marsha p johnson primary source

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. During a tempestuous Christian childhood, around the age of five, Johnson began to dress as a girl. We intend to reclaim our relationship as BLACK trans people to our movement legacy. Marsha P. Johnson (Source: USA Today / Originally Netflix . Andy Warhol featured her in a 1975 screen print portfolio of drag queens and transgender merrymakers at the nightclub, Gilded Grape. Her desire for traditional feminine clothing quickly drew a reprimand from her father, a General Motors assembly line worker and housekeeper mother, as well as from the larger society. In June 1969, when Marsha was 23 years old, police raided a gay bar in New York called The Stonewall Inn. In 2012 the police, under renewed public pressure, reopened the case. [45], Following the Stonewall uprising, Johnson joined the Gay Liberation Front and was active in the GLF Drag Queen Caucus. Happy birthday to Marsha P. Johnson, born 24 August 1945! Further, she talks about the impact the person on plaque #1 of the Village AIDS Memorial had on her life: Ed Murphy was the one who put me in the Stonewall Car in 1980; he took me from the back of the parades and put me up-front.. This was the source of my direct quotes from Randy. That night, she had invited a bunch of her friends, including Rivera, to a party. Theres also a lot of material written by Sylvia Rivera, including about her relationship with Marsha and their work with STAR. LGBTQ people were routinely rousted, hassled, and arrested on questionable charges. 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. "The Unsung Heroines of Stonewall" National Parks Conservation Association Blog, October 1, 2020. Read about our approach to external linking. [35] In 1973, Johnson performed the role of "The Gypsy Queen" in the Angels' production, "The Enchanted Miracle", about the Comet Kohoutek. Britannica does not review the converted text. It is reproduced with permission. 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. This is an excellent place to start reading about STAR - its a collection put together in 2012 of a whole host of writings and interviews from the 1970s. Shes 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. To share with more than one person, separate addresses with a comma. Be aware that in looking into these sources you will come across some which misgender or deadname trans people. But you can send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap. Marshas death sits within the wider context of transphobic violence [80] Randy Wicker later said that Johnson may have hallucinated and walked into the river, or may have jumped into the river to escape harassers, but stated that Johnson was never suicidal. Johnson's mother also encouraged her child to find a "billionaire" boyfriend or husband to take care of (Johnson) for life, a goal Johnson often talked about. [75][76] According to Wicker, a witness saw a neighborhood resident fighting with Johnson on July 4, 1992. "Marsha is the crowned mother of queer protest and LGBTQ resilience and resistance," said creator Yoav Wachs. We can be as active and resilient as Marsha P. Johnson because our fights are far from over." Contact Us The witness said that when he tried to tell police what he had seen his story was ignored. If you listened to our podcast on the Stonewall Riots, and youre keen to learn more, heres a list of the sources that I used when researching the episode. Marsha P. Johnson at the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, a protest inspired by the events that took place at the Stonewall Inn. She'd be wearing velvet and throwing glitter. In addition to soup kitchens, the Church of Saint Veronica hosted gay Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and a food hall serving breakfast and lunch to over 40 AIDS patients at a time. After the funeral, a series of demonstrations and marches to the police precinct took place, to demand justice for Johnson. Marsha P. Johnson was an African-American gay man and drag artist - someone who dresses extravagantly and performs as a woman - from New Jersey, whose activism in the 1960s and 70s had a huge. We do this by organizing, advocating, creating an intentional community to heal, developing transformative leadership, and promoting our collective power. She had $15 and a bag of clothes. treatment they underwent to affirm their gender identity. In 2020 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that a 7-acre (3-hectare) waterfront park in the New York City borough of Brooklyn was being renamed for Johnson. Throughout her life Johnson suffered from mental illness and was in and out of psychiatric hospitals. [61] When Wicker's lover, David, became terminally ill with AIDS, Johnson became his caregiver. The NYPD further desecrated her memory when they pronounced her death a suicide, completely disregarding the evidence of foul play (i.e. We are very excited to be coming back from hiatus tomorrow just in time for Pride Month! [13], In 2016, Victoria Cruz of the Anti-Violence Project also tried to get Johnson's case reopened, and succeeded in gaining access to previously unreleased documents and witness statements. Marsha went missing in 1992 and six days later police found Marsha's body. [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". Marsha P. Johnson grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with her mother. They just dropped her. 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. For more information specifically on STAR, Id encourage you to check out: Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries: Survival, Revolt, and Queer Antagonist Struggle. American drag queen and activist Marsha P. Johnson was dedicated to social justice for the gay and transgender communities. It is important to recognize and celebrate their contributions because People of Color are actively being erased from the historical narrative, and the story of Stonewall is the perfect example: A few years ago, a major studio motion picture with a wide theatrical release received damming accusations of White-washing history, putting at the center of the narrative a young, masculine-presenting, White male and even depicting him as throwing the first brick that began the conflict. [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 Village AIDS Memorial, on the other hand, attempts to reach a higher ideal, and with names of actual New Yorkers who died, theres no denying the diversity of the LGBTQ community is represented with this memorial. She was one of the demonstrators during the Stonewall riots in 1969, protesting against police harassment and social discrimination of gay and transgender individuals. She graduated high school at 17, then fled to New York City, where she could finally start dressing how she wanted. A feature photo of Johnson in this article shows Johnson in a flowing wig and makeup, and a translucent shirt, pants and parka highlighting the ways that, quoting Kate Millett's Sexual Politics, White says, "she is both masculine and feminine at once. