I cant explore the biases of all of them in a blog post, but in the case of history in general, and something as contentious as Stonewall in particular, I encourage you to consult multiple sources and think critically about what theirsource is, what theyre saying and why. Marsha was born Malcolm Michaels in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1945. . She also began to perform as a drag queen initially going by the name "Black Marsha . One of Johnson's most notable direct actions occurred in August 1970, staging a sit-in protest at Weinstein Hall at New York University alongside fellow GLF members after administrators canceled a dance when they found out that it was sponsored by gay organizations. She is credited for being an instigator in the Stonewall riots. 580 plaques is nowhere near representative of the over 100 thousand who died in NYC from HIV/AIDS, but it still makes a far larger dent than the four (its important to acknowledge) White statues commemorating the Gay Liberation Movement inside Christopher Park in front of the Stonewall Inn. Photographed by Diana Davies. Birth Year: 1945, Birth date: August 24, 1945, Birth State: New Jersey, Birth City: Elizabeth, Birth Country: United States. A pair of women seated, two men standing, with nothing really explicitly gay about any of them. Marsha "Pay it No Mind" Johnson moved to Greenwich Village in 1963 with a high school diploma and $15 to her name. Johnson is often credited with throwing the first stone after. Though she never saw it, Marsha would have approved of the fact that the Village AIDS Memorial remembered so many AIDS victims by name. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. We can be as active and resilient as Marsha P. Johnson because our fights are far from over." Homeless, she turned to prostitution to survive and soon found a like-minded community in the bawdy nightlife of Christopher Street. They just dropped her. Johnson. This This article is about the foundation of STAR, and includes quotes from an interview Feinberg conducted in 1998 with Sylvia Rivera. Life Story: Marsha P. Johnson - Women & the American Story After completing high school in 1963, he moved to New York, New York. the hole in her head). Though we often glorify Marsha as one of the greatest civil rights leaders of the 20th century, and view through rose-colored glasses her glamorous role as muse to Andy Warhol, we also tend to white-wash her life and willfully forget that she was a prostitute that was often homeless. Find out more about the riots that started the Pride movement. Pride Month: Who was Marsha P. Johnson and why were they so - BBC She worked both as a waitress and a sex worker. Others said they saw Marsha being harassed by a group of "thugs" a few days before they died. My three main sources for this podcast were: For contemporary eye-witness accounts of Stonewall, you can read: Concerning Storm DeLarveries potential identity as theStonewall Lesbian, I referred to: Concerning Sylvia Riveras role in inciting the riots, I referred to: Concerning Marsha P. Johnsons role in inciting the riots, I referred to: James Gallagher, in Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson. To re-enable the tools or to convert back to English, click "view original" on the Google Translate toolbar. [22], After graduating from Edison High School (now the Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Academy) in Elizabeth in 1963, Johnson left home for New York City with $15 and a bag of clothes. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Resources Images of Marsha P. Johnson from Andy Warhols 1975 series Ladies and Gentlemen. Johnson was known for her immense generosity. Johnson also confirmed not being present at the Stonewall Inn when the rioting broke out, but instead had heard about it and went to get Sylvia Rivera who was at a park uptown sleeping on a bench to tell her about it. -Marsha P. Johnson. Johnson came out and said "my life has been built around sex and gay liberation, being a drag queen" and sex work. Primary sources like this reel-to-reel recording offer crucial insight into LGBTQ history in its historical complexity, providing a window into Johnson and Rivera's ideas about gender and sexuality and political vision at the dawn of gay liberation. She sought out new interviews with witnesses, friends, other activists, and police who had worked the case or had been on the force at the time of Johnson's death. This was the source of a lot of my information about the possible causes of Marshas death. This book talks about STAR in the context of other queer movements in New York at the time, including the GAA and GLF On p.36 youll find the list of STARs political goals which I referenced. And he said, 'You know, you might wind up with nothing.' Almost a year to the day before her untimely and tragic death, Marsha P. Johnson marched down Christopher Street in a parade headed towards the first interfaith AIDS memorial service in history at the Church of Saint Veronica. Happy birthday to drag queen and activist Marsha P Johnson, born 24 August 1945! Britannica does not review the converted text. [23][24] After Johnson began hanging out with the street hustlers near the Howard Johnson's at 6th Avenue and 8th Street, their life changed. She was seen dropping a very heavy object on top of a police car, among other actions. Marsha P. Johnson | stonewall50.sites.uiowa.edu - University of Iowa [78], According to Sylvia Rivera, their friend Bob Kohler believed Johnson had committed suicide due to an ever-increasing fragile state, which Rivera herself disputed, claiming she and Johnson had "made a pact" to "cross the 'River Jordan' (aka Hudson River) together". Video, County Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. And before that, for many years, legend had it that Marsha P. Johnson threw the first brick, but she said herself that by the time she arrived at the Stonewall on that first night, the party was already in full swing. black-and-white photo of Marsha P Johnson. Making Gay History, a queer oral history podcast run by Eric Marcus, includes an interview with Marsha and Randy Wicker, conducted in the late 1980s. That same decade, he himself became the first trans man to undergo a phalloplasty. 