And I didn't get downtown till about 2:00. Not long after, her body was pulled from the Hudson River near the West Village. She never let her personal setbacks stop her advocacy. By Emma Rothberg, NWHM Predoctoral Fellow in Gender Studies, 2020-2022. Soon, Marsha was attending rallies, sit-ins, and meetings of the newly formed Gay Liberation Front. I think its about time the gay brothers and sisters got their rights . And so I don't want to leave places, you know, coming in as the first Black trans woman to do X, Y, and Z and then have not built any pathways for more Black trans people to come into the space, to carry the banner when I leave and inevitably go do other work. Johnson described herself as a gay person, a transvestite, and a drag queen and used she/her pronouns; the term transgender only became commonly used after her death. Oil on canvas. And the circumstances around his case admittedly are very murky. Wells, Anna Julia Cooper were sidelined as Black women. And we were all out there. Though she struggled with mental health issues, Johnson was beloved for her charismatic persona. She began performing with the drag group, Hot Peaches. She attracted the attention of many, including the pop artist Andy Warhol who included her in a series of prints in 1975 entitled Ladies and Gentlemen. In an interview Johnson did for a 1972 book, she said her ambition was to see gay people liberated and free and to have equal rights that other people have in America. She wanted to see her gay brothers and sisters out of jail and on the streets again. In another interview, she said as long as gay people dont have their rights all across Americathere is no reason for celebration. In 1980, she was invited to ride in the lead car of the Gay Pride Parade in New York City. We fed people and clothed people. On every level, Black cis folks are not doing enough to show up in new and expansive ways around gender and it's a problem. Lot of flying. Rivera had an incredibly difficult childhood. That is a gender issue. So thank you very much for your time. While it was in use during Marshas life, this term is now considered offensive and has been replaced with other terminology, such as transgender. Black trans women continue to face disproportionate levels of violence. Rivera said in a 1995 interview with The New York Times of participating in this parade, the movement had put me on the shelf, but they took me down and dusted me offStill, it was beautiful. To honor Johnsons life, public art will be included and interpretive park signage throughout the park will share her story. It happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities., On Equality: How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race?, On Motivation: Darling, I want my gay rights now. In 1975, artist Andy Warhol crossed paths with Marsha and photographed her for his Ladies and Gentleman series. The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. She was an advocate for drag queens, people of color, and transgender people, fighting for their right to be seen and heard.. Rivera was born in New York City in 1951 to a father from Puerto Rico and a mother from Venezuela. In 1973, Rivera participated in the Gay Pride Parade but was not allowed to speak, despite the amount of work and advocacy she had done. Cooking for myself, right? Into America is produced by Isabel Angel, Allison Bailey, Aaron Dalton, Max Jacobs, Barbara Raab, Claire Tighe, Aisha Turner, and Preeti Varathan. ", On Mental Health: I may be crazy, but that don't make me wrong., On Distrust: I got robbed once. To learn more, check out the vocabulary resource guides from GLAAD: Transgender glossary and LGBTQ glossary. Marsha P. Johnson never self-identified with the term transgender, but the term was also not in broad use while she was alive. Were all in this rat race together! Marsha P. Johnson, I may be crazy, but that dont make me wrong. Marsha P. Johnson, I dont think you should be ashamed of anybody you know that has AIDS. Though her life was cut tragically short, Marsha's legacy remains an inspiration to us all. She spoke publicly about her diagnosis and how people should not be afraid of those with the disease in a June 26, 1992 interview. Meilan Solly, New York City Monument Will Honor Transgender Activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, Smithsonian Magazine, June 3, 2019, Hugh Ryan, Power to the People: Exploring Marsha P. Johnsons Queer Liberation,. I think when you're close to people it does hurt in a particular way. For me, I found joy in having a chance to connect with the people closest to me in new ways, in deeper ways, reminding myself to take a walk not only for exercise but for the fresh air. "Read Stamped from the Beginning," right? Note: Marshas life story includes a large amount of vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to teachers and students. Willis: I definitely think that names like Marsha P. Johnson were forgotten intentionally. It