Legacy Spotlight: Marsha P. Johnson
LGBTQ+ Activist & Icon
Rainbow pride flag displayed from a city building.
Today, August 24th of 2024, would be Marsha P. Johnson’s 79th birthday if she were still alive. To commemorate her birthday, we’re reflecting on the life and legacy of a larger-than-life personality and iconic individual.
The P. in Johnson’s name stood for ‘Pay it no mind’: her response when someone inquired about her gender.
If you’ve ever celebrated ‘Pride’ in June, you partially have Marsha to thank for that!
Marsha P. Johnson's Legacy, At A Glance: Helped ignite the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, and thus, the modern Gay Rights Movement
Marched in the first-ever Gay Pride Parade and acted in the Gay Liberation Front
Supported Sylvia Rivera in founding STAR, an activist group that provided housing for trans and gender non-conforming youth experiencing homelessness
Pushed back against transphobia from gay and lesbian groups in the early 70’s
Marsha P. Johnson: Activist & Icon
To say that Marsha P. Johnson was an activist is almost an understatement.
Most famously, she is known for her presence at The Stonewall Rebellion.
The Stonewall Rebellion (also called Stonewall Riots) was a series of spontaneous direct actions in response to police brutality on June 28, 1969, and spanned six days. Police violently raided a gay bar (as they often did then), but this time, the patrons fought back. There’s differing mythology surrounding exactly how everything started after the police invaded (who threw the first brick, the first punch, or said just the right thing to set it all off), and whether Johnson truly was one of the first to get involved.
Regardless, her presence and undenied participation (to any extent) cemented her as an influential figure in the movement for gay rights. She walked in the marches commemorating the anniversary of the events, then called Christopher Street Liberation Day, which would eventually give birth to the current Gay Pride Parade that is celebrated throughout the country. In New York City, the parade is always the last weekend of the month, close to the anniversary.
Marsha P. Johnson was also a member of the Gay Liberation Front, ACT Up, and co-founder of STAR. STAR (Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries) was a street activist organization she co-founded with Sylvia Rivera to provide shelter to trans and gender non-conforming youths experiencing homelessness. It was short-lived but was one of the first outreach programs of its kind to cater to trans youth.
Today, Marsha P. Johnson is an icon. Images and artwork of her likeness adorn the New York City Pride Parade and a statue of her stands in Christopher Park.
She was known to wear bright colors (she loved purple) and a crown of fresh flowers on her head. Nowadays, people describe her as a Black, transgender woman, but the word ‘transgender’ did not become popularized until after her death. Regardless, she existed outside of the binary of man or woman and called out exclusionist policies in certain gay and lesbian groups.
Marsha P. Johnson’s Legacy
Marsha P. Johnson’s legacy, much like her identity and personhood, is one of intersectionality, great pain and hope, and joyous resistance.
She made herself visible, and because of her visibility, generations of people following her have someone to look to as evidence of gay/black/transgender- joy and resistance. We can be moved by her story, inspired by her work, and learn from her actions.
Where she saw a need for change, she would work with others to try to make that change by joining existing groups or collectively establishing a new one.
When you look around your community, where do you see a need for change? Have you ever thought that your legacy might include improving the lives of others or a commitment to community?
“You never completely have your rights, one person, until you all have your rights.”
More about Marsha P. Johnson:
Youtube Video:
Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson
Netflix Documentary:
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
1970 Interview of Marsha P. Johnson & Sylvia Rivera, discovered in 2019 (YouTube):
Bonus: From the Vault: Sylvia Rivera & Marsha P. Johnson, 1970
