Over 162 people arrested. This article is about the foundation of STAR, and includes quotes from an interview Feinberg conducted in 1998 with Sylvia Rivera. Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries by Leslie Feinberg (2006). Primary sources like this reel-to-reel recording offer crucial insight into LGBTQ history in its historical complexity, providing a window into Johnson and Rivera's ideas about gender and sexuality and political vision at the dawn of gay liberation. In the 1980s Johnson became an AIDS activist and joined ACT UP, an organization formed to bring attention to the AIDS epidemic. For more information specifically on STAR, Id encourage you to check out: Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries: Survival, Revolt, and Queer Antagonist Struggle. our podcast on drag queen and activist Marsha P. Johnson, Activist Dick Leitschs account, written September 1969, Articles by journalists Howard Smith and Lucien Truscott, written July 1969, Letter written by Edmund White, June/July 1969, Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson. Contact Us Notes:[1] Marsha's body was recovered from the Hudson River. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Initially and quickly ruled a suicide by the NYPD, controversy and protest followed, eventually leading to a re-opening of the case as a possible homicide. Take a minute to check out all the enhancements! By 1966, she was waiting tables, engaging in sex work, and living on the streets of the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. She engaged in cross-dressing behavior at an early age but was quickly reprimanded. Johnson is often credited with throwing the first brick at Stonewall. The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson - David Frances 2017 documentary. While I recommend some of these sources for the information they contain, I dont condone this decision. As I mentioned in the podcast, there has been significant controversy surrounding this documentary, and theres plenty of information about that online. [6] In 1973, Johnson and Rivera were banned from participating in the gay pride parade by the gay and lesbian committee who were administering the event stating they "weren't gonna allow drag queens" at their marches claiming they were "giving them a bad name". (1945-92). I also mentioned some statistics on the current realities of violence and homelessness for trans people in the USA today, especially trans women of colour. [11] The riots reportedly started at around 1:20 that morning after Storm DeLarverie fought back against the police officer who attempted to arrest her that night. [31] Johnson was tall, slender and often dressed in flowing robes and shiny dresses, red plastic high heels and bright wigs, which tended to draw attention. This book talks about STAR in the context of other queer movements in New York at the time, including the GAA and GLF On p.36 youll find the list of STARs political goals which I referenced. ), alongside close friend Sylvia Rivera. Improved homework resources designed to support a variety of curriculum subjects and standards. Some books which include general information on Marsha are: Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution by David Carter (2010). In honour of their upcoming 50th anniversary, well be talking about the Stonewall Riots. Provo, UT, US: Ancestry.com". The NYPD further desecrated her memory when they pronounced her death a suicide, completely disregarding the evidence of foul play (i.e. It was incredibly useful in putting together our podcast on Marsha, and well worth a look. And you know what? Have students read the statement silently or out loud as a class. [82] Some of her work to find justice for Johnson was filmed by David France for the 2017 documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P. Who Is Trans TikTok Influencer Dylan Mulvaney? After completing high school in 1963, he moved to New York, New York. Astrological. All this- her devotions and her deeds- leads one to wonder if Marsha P. Johnson really was take your pick: a holy person, a saint, the patron saint of the LGBTQ Community, or the Jesus of Sheridan Square. These cookies do not store any personal information. If you want to know my source for a particular fact or quote, feel free to send us a message! Andy Warhol featured her in a 1975 screen print portfolio of drag queens and transgender merrymakers at the nightclub, Gilded Grape. She was tragically found dead on July 6, 1992 at the age of 46. She is wearing pearls and has her hair in an up-do decorated with flowers and feathers, Michael Dillon in his merchant navy uniform. According to Johnson, the police had forced her and others out onto the street to line up and be frisked the night before and then returned the next night and set the Stonewall Inn on fire. [11] On the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, the Stonewall uprising occurred. 