A screening of the documentary film MAJOR! which explores the life and campaigns of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a formerly incarcerated Black transgender elder and activist who has been fighting for the rights of trans women of colour for over 40 years.

Miss Major is a veteran of the Stonewall Rebellion and a survivor of Attica State Prison, a former sex worker, an elder, and a community leader and human rights activist. She is simply “Mama” to many in her community. Her personal story and activism for transgender civil rights intersects LGBT struggles for justice and equality from the 1960s to today. At the center of her activism is her fierce advocacy for her girls, trans women of colour who have survived police brutality and incarceration in men’s jails and prisons.

The screening is followed by a community-centred dinner prioritising trans women of colour and a breathing exercise session led by House of Revlon’s Bam Bam and an informal conversation over a shared Ethiopian vegan meal, catered by Red Tent Ethiopia. The discussion will be facilitated by cultural producer and community organiser June Bellebono and will use the film as a starting point from which to share reflections and explore the ways we can apply the sisterhood in a UK context

Book your free ticket here

Event Organisers and Speakers

oestrogeneration is an online magazine platform highlighting the voices of trans women and transfeminine people in the UK. oestrogeneration was created as a direct response to transmisogyny in the media and out of a need for trans women to hold an independent space to own their narratives.

June Bellebono is a London-based cultural producer, writer, educator – but also a party girl, fashion enthusiast, and lover of friendships. June founded and runs oestrogeneration, an online magazine platform highlighting transfeminine voices in the UK. Their writing has featured in gal-dem, i-news, East Side Voices and Letters from the Grief Club anthologies.

June is the founder and host of Queer Good Grief, a peer support group by and for bereaved LGBTQ+ people, as well as a trainer for Good Night Out Campaign, a mentor for Spectra London, and facilitator for Remember and Resist. They have delivered talks for LGBT Foundation, Foundation FM, Shelter, The World Transformed, Decolonising Economics, Doc N’ Roll Film Fest, Dalston Superstore, English PEN and Free Books Fest.

Omar Jordan Phillips is a producer and movement artist interested in driving artistic work for social change. Omar quickly became a cornerstone of the London Ballroom Scene, where they are known as Bam Bam of the iconic House of Revlon. They have performed locally and internationally, facilitating workshops and curating events. Bam Bam believes in the power of Voguing as a form of social activism. They create work that explores identity and the deconstruction of learned ideas of gender, sexuality, desire, and race.

NB: MAJOR! is now available on Amazon Prime Instant Video and Vimeo Video on Demand for home use.

Check out this Study Guide for educators and community leaders who would like to learn more about the legacy of Miss Major’s work for trans advocacy and the abolition of the Prison Industrial Complex.