Trans rights advocate and Stonewall veteran Victoria Cruz dies at 79

Victoria Cruz, a prominent transgender rights advocate and veteran of the Stonewall uprising, has died at the age of 79 following a battle with liver cancer.

Cruz was present at the Stonewall Inn during the 1969 uprising in New York City, an event widely regarded as a turning point in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Over subsequent decades, she became a widely respected elder within New York’s transgender community, known for her steady presence and commitment to others.

For 17 years, Cruz worked with the New York City Anti-Violence Project, supporting LGBTQ+ survivors of violence, discrimination and abuse. Drawing on her own experience of anti-trans workplace harassment and assault, she helped people navigate the legal system, connect with support services and rebuild their lives. Colleagues recalled that community members frequently asked specifically for “Miss Vicky,” relying on her empathy and lived experience, as reported by The New York Times.

Cruz played a central role in the 2017 documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, which followed her efforts to investigate Johnson’s 1992 death. In 2012, the US Department of Justice honoured her with the National Crime Victims’ Service Award for her advocacy on behalf of survivors.

In a 2022 interview for the Anti-Violence Project, Cruz explained her approach.

“If you have the empathy to help out people, that’s half the ordeal. Just having the empathy and letting them know that you’re there to help them, not to judge them.” Her influence endures through the many LGBTQ+ people whose lives she helped stabilise and protect.