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. "[73], Near the time of Johnson's death in 1992, Randy Wicker said Johnson was increasingly sick and in a fragile state. Johnson began going to the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City, in the late 1960s. How many years [does it take] for people to realize we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race.. Marcus Mayer, one of the first people who noticed her corpse floating near the Christopher Street Pier, would go on the record to describe the horror they felt with the way the New York Police Department treated her remains: It was very nasty because the way they pulled her out. Marsha P. Johnsons housemate Randy Wicker in Pay It No Mind. [39], In David France's documentary, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, Johnson is seen participating in a 1980s memorial service and action for those who've died of AIDS, along with members of the Gay Men's Health Crisis. How Nan Goldin Waged War Against Big Pharma, How the Greensboro Four Began the Sit-In Movement, Biography: You Need to Know: Bayard Rustin, Biography: You Need to Know: Sylvia Rivera, Biography: You Need to Know: Dorothy Pittman Hughes. Marsha was born Malcolm Michaels in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1945. . [59] According to Bob Kohler, Johnson would walk naked up Christopher Street and be taken away for two or three months to be treated with chlorpromazine, an antipsychotic medication. "[63], Johnson remained devoutly religious in later life, often lighting candles and praying at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hoboken,[64] saying in 1992: "I practice the Catholic religion because the Catholic religion is part of the Santera of the saints, which says that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. [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 flagrant disregard for the life of someone who was Black and queer caused outrage in the community at the time, in an early echo of the type of purpose that powers the Black Lives Matter Movement. In 2019, the head of New York's Police Department apologised for their actions, saying, "the actions taken by the NYPD were wrong". Best Known For: Marsha P. Johnson was an African American transgender woman and revolutionary LGBTQ rights activist. Civic Engagement and Primary Sources Through Key Moments in History. [81], In December 2002, a police investigation resulted in reclassification of Johnson's cause of death from "suicide" to "undetermined". 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. She suffered from mental illness, weathering breakdowns, arrests, and stints at psychiatric hospitals even as she strove to promote gay civil rights. [72] Agosto Machado continues, "She was making offerings of flowers and change to King Neptune as an appeasement to help her friends who are on the other side. Read about our approach to external linking. Watch It", "Here I am marching with Jon Jon and Miss Marsha one sunny Gay Day. This 2012 article is about the reopening of the investigation into Marshas death. And we were all like, Oh my God! They just dropped her. Much of Marsha's life was dedicated to helping others, despite suffering several mental health issues. [6], Johnson's body was found floating in the Hudson River in 1992. Women & the American Story: Marsha P. Johnson, Transgender Activist Watch on This video was created by the New-York Historical Society Teen Leaders in collaboration with the Untold project. The Gay Liberation Youth Movement in New York: An Army of Lovers Cannot Fail by Stephen Cohen (2007). Weve been busy, working hard to bring you new features and an updated design. [35] In 1973, Johnson performed the role of "The Gypsy Queen" in the Angels' production, "The Enchanted Miracle", about the Comet Kohoutek. Theres also a lot of material written by Sylvia Rivera, including about her relationship with Marsha and their work with STAR. This is where we get a lot of first-hand information from Marsha and most of the quotes of hers which I mentioned in the episode. But you can send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap. Check out our podcast to learn more about the wonderful Marsha P. Johnson! LGBTQ people were routinely rousted, hassled, and arrested on questionable charges. Johnson is often credited with throwing the first stone after. Images of Marsha P. Johnson from Andy Warhols 1975 series Ladies and Gentlemen. ", "Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries found STAR House | Global Network of Sex Work Projects", "Marsha P. Johnson The Village AIDS Memorial", "Meet the Transgender Activist Fighting to Keep Marsha P. Johnson's Legacy Alive", Blacklips Performance Cult Chronology of Plays, "LGBT History Month Icon Of The Day: Marsha P. Johnson", "Mural of Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera vandalised with moustaches", "Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera Monuments Are Coming to NYC", "New York City to Honor Revolutionary Trans Activist Marsha P. Johnson With Monument", "Homo Riot, Suriani, The Dusty Rebel "Pay It No Mind", "National LGBTQ Wall of Honor unveiled at Stonewall Inn", "National LGBTQ Wall of Honor to be unveiled at historic Stonewall Inn", "Groups seek names for Stonewall 50 honor wall", "Marsha P. Johnson, late LGBTQ activist, to get monument in N.J. hometown", "Over 75,000 sign petition to have Marsha P. Johnson statue replace Columbus monument", "Mural honoring prominent New Jersey transgender rights activist vandalized in Elizabeth", "Mural of Marsha P. Johnson in NJ Vandalized During Pride", "Campaign underway to restore vandalized mural of transgender pioneer Marsha P. Johnson", "New York governor dedicates state park in memory of LGBTQ activist Marsha P. Johnson", "Brooklyn's East River State Park renamed in honor of late LGBTQ activist and trans icon Marsha P. Johnson", "Marsha P. Johnson Park to get new 'ornamental gateway' to cap off renovations, honor park's namesake", "Brooklyn's Marsha P. Johnson Park to get new 'ornamental' entrance", "Marsha P. Johnson: A transgender pioneer and activist who was a fixture of Greenwich Village street life", Photographs of Marsha P. Johnson by Diana Davies, Sylvia Rivera Reflects on the Spirit of Marsha P Johnson, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marsha_P._Johnson&oldid=1151258878, Johnson appears as a character in two fictional film dramas that are based on real events, including, A large, painted mural depicting Johnson and. Marsha P. Johnson (Source: USA Today / Originally Netflix . "I've been involved in gay liberation ever since it first started in 1969", 15:20 into the interview, Johnson is quoted as saying this. We're not around right now. She made intricate outfits out of garbage, modeled for Andy Warhol and wrote poetry. During that same interview conducted 11 days before her death, we get evidence that Marsha would have also liked that the Village AIDS Memorial was inside the sanctuary of a Roman Catholic Church. This would be amongst the last activist causes in the life of a person whose voice changed the world. But many friends argued this ruling at the time, saying attacks on gay and trans people were common. Her devotions were so ardently sincere that, on several occasions, eyewitnesses place her laying prostate on the floor of Catholic Churches around six in the morning and facing away from the altar because she considered it inappropriate to look directly upon, what she believed, was the holy habitation of the Lord. The riot stemmed from members of New Yorks LGBTQ community being targeted by the New York Police Department (NYPD). A new, third level of content, designed specially to meet the advanced needs of the sophisticated scholar. [55], By 1966, Johnson lived on the streets[2] and engaged in survival sex. Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Academy, same-sex marriage was illegal in the United States, "Marsha P. Johnson, a Transgender Pioneer and Activist The New York Times", "Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries", "Two Transgender Activists Are Getting a Monument in New York", "Making Gay History: Episode 11 Johnson & Wicker", "DA reopens unsolved 1992 case involving the 'saint of gay life', "The Death of Marsha P. Johnson and the Quest for Closure", A queer history of the United States for young people, "The inspiring life of activist and drag queen Marsha P. Johnson - A passionate advocate for gay rights, Marsha was an instrumental figure in the Stonewall uprising", "#LGBTQ: Doc Film, "The Death & Life of Marsha P. Johnson" Debuts At Tribeca Film Fest The WOW Report", "Feature Doc 'Pay It No Mind: The Life & Times of Marsha P. Johnson' Released Online. When she got to Stonewall, she encountered shouting, fire and chaos. The same safe and trusted content for explorers of all ages. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. [45] In the 1979 Village Voice article, "The Drag of Politics", by Steven Watson, and further elaborated upon by Stonewall historian Carter, it had perhaps been for this reason that other activists had been reluctant at first to credit Johnson for helping to spark the gay liberation movement of the early 1970s. [33][34] When The Cockettes, a similar drag troupe from San Francisco, formed an East Coast troupe, The Angels of Light, Johnson was also asked to perform with them. In 1987, Johnson recalled arriving at around "2:00 [that morning]", that "the riots had already started" by that time and that the Stonewall building "was on fire" after police set it on fire. The witness said that when he tried to tell police what he had seen his story was ignored. Marsha's legacy lives on today in organisations such as the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which says it "protects and defends the human rights of BLACK transgender people". Marsha P. Johnson grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with her mother. [26] Johnson said the phrase once to a judge, who was amused by it, leading to Johnson's release. The police forced over 200 people out of the bar and onto the streets, and then used excessive violence against them. For a while she performed with the drag group Hot Peaches. .