Complex sentence: Sylvia Rae Rivera (1951-2002) was a transgender activist and veteran of the Stonewall Riots-the protest against homophobic abuse that, in the minds of many, birthed the modern LGBT rights movement.
Split into simpler sentences: Sylvia Rae Rivera (1951-2002) was a transgender activist. She is often described as a veteran of the Stonewall Riots-the protest against homophobic abuse that, in the minds of many, birthed the modern LGBT rights movement.