Film Screening and Discussion | MAJOR!

In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, join the Gender+ Justice Initiative and partners for a screening of the 2016 documentary MAJOR!

In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, join us for a screening of the 2016 documentary MAJOR!, which chronicles the life and activism of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a formerly incarcerated Black transgender elder who spent more than 40 years fighting for the rights of trans women of color. The screening marks the film’s tenth anniversary and celebrates Miss Major’s enduring legacy following her passing last year. 

The screening will be followed by a discussion with Alex Brostoff, Assistant Professor of English and Women’s and Gender Studies, and Joseph Celestin, an undergraduate student in the College of Arts & Sciences at Georgetown University.  

About Miss Major: 

Miss Major was 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 was simply “Mama” to many in her community. Her life and work were deeply intertwined with broader LGBTQ+ struggles for justice and equality from the 1960s onward. At the center of her activism was her fierce advocacy for ‘her girls,’ trans women of color who have survived police brutality and incarceration in men’s jails and prisons.

Watch the trailer here.

About the Speakers: 

Alex Brostoff (they/them) is Assistant Professor of English and Women’s and Gender Studies at Georgetown University, where they are Affiliated Faculty in Global and Comparative Literature and the Center for Latin American Studies. Their first book, The Autotheory Effect: Hemispheric Encounters with the Grammar of Relation, is forthcoming with Columbia University Press in 2027. 

Joseph Celestino (he/him/his) is a Sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences double majoring in Government and American Studies with a minor in Music. Joseph is from Burlington, New Jersey and is Co-Vice President of Club Filipino, a member of the a cappella group the Phantoms, and a member of law, policy, and government fraternity Kappa Alpha Pi. Joseph is also extremely excited to represent the LGBTQ Resource Center at Georgetown University as one of the student interns. Joseph enjoys singing and reading in his free time, along with exploring the D.C. area.

Hosted by Georgetown University:

Gender+ Justice Initiative, Women’s & Gender Studies , Women’s Center, LGBTQ Resource Center, and Culture and Politics Program