When trans rights became a national political battleground, some cisgender gay and lesbian people were hesitant to fight for trans-inclusive bathroom access, fearing it would jeopardize their hard-won corporate sponsorships. This led to a fracture. Trans activists had to remind the community that the same arguments used against them ("predators in bathrooms") were used against gay men during the Anita Bryant era.

Transgender people have existed throughout history, though the specific term "transgender" only gained widespread recognition in the 1960s. Before the 20th century, individuals often lived outside of traditional gender norms in secret or faced severe legal and social persecution.