will be the citysand according to New York City, the worldsfirst monument dedicated to transgender individuals. I'm not too friendly with them. I actually think we're more powerful when we have numbers. and AIDS, and gay and transgender rights. Marsha described herself as a gay person, a transvestite, and a drag queen. With public installations already being implemented, the plan is to complete renovations by 2021. Lee: You know, I don't want to either/or it or make it too reductive or too simple. And so when I think about womanhood, we have to be expansive with all of these gender categories. Once back in the city, Rivera got involved again with the fight for the inclusion and recognition of transgender individuals. And in these moments where we see people rising up, and we see coalition building, and we see people coming together in the name of equality, do you believe in this moment that there is a true chance that we'll step closer to the equality that folks claim (LAUGH) they believe in? She was given a place of honor in the 25th Anniversary Stonewall Inn march in 1994. They're really insulting to women. Rivera later said of Johnson, she was like a mother to me. As Johnson had done for herself, she encouraged Rivera to love herself and her identity. She brought some serious thoughts to this gay audience. Show more Show more Sylvia was a Puerto Rican trans woman who was also new to New York. Life Story: Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992), Women & the American Story, New-York Historical Society. Overwhelmingly, Black people are around other Black people, right? Marshas whole life seemed to be a balance between popularity and exclusion. Almost 30 years on from her death, Johnson is getting the attention she was denied when she was alive, with tales of She began dressing almost exclusively in womens clothes and adopted the full name Marsha P. Johnson. Lee: What do you think it would take to get that kind of allegiance, especially among Black folks, right? Hope y'all enjoy the long holiday weekend. During Marshas lifetime, the term transgender was not commonly used. I don't relish in these ideas of being the first, or being a token, or being an only. And that's just not okay. And we need the in-between. You know, at every level there's a systemic transphobia that is not being addressed. Willis: I don't think so. 1893-1894. Johnson: And Sylvia Rivera and them were over in the park having a cocktail. You should stand as close to them as you can and help them out as much as you can. Johnson enjoyed wearing clothes made for women and wore dresses starting at age five. Please try again. As one of the leaders of the Stonewall Inn uprising, the Black transgender woman was an early activist for LGBTQ+ rights in New York City. A progressive social reformer and activist, Jane Addams was on the frontline of the settlement house movement and was the first American woman to wina Nobel Peace Prize. And it was an impressive sight. Throughout the 1970s, she frequently tangled with gay rights leaders who were hesitant to include transgender people in their advocacy work. Like, does one feed the other, especially when it comes to Black trans lives? You may wish to start with a screening of. We don't really talk about how we have our own conceptions of which victims are worthy of our empathy. Trans women, particularly women of color, were regular targets of hate crimes. [2] The permanent installation will be built in Greenwich Village, in a location to be determined after conversations with the community. Rivera ran away from home at age 11 and became a victim of sexual exploitation around 42nd Street. A progressive social reformer and activist, Jane Addams was on the frontline of the settlement house movement and was the first American woman to wina Nobel Peace Prize. To learn more, check out the vocabulary resource guides from. Like, it's hard to know in the moment. They were pushed out of the fight for suffrage in this country. New York State still persecuted gay people and frequently criminalized their activities and presence. Sylvia and Marsha hustled every night to make sure their new family had breakfast each morning. 6 June 2020. Something went wrong while submitting the form. Our executive producer is Ellen Frankman. Show all 45 During her speech at her New York gig, the "Born This Way" singer also celebrated transgender activist Marsha P Johnson, who played a pivotal role in the Stonewall riots. Assigned male at birth, Johnson grew upin an African American, working-class family. She was often abused by clients and arrested by the police. Lee: We got COVID-19, white supremacy, uprisings. Marsha spent most of her life without a permanent home. When the organizers of the gay pride parade tried to ban STAR, they showed up anyway. Willis: Well, you know what is interesting is we've gotta get out of this space of thinking that transgender people are having some kind of magically different gender experience. I feel like what fuels a lot of the violence that may happen from Black men towards Black women comes from an innate feeling of not being man enough for whatever reason. How did Marsha feel about this? Oops! The film stars Mya Taylor as Johnson and Eve Lindley as Rivera.. It was about the oppression and fear they felt every single day. It feels like a revolution. 