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Blitz, Michael began reading texts on medicine, and endocrinology. [47] However, many have corroborated that on the second night, Johnson climbed up a lamppost and dropped a bag with a brick in it down on a police car, shattering the windshield. [6], Johnson's body was found floating in the Hudson River in 1992. [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. -Marsha P. Johnson. While working nights as a fire watcher at a Bristol garage during the There Johnson began frequenting bars and nightclubs dressed as a female called Black Marsha. Born in 1945 in New Jersey, Marsha P. Johnson was an outspoken African American trans rights/gay rights/AIDS activist, sex worker, and drag queen during the late 20th century. Marsha P. Johnson (Left) and Sylvia Rivera (Right), Gay Pride Parade, New York City, 1973. That summer Saturday, their anger reached a breaking point after the police returned to Stonewall Inn for the second time in two days. Find out more about the riots that started the Pride movement. [11] On the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, the Stonewall uprising occurred. I cant explore the biases of all of them in a blog post, but in the case of history in general, and something as contentious as Stonewall in particular, I encourage you to consult multiple sources and think critically about what theirsource is, what theyre saying and why. 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. Marsha P. Johnson was an African-American gay man and drag artist - someone who dresses extravagantly and performs as a woman - from New Jersey, whose activism in the 1960s and 70s had a huge impact on the LGBTQ+ community. A Netflix documentary was made about Marsha in 2017, The Stonewall Inn was the site of protesting and riots in June 1969, Watch Newsround - signed and subtitled. She was identified as male at birth. [5] As Edmund White writes in his 1979 Village Voice article, "The Politics of Drag", Johnson also liked dressing in ways that would display "the interstice between masculine and feminine". 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. In honour of their upcoming 50th anniversary, well be talking about the Stonewall Riots. [37][36] In 1990, Johnson performed with The Hot Peaches in London. 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. "Rapping With a Street Transvestite Revolutionary" in Out of the closets: voices of gay liberation. Improved homework resources designed to support a variety of curriculum subjects and standards. Were very excited and we cant wait to share this with you! Its mission is to defend and protect the human rights of transgender and gender nonconforming communities. All I want is my freedom. She was a Catholic with a strong sense of faith. Together we did", "Exploding the Myths of Stonewall Gay City News", "Gay History Month- June 28,1969: The REAL History of the Stonewall Riots", "Marsha P Johnson Carols for Ma & Pa Xmas Presents", "Gay rights activists Sylvia Ray Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson, Barbara Deming, and Kady Vandeurs at City Hall rally for gay rights", "Marsha P. Johnson (19441992) Activist, Drag Mother. Marsha P. Johnson was a woman before her time. That same decade, he himself became the first trans man to undergo a phalloplasty. [13] Prior to Carter's book, it was claimed Johnson had "thrown a brick" at a police officer, an account that was never verified. Though we often glorify Marsha as one of the greatest civil rights leaders of the 20th century, and view through rose-colored glasses her glamorous role as muse to Andy Warhol, we also tend to white-wash her life and willfully forget that she was a prostitute that was often homeless. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e3-5fa8-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99. Some felt that it was more common for this to happen under Johnson's "male persona as Malcolm". She sought out new interviews with witnesses, friends, other activists, and police who had worked the case or had been on the force at the time of Johnson's death. The two of them became a visible presence at gay liberation marches and other radical political actions. This would be amongst the last activist causes in the life of a person whose voice changed the world. This was the source of a lot of my information . David Carter conducted many of his own interviews for this book. documentary follows the investigation of Marshas death by Puerto But this year, the global Black Lives Matter anti-racism protests have encouraged people to shine a special light on the impact of black gay and trans activists. She stated that the middle initial stood for pay it no mind, a phrase she often used when questioned about her gender or lifestyle. [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". For anyone wanting to learn more about drag queen and activist Marsha P. Johnson, this entire documentary is available for free on Youtube! Johnson. across the USA. 2023 BBC. We were young enough to believe we could change the world. An eccentric woman known for her outlandish hats and glamorous jewelry, she was fearless and bold. Johnson subsequently joined the Gay Liberation Front, which was a catalyst for the gay rights movement. 