Leigh Davids was born on 25 March 1979 in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. She was a transgender woman, and a prominent activist, who focused on the rights of black transgender sex workers. She was a sex worker for 26 years and was still active in the industry at the time of her death. Davids worked for various organisations, including SWEAT (Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce), Gender Dynamix, and the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition (SRJC).