1945-1992 The fifth of seven children, Marsha was born Malcolm Michaels Jr. to Malcolm Michaels Sr. and Alberta (Claiborne) Michaels on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. [31] Johnson was tall, slender and often dressed in flowing robes and shiny dresses, red plastic high heels and bright wigs, which tended to draw attention. and 18% of those were based on violence perpetrated by police." "[71] "I believe [Jesus is] the only man I can truly trust. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. We hope you and your family enjoy the NEW Britannica Kids. Johnsons story is featured in Pay It No Mind: Marsha P. Johnson (2012) and The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017) and Happy Birthday, Marsha! Contact Us The Marsha P. Johnson Institute is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Good Fund, a California nonprofit corporation and registered 501(c)(3) organization, Tax ID (EIN) 46-1323531. PROTECT AND DEFEND THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF BLACK TRANS PEOPLE! Podcast unearths earliest known recordings of trans icons Marsha P This page also includes a transcript and a lot of links to further resources about Marsha and Randy. [13], Former New York politician Tom Duane fought to reopen the case, because "Usually when there is a death by suicide the person usually leaves a note. He's like the spirit that follows me around, you know, and helps me out in my hour of need. [48] On the first anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion, on June 28, 1970, Johnson marched in the first Gay Pride rally, then called the Christopher Street Liberation Day. [53], With Rivera, Johnson established STAR House, a shelter for homeless gay and trans youth in 1970,[54] and paid the rent for it with money they made themselves as sex workers. She was one of the demonstrators during the Stonewall riots in 1969, protesting against police harassment and social discrimination of gay and transgender individuals. "[15], In Pay it No Mind friends Bob Kohler and Agosto Machado talk about Johnson's relationship with Neptune. She is best remembered for her generosity and kindness, happily giving away her belongings, or spending her last two dollars on cookies to share around. [55] While the House was not focused on performance, Johnson was a "drag mother" of STAR House, in the longstanding tradition of "Houses" as chosen family in the Black and Latino LGBT community. To learn more about Marsha, check out our podcast! [20], Johnson initially used the moniker "Black Marsha" but later decided on the drag queen name "Marsha P. Johnson", getting Johnson from the restaurant Howard Johnson's on 42nd Street, stating that the P stood for "pay it no mind"[25] and used the phrase sarcastically when questioned about gender, saying "it stands for 'pay it no mind'". Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries by Leslie Feinberg (2006). If you listened to our podcast on drag queen and activist Marsha P. Johnson, and you want to learn more, heres a list of all the sources we used. Marsha P. Johnson was an African American drag performer and social activist. Terms and Conditions In 1963, Johnson graduated from Edison High School and promptly moved to New York City with $15 and a bag of clothing. She's said that the town had zero tolerance for LGBTQ people and as a woman assigned male at birth, she left as soon as she could. There is power speaking the names of victims aloud. She is wearing pearls and has her hair in an up-do decorated with flowers and feathers, Michael Dillon in his merchant navy uniform. And you know what? Check out our podcast to learn more about the wonderful Marsha P. Johnson! Marsha P. Johnson | National Women's History Museum Johnson variably identified as gay, as a transvestite, and as a queen (referring to drag queen or "street queen"). [44] During those moments when Johnson's violent side emerged, according to an acquaintance Robert Heide, Johnson could be aggressive and short-tempered and speak in a deeper voice and, as Malcolm, would "become a very nasty, vicious man, looking for fights". Johnson and Rivera were key players in the 1969 New York riots, which historians say ignited the modern LGBTQ rights movement. - Marsha P. Johnson Plaque #1: A gay rights activist since the 60's known to many as the Mayor of Christopher Street, Edward Francis Murphy is credited with organizing the celebrations that annually follows the NYC Gay Pride Parade, an event now rebranded as PrideFest that is observed world-wide. [11] On the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, the Stonewall uprising occurred. An eccentric woman known for her outlandish hats and glamorous jewelry, she was fearless and bold. Shed spend her meager earnings on meals for others and couldnt walk downtown without multiple people calling her name, wishing her well. It was an "unrelenting wave of attacks. It is reproduced