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. A neighbor also said Johnson would pray, prostrate on the floor in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary, in the church across from Randy Wicker's apartment (where Johnson lived in later years). The LGBTQ community was fed up with being targeted by the police and seeing these public arrests incited rioting that spilled over into the neighboring streets and lasted several days. She chose Johnson because she enjoyed hanging out at the popular eatery, Howard Johnsons. Marsha P. Johnson Sylvia Rivera Historical Events Black Cat Raid, Los Angeles, California, 1967 Black Night Brawl, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 5, 1961 Compton's Cafeteria Raid, San Francisco, 1966 Coopers Do-Nut Raid, Los Angeles 1959 Pepper Hill Club Raid, Baltimore, Maryland in 1955. Marsha P. Johnson (August 24, 1945 - July 6, 1992), also known as Malcolm Michaels Jr., [3] [4] was an American gay liberation [6] [7] activist and self-identified drag queen. They just dropped her right on the floor. 20072023 Blackpast.org. Marsha P. Johnson was an African American drag performer and social activist. [38] Johnson, who was also HIV positive,[39] became an AIDS activist and appeared in The Hot Peaches production The Heat in 1990, singing the song "Love" while wearing an ACT UP, "Silence = Death" button. I mean how many years does it take for people to see that we're all in this rat race together. In the same year, Johnson and Rivera founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), which clothed, fed, housed, and advocated for transgender youth from a tenement on the lower eastside. By continuing to use this site, you consent to the terms of our cookie policy, which can be found in our. Marsha is honored as a Stonewall instigator, a drag queen, an Andy Warhol model, an actress and a revolutionary trans activist. STAR provided services including shelter (the first was a trailer truck) to homeless LGBTQ people in New York City, Chicago, California and England for a few years in the early 1970s but eventually disbanded. David Carter conducted many of his own interviews for this book. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. And I said, Honey, I don't care if I never have nothing ever till the day I die. Marsha picketing Bellevue Hospital to protest their treatment of queer people c.1970, holding a sign reading Power to the people. [13] Other locals stated later that law enforcement was not interested in investigating Johnson's death, stating that the case was about a "gay black man" and wanting little to do with it at the time. Andrew Cuomo dedicated a seven-acre waterfront park in Brooklyn to Marsha P. Johnson, the first state park dedicated to an LGBTQ historic figure and a transgender woman of color. [75][76], Johnson's suspicious death occurred during a time when anti-LGBT violence was at a peak in New York City, including bias crime by police. Considering the proximity that the Church of Saint Veronica has to the Stonewall Inn, its important to recognize that it was Trans, non-binary, and Queer People of Color who initiated and led the uprising that began on June 28, 1969, and that lasted throughout the following six days and nights, ultimately sparking the birth of the Gay Liberation Movement. Marsha P. Johnson. Video, County Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. She has since become a prominent face for the Queer Revolution. [41], In 1992, George Segal's sculpture, Gay Liberation was moved to Christopher Park as part of the new Gay Liberation Monument. 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. Britannica does not review the converted text. Twenty-five years later, Victoria Cruz, a crime victim advocate of the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) re-opened the case. Two years later on July 6, 1994, Johnson was found drowned in the Hudson River off the West Village Piers. In June 1969, when Marsha was 23 years old, police raided a gay bar in New York called The Stonewall Inn. Marsha P. Johnson was one of the most prominent figures of the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s in New York City. 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. "[77] This added to the suspicions of foul play and possible murder. [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. "[15], Johnson first began wearing dresses at the age of five but stopped temporarily due to harassment by boys who lived nearby. In a 1992 interview, Johnson described being the young victim of rape by a thirteen-year-old boy. 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. Accessible across all of today's devices: phones, tablets, and desktops. Thats how legendary Stonewall leader Marsha P. Johnson came to be known in Greenwich Village due to her benevolence, kindness and generosity. She's said that the town had zero tolerance for LGBTQ people and as a woman assigned male at birth, she left as soon as she could. "Rapping With a Street Transvestite Revolutionary" in Out of the closets: voices of gay liberation. (2017). Queer history podcast covering content from around the world and throughout time. [41] Johnson had been speaking out against the "dirty cops" and elements of organized crime that many believed responsible for some of these assaults and murders, and had even voiced the concern that some of what Randy Wicker