- Born:
- August 24, 1945, Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.
- Found dead:
- July 6, 1992, New York City, New York
- Role In:
- Stonewall riots
Marsha P. Johnson
-
Who was Marsha P. Johnson?
Marsha P. Johnson (born August 24, 1945–found dead July 6, 1992) was a Black American drag queen and activist who advocated for gay and transgender communities. She was a key activist in the American gay rights movement and the Stonewall riots.
Johnson, along with Sylvia Rivera, pioneered the gay liberation and transgender rights movements and founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) after the Stonewall riots. In the 1980s, Johnson became an AIDS activist and joined ACT UP.
In July 1992, Johnson's body was discovered in New York City’s Hudson River. Although police ruled her death a suicide, the case was reopened in 2012 due to public pressure and reclassified as a drowning from undetermined causes.
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What is a drag queen?
A drag queen is typically a man who dresses in women’s clothing and performs for an audience, often in nightclubs and at Gay Pride events. Drag is a performance that exaggerates gender stereotypes and often involves elaborate costumes and makeup.
Marsha P. Johnson (1945–1992) was a Black American drag queen and activist dedicated to social justice for the gay and transgender community. Johnson, along with Sylvia Rivera, pioneered the gay liberation and transgender rights movements. Johnson was one of the leaders who united LGBTQIA+ patrons of the Stonewall Inn and revolted against police harassment.
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What is Marsha P. Johnson known for?
Marsha P. Johnson (1945–1992) was a Black American drag queen and activist who advocated for gay and transgender communities. Johnson was a key activist in the American gay rights movement and the Stonewall riots.
After the Stonewall riots, Johnson cofounded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with Sylvia Rivera in 1970, providing housing for LGBTQ youth living on the streets. In the 1980s, Johnson became an AIDS activist and joined ACT UP. Her body was found in New York City’s Hudson River in July 1992. The police ruled her death a suicide, but the case was later reopened and remains unsolved.
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What role did Marsha P. Johnson play in the Stonewall uprising?
Marsha P. Johnson, a Black American drag queen and activist, was a key figure in the Stonewall uprising of 1969, a defining moment in the gay rights movement. Johnson was present at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, during the protests against police harassment and social discrimination.
Although the popular myth that Johnson threw the first brick at Stonewall has been disproved, she was one of the leaders who united LGBTQIA+ patrons of Stonewall and revolted against police harassment. Following the riots, Johnson co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with Sylvia Rivera, providing housing and support for LGBTQ youth living on the streets.
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How did Marsha P. Johnson support the LGBTQ+ community?
Marsha P. Johnson, a Black American drag queen and activist, significantly supported the LGBTQ+ community through activism and dedication to social justice. As a key figure in the gay rights movement, she united LGBTQIA+ individuals during the 1969 Stonewall Riots, protesting police harassment and discrimination.
After the riots, Johnson co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with Sylvia Rivera in 1970, providing housing and support for LGBTQ youth. In the 1980s, Johnson became an AIDS activist with ACT UP, raising awareness about the AIDS epidemic. Her efforts and legacy are commemorated in documentaries and the renaming of a waterfront park in Brooklyn in 2020.
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How is Marsha P. Johnson remembered and honored today?
Marsha P. Johnson, a Black American drag queen and activist, is remembered and honored today for her dedication to social justice within the gay and transgender communities. As a pioneer of the gay rights movement, Johnson advocated for equal rights for the LGBTQ community.
Johnson is recognized as one of the leaders who united LGBTQIA+ patrons and revolted against police harassment at the Stonewall Inn. Following the Stonewall riots, Johnson cofounded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with Sylvia Rivera, providing housing and support for LGBTQ youth. In 2020, New York renamed a waterfront park in Brooklyn in Johnson's honor, and several documentaries celebrate her life and activism.
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Marsha P. Johnson (born August 24, 1945, Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.—found dead July 6, 1992, New York City, New York) was a Black American drag queen and activist who was dedicated to social justice for the gay and transgender communities. She was a pioneer of the gay rights movement in the late 1960s and spent the following two decades advocating for equal rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Johnson also took part in Gay Pride parades and events.
Johnson was assigned male at birth and began wearing girls’ clothing at a young age. However, after experiencing sexual assault at the hands of a 13-year-old boy, she temporarily stopped experimenting with feminine fashion.
After completing high school in 1963, she moved to New York City. There Johnson began frequenting bars and nightclubs dressed as a woman called “Black Marsha.” Johnson gradually cultivated a unique personality and style and eventually began calling herself Marsha P. Johnson. She stated that the middle initial stood for “pay it no mind,” a phrase she often used when questioned about her gender and lifestyle. Johnson became well known in the LGBTQ community for her colorful wigs (often crowned with flowers or artificial fruit), red heels, sparkly robes, and multiple strands of costume jewelry. For a while she performed with the drag group Hot Peaches. Johnson also earned money through participating in sex work, but she was often abused by clients and arrested on occasion.
Johnson began going to the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City, in the late 1960s. She was one of the demonstrators present during the Stonewall riots in 1969, protesting against police harassment and social discrimination of gay and transgender individuals. (A popular urban myth states that Johnson threw the first brick at Stonewall, though this has been disproved.) After the Stonewall riots, Johnson joined the Gay Liberation Front, which was a catalyst for the gay rights movement. In 1970 she cofounded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with fellow transgender rights activist Sylvia Rivera. The two worked for gay and transgender rights while also providing housing for LGBTQ youth living on the streets. Johnson and Rivera acted as house mothers, guiding and protecting queer youth. In the 1980s Johnson, who was HIV positive herself, became an AIDS activist and joined ACT UP, an organization formed to bring attention to the AIDS epidemic. She was noticed for her work and was even featured in a print series by American artist Andy Warhol.
Throughout her life Johnson suffered from mental illness and was in and out of psychiatric hospitals. Those who knew her described her as volatile and unpredictable. In July 1992 her body was found floating in New York City’s Hudson River. The police ruled her death a suicide, although friends and family cited a lack of evidence supporting that claim, arguing that though she had struggled with mental health, she had never expressed suicidal ideation. Additionally, she was found with a head wound. In 2012 the police, under renewed public pressure, reopened the case. They reclassified her death as a drowning from undetermined causes, but the case remains unsolved.
Several documentaries have been made celebrating Johnson’s life and activism. In 2020 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that a seven-acre (three-hectare) waterfront park in Brooklyn was being renamed for Johnson.