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. From the website: "The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI) protects and defends the human rights of BLACK transgender people. Even though the Stonewall riots kick-started this wave of support for the LGBTQ+ community, there was still a lot of discrimination against them. [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. This documentary uses 1992 interview footage taken with Marsha just weeks before her death, as well as a lot of footage of people who knew her talking about her. [30] Johnson received leftover flowers after sleeping under tables used for sorting flowers in the Flower District of Manhattan, and was known for wearing crowns of fresh flowers. A new, third level of content, designed specially to meet the advanced needs of the sophisticated scholar. Marsha P. Johnson was born Malcolm Michaels, Jr. on August 24, 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. As an African American trans woman, Johnson has consistently been overlooked both as a participant in the Stonewall uprising and more generally, LGBTQ activism. This documentary follows the investigation of Marsha's death by Puerto Rican trans woman Victoria Cruz. Terms and Conditions Read about our approach to external linking. An early ACT UP member and AIDS activist, Johnson also became a victim of the disease. [45] Carter, however, concluded that Robinson had given several different accounts of the night and in none of the accounts was Johnson's name brought up, possibly in fear that if he publicly credited the uprising to Johnson, then Johnson's well-known mental state and gender nonconforming, "could have been used effectively by the movement's opponents". Privacy Policy "[62] In response, marches were organized, and Johnson was one of the activists who marched in the streets, demanding justice. Check out our podcast to learn more about the wonderful Marsha P. Johnson! The police forced over 200 people out of the bar and onto the streets, and then used excessive violence against them. Sources:Goodin, Cal. 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. Despite this, following the events at Stonewall, Johnson and her friend .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Sylvia Rivera co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) and they became fixtures in the community, especially in their commitment to helping homeless transgender youth. She was homeless and prostituted herself to make ends meet. June is Pride Month, where people all over the world come together to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and raise awareness for inequalities that still stand today. Twenty-five years later, Victoria Cruz, a crime victim advocate of the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) re-opened the case. [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. Who Is Trans TikTok Influencer Dylan Mulvaney? [45] Souza told the Gay Activists Alliance shortly afterwards that it "was the shot glass that was heard around the world". They just dropped her right on the floor. This page also includes a transcript and a lot of links to further resources about Marsha and Randy. [83], U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 19362007, Death, Burial, Cemetery & Obituaries: "Michaels, Malcolm Jr [Malcolm Mike Michaels Jr], [M Michae Jr], [Malculm Jr]. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Sadly, at the age of 46, on July 6, 1992, Johnsons body was found in the Hudson River off the West Village Piers. It does provide some information about Marshas early life not found elsewhere. One of Johnson's most notable direct actions occurred in August 1970, staging a sit-in protest at Weinstein Hall at New York University alongside fellow GLF members after administrators canceled a dance when they found out that it was sponsored by gay organizations. Marsha P. Johnson was an African American drag performer and social activist. [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. A month after the protests, the first openly gay march took place in New York - a pivotal moment for the gay and trans community everywhere. During a time when same-sex marriage was illegal in the United States, the judge asked what "happened to this alleged husband", Johnson responded, "Pig shot him". Johnson moved to Greenwich Village in New York City after graduating from high school. Have students read the statement silently or out loud as a class. Weve been busy, working hard to bring you new features and an updated design. Upon returning, the medication would wear off over the course of one month and Johnson would then return to normal. Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. All Rights Reserved. Please note: Text within images is not translated, some features may not work properly after translation, and the translation may not accurately convey the intended meaning. On June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street (the hub of the NYC Gay Community in the 1960s), things turned violent after a few LGBTQ people were arrested on questionable charges, handcuffed, and very publicly forced into police cars on the streets of NYC. "[77] This added to the suspicions of foul play and possible murder. To re-enable the tools or to convert back to English, click "view original" on the Google Translate toolbar. Marsha P. Johnsons housemate Randy Wicker in Pay It No Mind. 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. In reality, she didnt arrive at Stonewall until about 2 a.m., long after the uprising began. [45] The alleged "shot glass" incident has also been heavily disputed. Marsha was memorably present at the Stonewall Riots in 1969 where any number of actions have been attributed to her legend - including shimmying up a lamppost to drop a heavy weight that shattered a police car's windshield. 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. Marsha P. Johnson Biography, Biography.com, December 14, 2017, https://www.biography.com/people/marsha-p-johnson-112717; Sewell Chan, Marsha P. Johnson A transgender pioneer and activist who was a fixture of Greenwich Village street life, The New York Times.com, March 8, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/obituaries/overlooked-marsha-p-johnson.html; Eric Marcus, Marsha P. Johnson & Randy Wicker, Making Gay History, March 2, 2017, https://makinggayhistory.com/podcast/episode-11-johnson-wicker/. [62] Johnson was one of the activists who had been drawing attention to this epidemic of violence against the community, participating in marches and other activism to demand justice for victims, and an inquiry into how to stop the violence. The police ruled her death a suicide, although friends and family cited a lack of evidence supporting that claim. The P purportedly stands for Pay It No Mind, a flippant saying she used to dismiss antagonists. "[68] In the summer of 1991, Johnson participated in the interfaith AIDS memorial service at the Church of Saint Veronica in Greenwich Village. However, she found joy as a drag queen amidst the nightlife of Christopher Street. [43] In 1992, gay bashing was epidemic in New York. Resources Much like the recent Black Lives Matter marches in the United States, news of these protests spread around the world, inspiring others to join protests and rights groups to fight for equality.

Squeeze Juice Cleanse Kdwb, Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve Pain Treatment, Don's Family Vacations Group Cruise, Westchester County Police Pistol License Unit Character Reference Letter, Lds Church Multiple Probations, Articles M