-liners are legendary. However, it doesn't get any bigger than your voice and words being used in a Beyonce song. On the Bey track "Cozy," Madison is heard saying, "I'm dark brown, dark skin, light skin, beige -- fluorescent beige, b**ch, I'm Black!"

See the original video above.

Dominique Jackson is best known as Elektra Abundance in the hit FX series Pose. In 2019, she spoke at the 23rd annual Human Rights Campaign and broke down the word "tolerate," "You will not tell me that you accept me. You will not tell me that you tolerate me. That is not your power. I take that from you. You will respect me for who I am."

• Earlier this month, Tiq Milan was a panelist at the Black and Transgender in America Town Hall for SiriusXM, hosted by Clay Cane and Reecie Colbert. In response to conservatives who argue transgender people threaten children, Milan held nothing back: "We don't want your raggedy ass kids!"

In 2018, actor Marquise Vilsón opened up about his journey as a transman, beautifully saying, "Whoever you say you are that day, just be that person. Whatever that looks like for you, go with it and surround yourself, at least, with people that are going to be open to that and supportive of that as you're going through those changes."

In 2017, a trans woman named Eyricka Thompson was reportedly brutally assaulted in a New York correctional facility. Kelly Harrison, who is a mother-figure to Thompson, spoke out in a powerful video that went viral, "My daughter was brutally beat by officers. I have seen it done to other transgenders in jail."

See the emotional video above. 

In 2022, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez made history by becoming the first transgender actress to win a Golden Globe for best actress in a television series. However, the ceremony was not televised that year. In an IG Live video, Rodriguez said, "This is for the LGBTQAI, Black, Latina, Asian, the many multi beautiful colors of the rainbow around the freaking world. This not just for me, this is for y'all."

In 2016, model and singer Laith Ashley appeared in the reality series Strut. In an emotional scene, he discussed with his deeply religious mother, who did not support him being a transman. Through tears, Ashely said, "I don't think anyone else can tell me who I am. Even though I know that, there is that need to please other people, especially my family."

It was an extremely vulnerable moment, see the clip above.

Tre'vell Anderson, author of  We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film, said in a segment for Logo30, which honors trailblazers in the queer community,  "I'm most interested in ensuring people that who live and look and love and exist like me have as much space and opportunity to do that."