1890. Subscribers get each new issue of the Goodnewspaper mailed to their home, get exclusive discounts for do-good brands, fill the world with more good news, and more. Johnson became known as much for her activism as for her attention-grabbing wardrobe, often complete with red plastic heels, colorful wigs and flowers and fruit in her hair. Now they are getting a statue in New York, Brooklyns East River State Park renamed in honor of late LGBTQ activist and trans icon Marsha P. Johnson. Rivera also fought against the exclusion of transgender people from the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act in New York. But the impact of STAR had already been felt by many. Nearly 24 young people called the truck home. But when it comes to Black trans life and death and the violence heaped upon them, it comes likely from inside the community. Sewall Chan, Marsha P. Johnson, Overlooked. I mean how many years does it take people to see that? Marsha P. Johnson. National Womens History Museum. The Gay Activist Alliance (GAA), which formed in response to Stonewall, frequently rejected the role transgender peoplethe majority of whom were people of colorhad played in the uprising. Marsha P. Johnson was and is a woman impossible to forget. She was an activist, a sex worker, a drag performer, and even a model for Andy Warhol. She was at the forefront of pivotal moments in modern history. "Don't you got money to make?". She took on the name "Black Marsha," and eventually added on her famous middle initial and took her last name from a Howard Johnson restaurant she frequented. Emma Rothberg, Sylvia Rivera, National Womens History Museum, 2021. I mean, how often does that happen? 'Cause when I got downtown, the place was already on fire and it was a raid already. The LGBTQ community was furious the police did not investigate her death. Apr 21, 2023. Life Story: Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992), Women & the American Story, New-York Historical Society, https://wams.nyhistory.org/growth-and-turmoil/growing-tensions/marsha-p-johnson/#:~:text=After%20graduating%20high%20school%2C%20Marsha,to%20questions%20about%20her%20gender. Since then, Marsha has become an icon of the transgender community. There's still a lot of behind-the-scenes educating that has to happen for cis people who don't understand transness or gender nonconformity. In the 1970s, Johnson experienced a series of mental health breakdowns and spent time in and out of psychiatric hospitals. Invite students to research recent activism around the extreme violence that trans women of color continue to face. The movement did not appreciate the extent to which transgender youth needed help and support. Crowd: Black trans lives matter. Johnson grew up in a religious family and began attending Mount Teman African Methodist Episcopal Church as a child; she remained a practicing Christian for the rest of her life. WebToday, historians and former friends of Marsha describe her as a trans woman. 2022. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/marsha-p-johnson. [3]These transgender icons will be the first to get statues in the US Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Once, she was even shot. Chicago Rothberg, Emma. To wear clothes typically associated with a different sex and is most commonly used to describe men who wear make-up and womens clothing. My name is still in story. Chien-shiung Wu (1912-1997), professor of physics at Columbia University, 1963. Invite students to. You can't say that it's about having a particular set of chromosomes. Lets take a journey through a deeply inspiring and What tensions existed within the gay liberation movement? And so in the wake of the Stonewall riots, there was an entire web of nonprofit organizations that sprang out of that, right? Because as a Black trans woman, you telling me you want to abolish the police or you telling me you want to abolish prisons, that you want to defund the police doesn't necessarily put me completely at ease because I know that I could still be and am likely to be harmed by men in our communities, particularly Black cishet men. What was Marshas role in the Stonewall uprising, and how did it shape the rest of her life? To celebrate Pride month and to honor the current protests in our country, here are nine of Marsha P. Johnson's most timeless quotes. A heads up: some of the fan-made artwork is available for purchase and goes towards a good cause. RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU "I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville, until I became a drag queen."
