Marsha P. Johnson: The black transgender woman who was key in the Stonewall uprising

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Marsha P. Johnson

was a pioneer, LGBTQ+ activist , drag queen, and performer. She was a prominent figure in the Stonewall uprising of 1969, a movement that changed history by demanding equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community. She was a beacon of light for the transgender community.

Marsha was widely popular among the LGBTQ+ community. She modeled for Andy Warhol, performed as a drag queen, and was also a prominent AIDS activist.

According to the Legacy Project, Marsha and Sylvia Rivera co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.), one of the first transgender rights organizations in the U.S.

Both Marsh and Sylvia were instrumental for the creation of the international LGBTQ+ rights movement, which was born on June 28, 1969, during the Stonewall uprising . On that day, activists protested and were subsequently attacked by the police outside the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York. This is also why Pride Month is celebrated in June.

During the Stonewall uprising, Marsha P. Johnson resisted arrest and was said to be the first to throw a brick against police officers .

Another account explains that when the police entered the bar, Marsha threw a shot glass into a mirror and said “I got my civil rights !,” which some said sparked the uprising.

When the police entered the bar to arrest employees and clients, they followed a New York law that established that if a person wasn’t wearing at least three clothing items that corresponded to their biological sex, they could be arrested and taken into custody.

After a series of similar raids, the LGBTQ+ community decided it was enough and voiced their anger. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica , “Accustomed to more passive behavior, even from larger gay groups, the policemen called for reinforcements and barricaded themselves inside the bar while some 400 people rioted. The police barricade was repeatedly breached, and the bar was set on fire.”

The uprising against police harassment and discrimination lasted another five days. The Stonewall movement became a symbol of resistance for the LGBTQ+ community and resulted in the start of a political movement and the creation of several organizations who keep fighting for equal rights .

In 1999, U.S. authorities declared the Stonewall Inn as a historical place and in 2016, President Obama designated the site of the Stonewall uprising as a national monument.

After the 1992 New York Pride Parade, Marsha's body was found in the Hudson River. Authorities claimed she committed suicide; however, friends and family have contested the claims. Years later, the investigation was reopened and the cause of death remains unknown.

In 2017, Netflix released a documentary titled The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson .