transgender people were largely closeted and silent, while gay men and lesbians often waged war against each other about gender differences and political priorities. It was during the AIDS crisis that homophobia swelled in America, and the sexual and gender minorities realized that cooperation was in their best interest. Out magazine writer Michael Musto recalls this: “In 1987, when I went to my first meeting of ACT UP [an AIDS activist group] . . . I was amazed to see a room without gender barriers. The