Black Trans Leadership

Black trans and gender-nonconforming Washingtonians have shaped D.C.’s culture, arts, and advocacy for decades.

Rayceen Pendarvis

Queen of the Shameless Plug| Empress of Black Pride| LGBTQ+ Changemaker

Rayceen Pendarvis describes herself as the “Queen of The Shameless Plug, the Empress of Pride and The Goddess of DC.” For decades, Pendarvis has been a force in the District of Columbia. From the 1963 March on Washington, to Black Lives Matter Plaza in 2020, Rayceen’s dynamic presence has been a part of nearly every modern social and civil rights movement in Washington. Advisory Committee member for the Black LGBTQIA+ History Preservation project.

    Charles Comedy

    also known as Kip Turner Brice

    Kip arrived in the city in 1963 after serving in the Air Force, entering a thriving, but often hidden queer community shaped by drag shows, house networks, and the Academy Awards of Washington.
    Through his journey from a bartender at Georgetown Grill to hairstylist at Woodward & Lothrop, from Charlie Pride lip-synching “Crystal Chandeliers” to Academy president and Showstoppers performer, Kip witnessed and embodied the resilience, creativity, and camaraderie that defined Black and queer nightlife in the city. His story places the ballroom and drag traditions of D.C. not only as sites of spectacle and entertainment but also as spaces of kinship, identity, and survival during times of segregation, social change, and political upheaval.

      “I came to D.C. in 1963… I met a person by the name of Andre Lindsay, AKA Barbara MacNair… [who] asked me, ‘Have you ever been to a drag show?’ At the time I didn’t know what a drag show was…[When I went,] I was flabbergasted. Like I said, I had never seen a man dressed as a woman.”  – Charles Comedy Excerpt from 2004 Oral history interview with Charles Comedy (“Kip Turner Brice”) on first drag show at the Old Cairo Hotel, Rainbow History Project Digital Archives.

      SaVanna Wanzer

      Transgender Leader

      SaVanna helped establish in the early 2000s the Transgender Health Clinic at Whitman-Walker Health, a crucial step in expanding culturally competent care for the transgender community in D.C.  For many residents, this was the first time a major health institution in the city offered dedicated services that recognized and affirmed transgender identities

        Earline Budd

        Voice for Transgender Rights

        Earline Budd has long been a stalwart voice for transgender rights in Washington, D.C., rooted in both lived experience and decades of community service. Born in 1958 and raised in a deeply religious household, Budd transitioned by the age of 13 and navigated early rejection, family violence, and the streets before formally finding her path in activism.

           “Tyra’s death kind of set the stage for me today to be who I am.” – Earline Budd

          Tyra Hunter

          Transgender Woman and Activist

          On August 7, 1995, Tyra Hunter, a 24-year-old transgender woman, was injured in a traffic accident at 50th and C Streets SE. When emergency responders discovered she was trans, they used slurs and delayed treatment. She later died of her injuries. The case was widely condemned, and her mother successfully sued the city, winning millions in damages. As a result of Tyra’s wrongful death, D.C. implemented government-wide sensitivity training, marking a critical step toward accountability and justice for transgender residents. In 2006, the Tyra Hunter Drop-In Center at 1711 N. Capitol Street NE was opened in her honor.