Brooke Guinan

Brooke Guinean is an American firefighter and trans rights activist. She[note 1] is notable for being the first openly transgender member of the New York City Fire Department.

Career

Guinan joined the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) in 2008. She is a third-generation member of the organization preceded by her father, George V, who was a lieutenant, and her grandfather George IV, who was a captain.[2] In addition to firefighting, she has acted as the FDNY's LGBTQ outreach coordinator.[3]

Personal life

Guinan initially came out as a trans woman in 2011, before later coming out as non-binary.[2][4] She named herself Brooke after the character Brooke Davis from One Tree Hill.[2]

In 2017, Guinan served as a grand marshal of the 2017 NYC Pride March.[3][5][6] She was the first individual transgender public safety employee to be a grand marshal of the March.[3]

Media appearances

In 2014, Guinan participated in a campaign by the Vocal Organization for International Courage and Equality (V.O.I.C.E.), posing for a picture where she wore her fightfighter gear and a shirt reading "So Trans, So What?"[6][7][8]

Guinan is the subject of the 2016 documentary Woman on Fire directed by Julie Sokolow.[9][10][11] Sokolow was inspired to make the documentary after seeing Guinan's V.O.I.C.E. picture.[8]

She is featured in the 2024 graphic novel anthology Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans.[12][13]

References

  1. ↑ "Gender-Affirming Care: Beyond the Binary". www.plannedparenthood.org. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
  2. 1 2 3 College, Wagner (2015-02-25). "Village Voice cover story profiles alumna Brooke Guinan, 'New York's Bravest'". Alumni & Friends. Retrieved 2026-08-08.
  3. 1 2 3 Siegal, Gabriela (2017-06-26). "Transgender firefighter marches as NYC Pride Parade grand marshal | CNN". CNN. Retrieved 2026-08-08.
  4. ↑ "Gender-Affirming Care: Beyond the Binary". www.plannedparenthood.org. Retrieved 2026-08-23.
  5. ↑ "NYC Pride March: This year's Grand Marshals announced". NBC News. 2017-04-05. Retrieved 2026-08-08.
  6. 1 2 reporter, Hayley MillerSenior; HuffPost (2017-06-09). "NYC's First Transgender Firefighter Appointed Grand Marshal Of Pride March". HuffPost. Retrieved 2026-08-08.
  7. ↑ Reporter, Curtis M. WongSenior Culture; HuffPost (2017-09-27). "Two Generations Of Firefighters, A Father And Trans Daughter, Prove Love Can Trump Hate". HuffPost. Retrieved 2026-08-08.
  8. 1 2 "Documentary 'Woman on Fire' Chronicles Transgender New York City Firefighter's Story". University of Pittsburgh. 2017-09-15. Retrieved 2026-08-08. In 2014, Sokolow (A&S '09) saw an image of Brooke Guinan produced by the Vocal Organization for International Courage and Equality. Guinan was standing tall with her hands on her hips, wearing her firefighting helmet and a shirt that read "So Trans So What."
  9. ↑ Erbland, Kate; Kohn, Eric; Ehrlich, David; O'Falt, Chris; Greene, Steve; Winfrey, Graham (2016-11-09). "DOC NYC 2016: 13 Movies We Can't Wait to See at the Festival". IndieWire. Retrieved 2026-08-08.
  10. ↑ Moya, Samantha (2022-06-23). "A firefighter, a weightlifter and a classical music conductor: Three LGTBQ trailblazers share their stories". CBC News.
  11. ↑ "Woman on Fire". Frameline. Retrieved 2026-08-08.
  12. ↑ BECOMING WHO WE ARE | Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Reviews. 2024-04-20.
  13. ↑ Dark, Joan Zahra (2023-10-11). "EXCLUSIVE: Cover Reveal for 'Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans'". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 2026-08-08.

Notes

  1. ↑ Guinan uses both she/her and they/them pronouns, this article uses she/her for consistency [1]
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