with permission. Never without a flower in her hair, Marsha was also referred to as a saint, even the Patron Saint of the LGBTQ community. [53] Initially sentenced to 90 days in prison for the assault, Johnson's lawyer eventually convinced the judge that Bellevue Hospital would be more suitable. (2017). LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer. On June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street (the hub of the NYC Gay Community in the 1960s), things turned violent after a few LGBTQ people were arrested on questionable charges, handcuffed, and very publicly forced into police cars on the streets of NYC. It includes information and quotes from interviews with Marsha not found elsewhere. Marsha was a founder of STAR - the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries - which provided food, housing, legal aid, and other necessities to homeless trans youth. [40], While the photos of Johnson in dramatic, femme ensembles are the most well-known, there are also photos and film footage of Johnson dressed down in more daily wear of jeans and a flannel shirt and cap,[41] or in shorts and a tank top, and no wig, such as at the Christopher Street Liberation March in 1979,[42] or singing with the New York City Gay Men's Chorus at an AIDS memorial in the 1980s,[43] or marching in a protest in Greenwich Village in 1992. In her own words, during a fated interview just 11 days before her death, Marsha expressed: How many people have died for these two little statues to be put in a park to recognize gay people! Even though the Stonewall riots kick-started this wave of support for the LGBTQ+ community, there was still a lot of discrimination against them. If Stonewall and the fight for gay rights was the primary activist cause of the first half of Marshas life, the AIDS pandemic defined the latter half of her life. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Afeni Shakur. For instance, Rivera insisted on claiming transvestite solely for use by gay people, writing in the essay "Transvestites: Your Half Sisters and Half Brothers of the Revolution", "Transvestites are homosexual men and women who dress in clothes of the opposite sex. MPJI supports artists and . We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson: Listen to the Newly Unearthed She is credited for being an instigator in the Stonewall riots. Privacy Policy Marsha was memorably present at the Stonewall Riots in 1969 where any number of actions have been attributed to her legend - including shimmying up a lamppost to drop a heavy weight that shattered a police car's windshield. A neighbor also said Johnson would pray, prostrate on the floor in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary, in the church across from Randy Wicker's apartment (where Johnson lived in later years). Marsha's legacy lives on today in organisations such as the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which says it "protects and defends the human rights of BLACK transgender people". We do this by organizing, advocating, creating an intentional community to heal, developing transformative leadership, and promoting our collective power." The Marsha P. Johnson Institute is dedicated to supporting Black Trans communities. Marsha is one of many Black Trans women that have left a powerful stamp on history. Key moments of black history in the United States, Watch Newsround - signed and subtitled. VideoCounty Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. Initially and quickly ruled a suicide by the NYPD, controversy and protest followed, eventually leading to a re-opening of the case as a possible homicide. Johnson's mother also encouraged her child to find a "billionaire" boyfriend or husband to take care of (Johnson) for life, a goal Johnson often talked about. She is credited for being an instigator in the Stonewall riots. Activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were on the front lines of the fight for trans rights from as early as the 1960s when the movement was just beginning to gain traction. However, none of Johnson's friends or relatives believed Johnson was suicidal. Much like the recent Black Lives Matter marches in the United States, news of these protests spread around the world, inspiring others to join protests and rights groups to fight for equality. Finally, she decided shed make her own fun and started checking out the local scene. We intend to reclaim our relationship as BLACK trans people to our movement legacy. Who Is Trans TikTok Influencer Dylan Mulvaney? Marsha P. Johnson grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with her mother. They reclassified her death as drowning from undetermined causes, but the case remained unsolved. She was a leader in the LGBTQ community helping their youth that were struggling with homelessness and discrimination and hate. Johnson said she wasnt afraid of being arrested because shed spent the last 10 years going to jail simply for wearing makeup on 42nd street. ", "Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries found STAR House | Global Network of Sex Work Projects", "Marsha P. Johnson The Village AIDS Memorial", "Meet the Transgender Activist Fighting to Keep Marsha P. Johnson's Legacy Alive", Blacklips Performance Cult Chronology of Plays, "LGBT History Month Icon Of The Day: Marsha P. Johnson", "Mural of Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera vandalised with moustaches", "Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera Monuments Are Coming to NYC", "New York City to Honor Revolutionary Trans Activist Marsha P. Johnson