An ongoing KQED series spotlighting gender-diverse artists and activists is amplifying the story of Sandy Stone. Stone is a trans audio engineer whose career took off in the 1970s while working for rock 'n roll legends like Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead.
After transitioning, she opened a stereo repair shop in Santa Cruz and wrote a groundbreaking text on trans studies while earning her PhD at UC Santa Cruz in the 1980s. Thanks to the work of KQED journalist Nastia Voynovskaya, Stone's legacy is now reaching more people.
"She was able to dispel these myths that people believed about trans people at the time and kind of affirm that trans people could define their own experience," said Voynovskaya.
Stone persisted in the face of relentless discrimination and death threats, eventually becoming the first out trans woman to be honored by the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2024. Stone says being a young, queer, trans person is difficult no matter the time period—but just showing up is what matters.
"By the very existence of older trans people, you know we made it. You know it can be done. It's real, because we are here," said Stone.
Stone lives in Aptos and is currently the lead engineer at KSQD community radio station in Santa Cruz. Explore Voynovskaya's full story on the KQED website or through the California Report Magazine.
