Ali Forney (1975-1997)

Ali Forney, sometimes known as "Luscious," was a young, gender-nonconforming person of color who survived homelessness on the streets of New York and became an advocate and peer counselor for other homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina and raised in Brooklyn, Forney was rejected by family as a teenager, moved through group and foster placements, and did survival sex work. Forney spoke out about the violence facing young trans and gender-nonconforming people. In December 1997, Forney was shot and killed in Harlem at age 22; the case was never solved. In 2002, Carl Siciliano named the Ali Forney Center in Forney's memory. It is now one of the nation's largest organizations serving homeless LGBTQ+ youth.