With Monument", "Homo Riot, Suriani, The Dusty Rebel "Pay It No Mind", "National LGBTQ Wall of Honor unveiled at Stonewall Inn", "National LGBTQ Wall of Honor to be unveiled at historic Stonewall Inn", "Groups seek names for Stonewall 50 honor wall", "Marsha P. Johnson, late LGBTQ activist, to get monument in N.J. hometown", "Over 75,000 sign petition to have Marsha P. Johnson statue replace Columbus monument", "Mural honoring prominent New Jersey transgender rights activist vandalized in Elizabeth", "Mural of Marsha P. Johnson in NJ Vandalized During Pride", "Campaign underway to restore vandalized mural of transgender pioneer Marsha P. Johnson", "New York governor dedicates state park in memory of LGBTQ activist Marsha P. Johnson", "Brooklyn's East River State Park renamed in honor of late LGBTQ activist and trans icon Marsha P. Johnson", "Marsha P. Johnson Park to get new 'ornamental gateway' to cap off renovations, honor park's namesake", "Brooklyn's Marsha P. Johnson Park to get new 'ornamental' entrance", "Marsha P. Johnson: A transgender pioneer and activist who was a fixture of Greenwich Village street life", Photographs of Marsha P. Johnson by Diana Davies, Sylvia Rivera Reflects on the Spirit of Marsha P Johnson, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marsha_P._Johnson&oldid=1151258878, Johnson appears as a character in two fictional film dramas that are based on real events, including, A large, painted mural depicting Johnson and. When asked by the judge for an explanation for hustling, Johnson claimed to be trying to secure enough money for a tombstone for Johnson's husband. [75][76], Johnson's suspicious death occurred during a time when anti-LGBT violence was at a peak in New York City, including bias crime by police. [45] Carter, however, concluded that Robinson had given several different accounts of the night and in none of the accounts was Johnson's name brought up, possibly in fear that if he publicly credited the uprising to Johnson, then Johnson's well-known mental state and gender nonconforming, "could have been used effectively by the movement's opponents". "[14] In November 2012, activist Mariah Lopez succeeded in getting the New York police department to reopen the case as a possible homicide. Marsha P. Johnson was a well-known face in New York Citys Greenwich Village, where she lived on the street for many years. Marsha resisted arrest, but in the following days, led a series of protests and riots demanding rights for gay people. Marsha P. Johnson (August 24, 1945 - July 6, 1992), also known as Malcolm Michaels Jr., [3] [4] was an American gay liberation [6] [7] activist and self-identified drag queen. Her life has been celebrated in numerous books, documentaries and films. A feature photo of Johnson in this article shows Johnson in a flowing wig and makeup, and a translucent shirt, pants and parka highlighting the ways that, quoting Kate Millett's Sexual Politics, White says, "she is both masculine and feminine at once. That's what made me in New York, that's what made me in New Jersey, that's what made me in the world." On the second night, however, several eyewitness accounts had her climbing up a light post with a brick in her purse which she promptly let drop on a police squad car below, shattering the window. In February 2020, the Mayor of New York renamed the East River State Park in Brooklyn, The Marsha P. Johnson State Park and announced there will be a statue created in honour of Marsha, to be unveiled in 2021. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Its about an hour long and includes plenty of interview footage with Marsha herself - recorded in 1992, just weeks before her death - as well as with people who knew her. She graduated high school at 17, then fled to New York City, where she could finally start dressing how she wanted. Theres also a lot of material written by Sylvia Rivera, including about her relationship with Marsha and their work with STAR. Astrological. Marcus Mayer, one of the first people who noticed her corpse floating near the Christopher Street Pier, would go on the record to describe the horror they felt with the way the New York Police Department treated her remains: It was very nasty because the way they pulled her out. The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson - David France's 2017 documentary. Always sporting a smile, Johnson was an important advocate for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, those effected by H.I.V. Then ask: This documentary uses 1992 interview footage taken with Marsha just weeks before her death, as well as a lot of footage of people who knew her talking about her. If you listened to our podcast on the Stonewall Riots, and youre keen to learn more, heres a list of the sources that I used when researching the episode. So significant was the AIDS pandemic to her life, Marsha would often express her wish to journey across the river Jordan, helping AIDS patients all across America in the last years of her life. Marsha P. Johnson - Wikipedia Marsha P. Johnson was an African-American gay man and drag artist - someone who dresses extravagantly and performs as a woman - from New Jersey, whose activism in the 1960s and 70s had a huge. [45][37] Johnson denied starting the uprising. This is where we get a lot of first-hand information from Marsha and most of the quotes of hers which I mentioned in the episode. [5][15][16][17] Commenting on this upbringing, Johnson said, "I got married to Jesus Christ when I was sixteen years old, still in high school.

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