Renee Richards is an ophthalmologist and former professional tennis player who famously brought a case to the New York Supreme Court in 1977 in order to fight for her eligibility to participate in the US Open as a woman.

She was referred for her gender affirming care by Harry Benjamin, who wrote The Transsexual Phenomenon. It was her public outing that forced Renee to fight for her right to play tennis in court, as the USTA intended to enforce problematic ‘testing’ to ‘verify players’ sex.’ Her win in the Supreme Court was groundbreaking.

Though not admittedly an activist, she wanted “to prove that transsexuals as well as other persons fighting social stigmas can hold their heads up high.”