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Trigger Warning: Sexual Harassment, Hate Crime, Mention of Suicide
Happy pride month to all of our LGBTQ+ readers! In celebration of pride month, HERVoice will highlight the person who has done a lot for LGBTQ+ rights, Marsha P. Johnson.
The Early Life of Marsha P. Johnson
In 1945, Marsha was born into an African-American Christian family. Born in a male body, she always knew she was a woman as young as five years old. Despite her upbringing, it never stopped her from exploring her gender identity by cross-dressing. However, she stopped as her peers often harassed her. Before transitioning, she knew that her sexuality did not align with society's view and can only dream that she could be in a relationship with a man.
Her Drag Queen and Journey of Transitioning
After graduating high school, Marsha moved from her hometown, New Jersey, to Greenwich Village in New York with only $15 on her name. Throughout her life as a black trans woman in the big apple, Marsha has a hard time making ends meet, hence she became homeless and found herself working as a prostitute to survive.
Marsha resonates with femininity and explored her gender identity through the art of drag. She initially picked the name “Marsha P. Johnson” as her drag queen stage name but later stick with it her entire life. The “P” stood for “pay no mind to it” which referred to her answer when people questioned her gender identity, and “Johnson” referred to a restaurant located in her area. During her time, being transgender was not often recognized and used as an identity, hence she refers to herself as gay and a (drag) queen.
With the exposure through the NYC-based drag theatre, Hot Peaches, Marsha P. Johnson earned her superstar drag queen stardom by singing and performing as a member of the theatre. Her style of drag was minimalist compared to her high-drag colleagues due to the financial issues that she was experiencing. However, the crowd still loves her, her freshly-made flower hats, and her versatility. Her performances are often comedic and more often than not political.
However, excluding sex work, her life in New York is not always glamour and stage performance. As a black transgender woman, Marsha experienced oppression and violence, unlike her other white cis-gendered and/or straight peers as racism and homophobia were still very much alive and breathing. She was always pictured as violent and angry by her peers due to the amount of stress and depression as a result of the oppression she experienced.
Marsha P. Johnson at an NYC Gay Parade photographed by Dr. Ron Simmons, 1982 - National Museum of African American History & Culture
Stonewall Uprising
Stonewall Inn is one of the first and most well-known gay men's bars in New York City. The bar was exclusively for gay men until they allow women and drag queens to enter the bar in the late 60s. Marsha was one of the first drag queens to enter Stonewall Inn.
On the 28th of June 1969, an abundance of LGBTQ+ people was hate-crimed, assaulted, and arrested by the police, despite the police being unprovoked and the victims being unarmed. The LGBTQ+ community has always been targeted by the authorities with charges that did not make any sense.
According to eyewitnesses, Marsha was one of the first instigators of the uprising. The LGBTQ+ community, including her, had enough of the treatment they got from the police, authorities, and society. Hence, the uprising, known better as the Stonewall Riot, happened. The event happened for a couple of days, including marching for LGBTQ+ rights and protesting against discrimination and violence towards the community.
Marsha P. Johnson at Christopher Street Liberation, 1976 - National Museum of African American History & Culture
Life After Stonewall
After the Stonewall Uprising, Marsha continued to inspire and fight in the world of activism. She fought for LGBTQ+ rights and AIDS/HIV awareness. She and her friend, Sylvia Rivera, started and co-founded an LGBTQ+ organization called Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries or known as STAR House. Their organization helps to provide shelter for homeless gay and transgender people.
Marsha’s Tragic End
After the Gay Pride Parade of ‘92, Marsha was found deceased in the Hudson River off the West Village Piers. The police concluded that she committed suicide despite her closest friends stating that she was never suicidal. The autopsy later revealed that she had a bruise behind her head and was believed that it was the result of violence and abuse. Victoria Cruz, the New York City Anti-Violence advocate, brought light to this issue and Marsha’s case was re-opened in 2017.
The LGBTQ+ community was not always parades and rainbows. It was discrimination and violence, and it’s still a reality for some. It is important to include everyone, especially transwomen, in any kind of advocacy. Despite the oppression and violence towards them, people like Marsha P. Johnson would risk their lives to be at the front of the line to lead the fight for equality.
Without Marsha, the Stonewall Inn would not become one of the historic places for LGBTQ+ rights. Thanks to Marsha, a black transgender woman, the gay liberation movement gave a wider path for more new LGBTQ+ movements in the United States to thrive.
Marsha P. Johnson photographed by Andy Warhol, 1975
Sources:
Washington, K. (2019). Marsha P. Johnson (1945 - 1992). Blackpast.org. Retrieved from https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/marsha-p-johnson-1945-1992/
Worthen, M. (2017). Marsha P. Johnson Biography. Biography.com. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/activist/marsha-p-johnson
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