was stirring up, and pulling Johnson into, "could get you murdered. [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. argued that an individual should have the final say over what medical So significant was the AIDS pandemic to her life, Marsha would often express her wish to journey across the river Jordan, helping AIDS patients all across America in the last years of her life. She had $15 and a bag of clothes. It was an "unrelenting wave of attacks. [Image: The fifth of seven children, she was born Malcolm Michaels Jr. to Malcolm Michaels Sr. and Alberta (Claiborne) Michaels on August 24, 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Johnson came out and said "my life has been built around sex and gay liberation, being a drag queen" and sex work. [78], According to Sylvia Rivera, their friend Bob Kohler believed Johnson had committed suicide due to an ever-increasing fragile state, which Rivera herself disputed, claiming she and Johnson had "made a pact" to "cross the 'River Jordan' (aka Hudson River) together". [62][41], Johnson's body was cremated and, following a funeral at a local church, and a march down Seventh Avenue, friends released Johnson's ashes over the Hudson River, off the Christopher Street Piers. The two of them became a visible presence at gay liberation marches and other radical political actions. [60], Between 1980 and Johnson's death in 1992, Johnson lived with a friend, Randy Wicker, who had invited Johnson to stay the night one time when it was "very cold outabout 10 degrees [Fahrenheit]" (12C), and Marsha had just never left. In 1972, as the face of the resistance, Johnson performed around the world with the popular drag theater company, Hot Peaches. Tell students that the text displayed is a statement by directors Tourmaline and Sasha Wortzel on their short film Happy Birthday Marsha!, which depicts the life of trans activist Marsha P. Johnson in the hours prior to the Stonewall Rebellion. Marsha P. Johnson was a well-known face in New York Citys Greenwich Village, where she lived on the street for many years. Birth Place: Elizabeth, Union, New Jersey [Elizabeth, New Jersey]. Johnsons story is featured in Pay It No Mind: Marsha P. Johnson (2012) and The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017) and Happy Birthday, Marsha! VideoCounty Antrim pupils record special coronation hymn. Then ask: Choosing a name is a rite of passage for many transgender people, and she tried on a few before settling on Marsha P. Johnson. At this time, being gay was classified as a mental illness in the United States. Gender: Male. [8] [9] Known as an outspoken advocate for gay rights, Johnson was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969. In 1946 he published Self: A Study in Ethics and Endocrinology which If looking for signs as to whether or not Marsha would have approved of the Village AIDS Memorial, we might look twice at the fact that she sat down for this rare sit-down videotaped interview (an absolute treasure for LGBTQ historians) the same day that the Village AIDS Memorial was dedicated, June 26, 1992. [56][57] While the original location of STAR House was evicted in 1971 and the building was destroyed,[54] the household existed in different configurations and at different locations over the years. Activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were on the front lines of the fight for trans rights from as early as the 1960s when the movement was just beginning to gain traction. Be aware that in looking into these sources you will come across some which misgender or deadname trans people. Douglas, c1972. [75][76] According to Wicker, a witness saw a neighborhood resident fighting with Johnson on July 4, 1992. Its mission is to defend and protect the human rights of transgender and gender nonconforming communities. [20][45], Johnson was one of the first drag queens to go to the Stonewall Inn, after they began allowing women and drag queens inside; it was previously a bar for only gay men. American drag queen and activist Marsha P. Johnson was dedicated to social justice for the gay and transgender communities. The Uprising spawned the first gay pride marches across the country in 1970. 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. Marsha P. Johnson (Left) and Sylvia Rivera (Right), Gay Pride Parade, New York City, 1973. In New York, Marsha struggled to make ends meet. "[65], Johnson would also make offerings to the saints and spirits in a more personal manner, keeping a private altar at home when possible. [1] Her work continues today through the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which fights for the rights of Black transgender people. Photographed by Diana Davies.]. 1945-1992 The fifth of seven children, Marsha was born Malcolm Michaels Jr. to Malcolm Michaels Sr. and Alberta (Claiborne) Michaels on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. "[28] In an interview with Allen Young, in 1972's, Out of the Closets: Voices of Gay Liberation, Johnson discussed being a "Street Transvestite Action Revolutionary", saying, "A transvestite is still like a boy, very manly looking, a feminine boy.
