International Imperial Court and National LGBTQ Task Force To Induct Trans Icons Into The Stonewall "Wall Of Honor"

The following is a press release from EDGE OUTreach partner National LGBTQ Task Force.

The International Imperial Court Council and the National LGBTQ Task Force will induct seven trailblazing individuals into The National LGBTQ Wall of Honor at the historic Stonewall Inn on June 26, 2025, in celebration of Pride Month.

This year's ceremony is especially significant, as all honorees are transgender advocates recognized for their enduring impact and leadership at a time when the trans community faces escalating attacks and erasure. The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited, and RSVP is required.

Registration details for the public can be found HERE

The National LGBTQ Wall of Honor, located inside the Stonewall Inn
– site of the pivotal 1969 uprising and part of the Stonewall National Monument – posthumously celebrates LGBTQ pioneers, activists, artists, and leaders who have shaped the movement for equality and liberation. Since its dedication in 2019, the Wall has honored a diverse array of changemakers: Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Audre Lorde, Harvey Milk, and many more.

"This year's focus on transgender trailblazers and changemakers underscores the importance of recognizing our history and the current climate for our trans siblings," said Cathy Renna, Communications Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force. "As we continue to fiercely battle against attacks on our trans and nonbinary communities, we are honored to uplift their legacies.

"Their courage inspires our ongoing fight for liberation, both within the Task Force family and across every queer advocacy organization," Renna added.

Nicole Murray Ramirez, Founder of the Wall of Honor, City Commissioner in San Diego, and Queen Mother of the Americas, Titular Head of The Imperial Court System, emphasized, "A community – indeed, a movement – that does not know where it came from or whose shoulders it stands on does not really know where it's going.

"In these times, when there are radical and extreme campaigns trying to erase our transgender community, the Imperial Courts and Task Force are reminding us all that transgender people have not only always been here, but have also been some of our community's most dedicated activists and leaders"

This year's inductees are:

Ruddy Martinez: "Mami Ruddys" was the matriarch of Puerto Rico's LGBTQIA+ community, was a pioneering drag artist, activist and trans woman who, since the 1980s, opened her home to nurture, shelter, and empower young queer people rejected by their families. Education and care in her home were fundamental, making her a beloved figure and steadfast advocate for the island's LGBTQIA+ youth.

Chili Pepper is best known for her 80s appearances on talk shows like Phil Donahue and Oprah Winfrey to discuss life as a trans woman and debunking harmful stereotypes about the trans and queer community at-large. She was also a fierce activist, largely revered for her AIDS awareness activism.

Lynn Conway was an electrical engineer, computer scientist and transgender activist who blended both science and equality together as a trailblazing innovator and activist. While facing discrimination as a transgender woman in the STEM field, she created a simplified method of microchips design and co-developed the Very Large-Scale Integration design.

Alan L. Hart, a physicist, novelist and writer is considered one of the very first people to receive gender affirming surgery and identify and live as a man. Hart moved to Oregon and attended medical school after the typhoid epidemic in 1912 and earn high honors in each school department and contributed to tuberculosis research.

Jiggly Caliente: Bianca Castro-Arabejo, formerly known as Jiggly Caliente died at 44 on April 27, 2025. The Filipino-American drag queen rose to acclaimed fame in season four of RuPaul's Drag Race and also starring in sixth season of RuPaul's All Star. She served as a resident judge of Drag Race Philippines and starred in FX Pose's Veronica Ferocity.

The Lady Chablis: also known as The Doll or The Grand Empress, is a famous transgender performer, actress and entertainer. The performer's first strike of fame was in her self-portrayal in Midnight in John Berendt's The Garden of Good and Evil, a nonfiction book turned film that highlights the underground nightlife of Savannah, Georgia through the eyes of antiques collector and dealer Jim Williams. The Lady Chablis was also featured in the film's press run, as she won over audiences with her authentic representation as a Black trans woman in entertainment, media, film, through her lovable charisma and vibrant spirit.

Sam Nordquist was a Black trans man that was tortured for nearly three months before being found dead in Hopewell, NY in February 2025. After numerous attempts to report Nordquist missing for two months, Nordquist's mother filed a report to local police in Canandaigua, NY in February. By then, seven people had tortured, abused, and assaulted Nordquist from December to February. His death mobilized the community and amplified the ongoing epidemic of violence in the trans community.

This year's induction comes amid a surge of anti-trans legislation at both federal and local levels, threatening to further marginalize trans and nonbinary people and restrict access to life-saving gender-affirming care. Honoring these recent transcestors is also a tribute to foundational icons like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who were central to the Stonewall uprising and the broader LGBTQ rights movement.

The Wall of Honor was inaugurated in 2019 with 50 names to mark the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. Each year, additional honorees are added, joining a living memorial of LGBTQ legends such as Leslie Jordan, Gloria Allen, and Terrence McNally.