Marsha P. Johnson

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“How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race? I mean how many years does it take people to see that? We’re all in this rat race together!”


Marsha “Pay it No Mind” Johnson (1945 – 1992) was an artist, perform, and notable trans LGBT-activist largely hailed as the leader of the Stonewall riots in 1969. She also co-founded the gay and transvestite advocacy organization S.T.A.R. (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), which aimed to provide shelter and support for homeless trans people in New York City and beyond.

She tragically died in 1992. The police ruled suicide, however it was widely believed within the LGBT+ community that Johnson was murdered and that the police had failed to launch an investigation into the murder owing to the institutional transphobia of the justice system. I recently watched “The Life and Death of Marsha P. Johnson” on Netlfix which I highly recommend, and there are a number of other books and films detailing her amazing life.

Marsha P. Johnson showed extraordinary bravery, but what stands out most from her interviews and the testimonies of her friends is her generosity, warmth. Crucially, she knew when to ignore and carry on, and when to stand up and fight. Her life (and death) and timely reminders of the acute danger that trans-women of colour continue to face on a daily basis, from every aspect of society even those sworn to protect them (https://www.thetaskforce.org/new-analysis-shows-startling-levels-of-discrimination-against-black-transgender-people/).

This, and Marsha’s role in the Stonewall riots, seem especially important to celebrate given current events in the US. While their main focus is race rather than gender/sexuality, all these categories are inseparable and intersectional activism is always necessary for real societal change. Pride is generally a cheerful and socially accepted event today, and yet it began as a riot. Stonewall is rightly remembered as a seminal event in LGBT+ history, which shows that riots – while terrifying and dangerous – are sometimes a necessary last resort to take back the rights which people should not have to fight for.


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