Transgender equality has been thrust into the national spotlight following Caitlyn Jenner’s big reveal, but the people who have been in this fight for over four decades have one question: what took so long? While the name Caitlyn Jenner has become synonymous with transgender visibility, the name Sylvia Rivera would draw blank stares from the majority of Americans. Retro Report brings us the history of transgender America, from the Stonewall Inn riots to Caitlyn Jenner.

“Transgender teens and adults say they routinely endure discrimination in employment, housing, access to public bathrooms, and government willingness to acknowledge their gender status in official documents,” the Retro Report narrator explains. “While momentum may now be on the upswing, the movement that began almost half a century ago still has a lot of obstacles to overcome."

Gay and lesbian rights in the United States have come a long way since the Stonewall Inn Riots back in 1969. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about transgender rights. According to the Youth Suicide Prevention Program, more than 50 percent of Transgender youth will attempt suicide at least once by their 20th birthday. As Lourdes Ashley Hunter, executive director for Trans Women of Color Collective explained, “The priority is not marriage.”