Marsha P. Johnson

Pay It No Mind - Marsha P. Johnson

By Braylyn Lofton And Ayomide Arulogun

Marsha P. Johnson, born August 24, 1945, was an African American transgender woman best known for championing LGBTQ+ rights. She most notably advocated for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, HIV/AIDS, alongside gay and transgender rights. Her advocacy in the public eye began with the Stonewall Riots beginning on June 28, 1969.  She had arrived at Stonewall Inn around 2 AM with a friend, Sylvia Rivera who was a Puerto Rican transgender woman. Feeling as if they had nothing to lose, Marsha found herself on the front lines as both led various protests. Though Johnson became involved with groups such as the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activist Alliance, she grew increasingly frustrated at the continuous exclusion of transgender and queer people of color from the movement for gay rights following Stonewall. In response, she and Sylvia formed their own group, Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) which was dedicated to supporting and protecting transgender youth. They also started the STAR house to combat the rates of homelessness and danger transgender youth were typically exposed to due to ostracism from their families. Through the 1970s, Marsha continued to gain increased visibility as an LGBTQ+ advocate, she performed with a popular drag group called Hot Peaches and even caught the eye of pop musician Andy Warhol, who included her in prints titled “Ladies and Gentlemen.” In 1980, she was extended an invitation to ride in the lead car of New York City’s Pride Parade. In 1990, she was diagnosed with HIV and was very open about the diagnosis, asserting that people should not fear the disease. On July 6, 1992, Marsha would be found dead in the Hudson River at 46 years old. Ruled a suicide, many suspected foul play but to their dismay the police refused to investigatefurther beyond reclassifying her case as drowning from an unknown case. In 2012, the New York Police Department would reopen the case.  Marsha P. Johnson’s life frequently comes up in discussions today surrounding queer advocacy and history. In 2019, she and Sylvia Rivera were the subjects of a monument commissioned by New York City called “She Built NYC, the first in the city to honor transgender women. Additionally, in 2020, the state of New York would name a waterfront park in Brooklyn after Marsha. The ‘P’ in Marsha P. Johnson stands for “Pay It No Mind”, her signature motto and a phrase demonstrated throughout her life in her consistent and relentless overcoming of obstacles and challenges. 

References: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/marsha-p-johnson