By Kanthan, Jahwan, & Maeji Gi
The world is often riddled with injustice and discrimination over race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or anything in between. There are always people who ridicule and criticize a group of people for the way that they live their lives. Society plays a major role in shaping the perspectives of people. A major conflict that is prominent everywhere is homophobia. However, just because society has a framework for everyone’s life, this does not mean that we cannot enact positive change. One particular figure that exemplifies that is Marsha P. Johnson.
Who was Marsha P. Johnson?
Marsha P. Johnson was a black, transgender woman and activist for gay liberation and AIDS awareness. She was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on August 24, 1945. Johnson was a major advocate for gay rights throughout America, but especially in New York during the 1980s to 1990s.
In her early childhood, Johnson often wore dresses up until the age of 5. She had undergone sexual assault as a young child because of how she dressed and was unable to fully express herself because her expressive choices did not conform to societal expectations. She struggled growing up due to her conservative Christian upbringing. Her own mother had even believed that being a homosexual was “lower than a dog.” Prior to moving to Greenwich Village, New York, Johnson did not believe that it was remotely possible for her to be gay until she encountered other gay people.
In the midst of fighting for her and many others’ gay rights, the eccentric and confident activist never faltered in showing off her bold fashion style which consisted of eye-catching hats and glamorous jewelry. Marsha even continues to embrace herself through her name when she adds the “P”. This initial represented how Marsha simply replied with “pay it no mind” whenever she was asked about her name, sexuality, or gender. As Johnson’s life progressed, she furthered her involvement in the LGBTQ+ community and wanted to help other members feel more open to expressing their true selves and developing their identities as they preferred. She became an inspiration for others because of the confidence and power she grew to represent.
What Were the Stonewall Riots?
The Stonewall Riots occurred at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich, New York run by the Genovese Crime Family. Itwas heavily funded by the Mafia, and was one of few gay bars in the area where members of the LGBTQ+ community could unite. The bar was not run with these intentions in mind however, and the Mafia were notorious for calling the police on their own bar. They did this to blackmail their customers by threatening to out them to their families and workplaces if they did not overpay for drinks. The constant exploitation that the bar’s patrons faced allowed the Mafia to go unchecked.
As time progressed, people grew intolerant of the constant exposure and lack of security. On June 28th, 1969, nine police officers walked into the Stonewall Inn early in the morning. As the police tried to arrest people for “crimes'' such as “soliciting homophobia” and “not wearing gender appropriate clothing”, people began to resist, marking the instigation of the riot. Hundreds of people rose up, and as the police locked themselves in, bar goers lit the Inn on fire. The riots lasted three days and ended on July 1st, 1969. Marsha P. Johnson is known as the woman who threw the first brick, but little did she know that the Stonewall riots would soon become a catalyst for the LGBTQ+ liberation movement.
What Organizations Was Johnson Involved In?
Although Marsha P. Johnson was constantly targeted and oppressed, she was able to fight through her struggles and successfully established the Pride movement. Johnson co-founded the gay and transvestite advocacy organization “Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries”, or S.T.A.R. for short, with Sylvia Rivera, another transgender woman and activist. The organization renovated a run down, four bedroom building, and created the S.T.A.R. House to provide housing for homeless queer sex workers and youth. Johnson and Rivera even snuck up to fifty homeless queer sex workers into their hotel rooms or apartments. This organization was funded mostly through queer sex workers, creating a liberating network to assist each other.
Johnson was also one of the leaders of the Gay Liberation Front, a movement known for seeking equality for all people, irregardless ofrace, sexuality, identity, gender, sex, or age. Johnson and other activists wanted to dissolve anti-queer laws—a radical idea that put their lives in constant danger. Johnson was also a member of the Gay Activists Alliance, which was formed shortly after the Stonewall riots. The organization AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, or ACT UP, was also heavily associated with Johnson. Since she was an AIDS and HIV activist, she stood with ACT UP at many protests.
Johnson's Death
On July 6, 1992, Johnson attended the New York Pride Parade, shortly after which she was found floating in the Hudson River off the West Village Piers, dead. Police initially ruled her death as a suicide, however, Johnson’s friends and other members of the community asserted that Johnson was not suicidal and had noted that the back of Johnson’s head had an enormous wound, a sign of blunt force trauma that could not have been self-inflicted. According to Sylvia Rivera, one of Johnson’s friends thought she had committed suicide because of her ever-increasing fragile state, which Rivera herself contested, claiming that Johnson and herself had “made a pact” to “cross” the Hudson River together. Many believed that while Johnson struggled with her mental health, this did not result in suicide.
Randy Wicker, a leading gay rights activist in New York City during the 1960s, then stated that Johnson could have possibly hallucinated and walked into the river, or may have jumped into the river to protect herself from harassers. Others claimed that they had seen a group of “thugs” who had also robbed people harassing Johnson. According to Wicker, a witness saw another neighborhood resident fighting with Johnson on July 4, 1992. The resident in the fight used a homophobic slur and later boasted to a man at the bar that he killed a drag queen named Marsha. The witness was unable to provide this information in an official statement to the police despite his attempts. Locals said later that law enforcement was uninterested in investigating Johnson’s death, claiming that the case was about a “gay black man” and thus a waste of time. Johnson was cremated and, following a funeral at their local church, Johnson’s loved ones spread her ashes over the river. The police acknowledged this and allowed Seventh Avenue to be closed while Johnson’s ashes were carried to the river.
Marsha’s Legacy
Although Johnson’s contributions to her cause were not acknowledged when she was alive, she is now getting some of the recognition she deserves. Without Johnson, there would be no Pride. Her and her peers allowed society to see their wrongdoings and helped create a better future for members of the LGBTQ+ community in America. Johnson continued to preserve and set an example while there was a target on her back.
It is important to recognize that Marsha P. Johnson’s life and the bigotry she faced did not end with her. Transgender women still have incredibly high rates of homicide due to hate crimes and suicide. They are alienated by many major institutions, including the recent controversy in the military. On top of that, black women face worse health outcomes, higher rates of poverty, and higher rates of deaths by homicide.
Marsha P. Johnson has certainly irrevocably changed the world, but the change cannot stop there. We must continue to protect minorities, especially our black and transgender Americans. Let this article be a reminder that we can and must do better.
Sources:
AAREG. “Marsha P. Johnson, LGBT Pioneer Born.” African American Registry, 2 May 2020, aaregistry.org/story/marsha-p-johnson-lgbt-pioneer-born/.
History.com Editors. “Stonewall Riots.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 31 May 2017, www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots.
Marcus, Eric. “Marsha P. Johnson & Randy Wicker.” Making Gay History, Making Gay History, 16 Mar. 2020, makinggayhistory.com/podcast/episode-11-johnson-wicker/.
“Marsha P. Johnson Institute.” Marsha P. Johnson Institute, marshap.org/.
Washington, KC. “Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992) •.” Black Past, 15 Aug. 2019, www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/marsha-p-johnson-1945-1992/.
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