According to Susan Stryker, a professor of human gender and sexuality studies at the University of Arizona, Johnson's gender expression could perhaps most accurately be called gender non-conforming; Johnson never self-identified with the term transgender, but the term was also not in broad use while Johnson was alive. By 1966, she was waiting tables, engaging in sex work, and living on the streets of the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. In June 2019, Johnson was one of the inaugural fifty American "pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes" inducted on the, On August 24, 2020, the 75th anniversary of Johnson's birth, the, This page was last edited on 22 April 2023, at 22:09. across the USA. This book includes an essay by Glenn Ligon on Warhols portrait of Marsha, and the issues of race and class which are tied up with that. [45] When this happened, Johnson would often get in fights and wind up hospitalized and sedated, and friends would have to organize and raise money to bail Johnson out of jail or try to secure release from places like Bellevue. Rivera, Sylvia, "Transvestites: Your Half Sisters and Half Brothers of the Revolution" in, Shepard, Benjamin Heim and Ronald Hayduk (2002). Throughout her life Johnson suffered from mental illness and was in and out of psychiatric hospitals. Johnson designed all of her own costumes (mostly from thrift shops). 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. AGender Variance Whos Who provides a short biography of Marsha, as well as a list of further readings, and links to a video of a panel discussion with several people who knew Marsha. They also maintained the STAR House, a place of refuge for LGBTQ homeless youth. [62] Johnson was one of the activists who had been drawing attention to this epidemic of violence against the community, participating in marches and other activism to demand justice for victims, and an inquiry into how to stop the violence. These cookies do not store any personal information. Marsha is honored as a Stonewall instigator, a drag queen, an Andy Warhol model, an actress and a revolutionary trans activist. Database on-line. Select from a curated set Primary Source Sets - Each set collects primary sources on a specific frequently-taught topic, along with historical background information and teaching ideas. Never without a flower in her hair, Marsha was also referred to as a saint, even the Patron Saint of the LGBTQ community. [30] Johnson received leftover flowers after sleeping under tables used for sorting flowers in the Flower District of Manhattan, and was known for wearing crowns of fresh flowers. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. In a 1992 interview, Johnson described being the young victim of rape by a thirteen-year-old boy. After the funeral, a series of demonstrations and marches to the police precinct took place, to demand justice for Johnson. Astrological Sign: Virgo, Death Year: 1992, Death date: July 6, 1992, Death State: New York, Death City: New York City, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Marsha P. Johnson Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/activists/marsha-p-johnson, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: September 9, 2022, Original Published Date: December 14, 2017. 20072023 Blackpast.org. (A drag queen is a man who dresses as a woman to entertain others.) On July 6, 1992, her body was found floating in New York Citys Hudson River. 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. We are lucky enough to have a fair bit of other video and audio featuring Marsha or people who knew her: Randy Wickers Youtube channelhas a whole lot of videos about US queer history, including some of or about Marsha. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. [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. Johnson commented, "How many people have died for these two little statues to be put in the park to recognize gay people? Michaels' father, Malcolm Michaels Sr., was an assembly line worker at General Motors, while Michaels' mother, Alberta Claiborne, was a housekeeper. Video, County Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. Marsha P. Johnson was a well-known face in New York Citys Greenwich Village, where she lived on the street for many years. Plaque #1: A gay rights activist since the 60s 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. She graduated high school at 17, then fled to New York City, where she could finally start dressing how she wanted. Check out our podcast to learn more about the wonderful Marsha P. Johnson! Born in 1945 in New Jersey, Marsha P. Johnson was an outspoken African American trans rights/gay rights/AIDS activist, sex worker, and drag queen during the late 20th century. While I recommend some of these sources for the information they contain, I dont condone this decision. [74][13], Several people came forward to say they had seen Johnson harassed by a group of "thugs" who had also robbed people. The Uprising spawned the first gay pride marches across the country in 1970. .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. [32] Johnson sang and performed as a member of J. Camicias' international, NYC-based, drag performance troupe, Hot Peaches, from 1972 through to shows in the 1990s. The NYPD further desecrated her memory when they pronounced her death a suicide, completely disregarding the evidence of foul play (i.e. But many friends argued this ruling at the time, saying attacks on gay and trans people were common. As an African American trans woman, Johnson has consistently been overlooked both as a participant in the Stonewall uprising and more generally, LGBTQ activism. Two years later on July 6, 1994, Johnson was found drowned in the Hudson River off the West Village Piers. Queer history podcast covering content from around the world and throughout time. Provo, UT, US: Ancestry.com". The two of them became a visible presence at gay liberation marches and other radical political actions. Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again (2018). June is Pride Month, where people all over the world come together to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and raise awareness for inequalities that still stand today. Marsha P. Johnson was a woman before her time. 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. Careers It was incredibly useful in putting together our podcast on Marsha, and well worth a look. 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. July 6, 1992 Place of Burial: Cremated Cemetery Name: Ashes scattered in the Hudson River Marsha P. Johnson grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with her mother. Marsha was assigned male at birth, but described herself as living life as a woman, and worked tirelessly to support her trans community. We were young enough to believe we could change the world. [79] Those who were close to Johnson considered the death suspicious; many claimed that while Johnson did struggle mentally, this did not manifest itself as suicidal ideation. She quickly became a prominent fixture in the LGBTQ community serving as a drag mother by helping homeless and struggling LGBTQ youth and touring the world as a successful drag queen with the Hot Peaches. "Marsha is the crowned mother of queer protest and LGBTQ resilience and resistance," said creator Yoav Wachs. This book was the source of a lot of my information about Marshas relationship with Sylvia Rivera; about Marsha and Sylvias experiences in gay activism; and about STAR. Johnson was known for her immense generosity. And you know what? 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. A few other online sources which I used or mentioned were: The 2018 New York Times obituary of Marshawhich was created as part of their Overlooked series. 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. How many years does it take for people to see that we're all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race? Sources:Goodin, Cal. LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer. 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. Despite this, following the events at Stonewall, Johnson and her friend .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Sylvia Rivera co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) and they became fixtures in the community, especially in their commitment to helping homeless transgender youth. That summer Saturday, their anger reached a breaking point after the police returned to Stonewall Inn for the second time in two days. 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. He's like the spirit that follows me around, you know, and helps me out in my hour of need. One person you may have heard about in recent days is Marsha P. Johnson. It largely focusses on where I also want to add that just because I referenced these sources doesnt mean I agree with everything they say. "[62] In response, marches were organized, and Johnson was one of the activists who marched in the streets, demanding justice.
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