“You never completely have your rights, one person, until you all have your rights.”
- Name: Marsha. P. Johnson
- Born: August 24, 1945
- Died: July 6, 1992 (Age 46)
- From: Elizabeth, NJ, USA
- Pronouns: She/her
- Contribution/Impact: Marsha P. Johnson is well known for her activism in the LGBTQ+ movement. Her most well-known work was through the Stonewall Uprising when NYC police used violence to force 200 people out of a gay bar called the Stonewall Inn. She resisted arrest and helped lead multiple protests and riots demanding their rights. She also helped create STAR with her friend Sylvia to help trans youths and non-binary people. She performed drag shows that had comedic tones and were used for political commentary.
- Occupation: Drag queen, Performer, Activist
- Known For: Not much footage can be found of Johnson’s performances online, but there are clips and audio on various videos and websites: Hot Peaches, “You Gotta Have Soul!”, Frameline Voices – Pay it no Mind
- (Posthumous) Awards: Google celebrated Marsha P. Johnson with a Google Doodle on June 30, 2020; Inducted on the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor within the Stonewall National Monument; East River State Park in Brooklyn renamed in Johnson’s honor
- Interesting Facts: She often told people that the P. in her name stood for “Pay it no mind” when others questioned her on her gender.
Marsha P. Johnson was the youngest of a family with six children. She left her hometown to NYC when she was just 17 to explore her identity. This was where she started her career in drag and started off with the name of Black Marsha before settling on Marsha P. Johnson. In her time, they faced a lot of discrimination outside and even within the LGBT community. One example being that, the organizers of the Pride Parade banned STAR, the organization her and Sylvia Rivera created for trans and non-binary people, from attending. Although, Martha lived a life of poverty, she was very generous and helped those in need which gave her the nicknames, “Saint Martha” and “Saint of Christopher Street.”
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