Abstract
This article uses participant stories across four decades to historicize cultural shifts related to LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion within western North Carolina. In particular, I wish to introduce readers to social justice warrior Holly Boswell (born 1950), a transgender activist and movement influencer who moved to Asheville, North Carolina, in 1976. Holly Boswell co-designed the transgender symbol, created one of the longest running transgender support groups in the country, and pushed for gender neutral bathrooms in Asheville businesses long before HB2 (the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, commonly known as House Bill 2) attempted to mandate bathrooms by birth certificate data. Her scholarship shaped the language of the transgender liberation movement beyond gender binaries, and her advocacy facilitated a paradigm shift toward LGBTQ+ inclusion.
