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Apr 21, 2023. She noted that many people had to die in order for two statues to be erected. I think about our media outlets and how often we don't have spaces like this, Trymaine, where a Black trans woman can come on and be in dialogue with a Black cis man about the state of the world. Wells, Anna Julia Cooper were sidelined as Black women. And you said, "Let today be the last day that you ever doubt Black trans power.". . The troubles she experienced as a child followed her into adulthood. We have been fighting to be respected, fighting to live for centuries. How are you gonna support transforming our families, having those hard conversations with our elders? She was given a place of honor in the 25th Anniversary Stonewall Inn march in 1994. ' In 2001, she was marching in New York City Pride Parades and living in Transy House. The first STAR House was in the back of an abandoned truck in Greenwich Village. What were the circumstances around Marshas death? In 1970, Sylvia came to Marsha with an idea. That interview originally appeared on his show, Making Gay History. The case involving Marshas death remained closed for decades. She also reconciled with the gay rights movement that was now expanding to embrace the LGBTQ+ community. 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. 2021.www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/Sylvia-Rivera. Gertrude Kasebier (photographer), Zitkala Sa, Sioux Indian and activist, c. 1898. She was an advocate for drag queens, people of color, and transgender people, fighting for their right to be seen and heard.. Lee: That was Raquel Willis, a Black trans activist and director of communications for the Ms. Foundation. New-York Historical Society Library. I mean how many years does it take people to see that? She spoke publicly about it and told people she hoped they would not be afraid of those who had the disease. 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. If you walked down Christopher Street, Marsha would receive you in the manner of a gracious host. History isnt something you look back at and say it was inevitable, it happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities. Marsha P. Johnson, How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race? Abigail Adams was an early advocate for women's rights. Willis, Raquel, How Sylvia Rivera Created the Blueprint for Transgender Organizing,Out Magazine,May 21, 2019,https://www.out.com/pride/2019/5/21/how-sylvia-rivera-created-blueprint-transgender-organizing. Engraving. And it's just a reminder that we've been here and it's a reminder we're gonna be here. And then our families, right? She also created and wore elaborate crowns of fresh flowers. She was the fifth of seven children born to Malcolm Michaels Sr. and Alberta Claiborne. A man pulled a gun on me and snatched my pocketbook in a car. Willis: I think that we need all the allies. Both women continued to be persistent voices for the rights of people of color and low-income queer and Trans communities for the remainder of their lives; Marshas life was cut short in 1992, though the details of her death remain a mystery. It was difficult for Marsha to find work. The first STAR House was in the back of an abandoned truck in Greenwich Village. Soon, Marsha was attending rallies, sit-ins, and meetings of the newly formed Gay Liberation Front. The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. When the organizers of the gay pride parade tried to ban STAR, they showed up anyway. I think about just two days after George was murdered, Tony McDade was murdered in Tallahassee, Florida, a Black transgender man. Rights for LGBTQ+ people were limited and sometimes ignored completely. I got a chance to talk with Raquel Willis, a Black transgender activist and the director of communications for the Ms. Foundation, a nonprofit fighting for women's rights. She was often abused by clients and arrested by the police. What challenges did she face there? Since the term transgender wasnt used during her time, she identified as gay, transvestite and as a drag queen, using the pronouns she/her. reinc: The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. 2022. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/marsha-p-johnson. Sylvia Rivera, National Park Service,https://www.nps.gov/people/sylvia-rivera.htm. I've also been planting and reminding myself through gardening indoors, I guess, that regardless of what happens, growth is still possible. Date accessed. Look no further than our guide. Marsha was neither the first nor the last trans woman of color to be a victim of violence. I will say this was a joy. Rivera said in an interview in 2001 that while she did not throw the first Molotov cocktail at the police (a long-enduring myth), she did throw the second. Invite students to research recent activism around the extreme violence that trans women of color continue to face. Willis: The way that I navigate these spaces shifts. We can educate you, learn the history. Black trans lives matter. At the time, 1992 was the worst year on record for anti-LGBTQ violence according to the New York Anti-Violence Project. I also think about our institutions. Life Story: Marsha P. Johnson - Women & the American WebHappy Birthday, Marsha! The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. Pride Month: Who was Marsha P. Johnson and why were they so Raquel Willis: There's this idea that because we are having an openly different gender experience, that we deserve the abuse that we may receive. Willis: No, I think that we have to find pockets of joy. When you hear J.K. Rowling saying that, what's your response to that? Lee: The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson Review | Tribeca 2017 I was involved with that.. Invite students to research the ways in which Marshas legacy is being remembered today. We have to be having a holistic conversation on violence that not only talks about state violence but it also talks about the violence in our own homes, in our communities. And we saw just from the turnout for the Rally for Black Trans Lives that there is momentum there also. Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson: Listen to the Newly We don't really talk about how we have our own conceptions of which victims are worthy of our empathy. I'm a senior and I'm a certified Johnny Byrum fan. In a 1992 interview, Johnson said "I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville until I became a drag queen.. Dissident News has received the exclusive full transcript for the entirety of the RFK announcement speech. A veteran of the 1969 Stonewall Inn uprising, Sylvia Rivera was a tireless advocate for those silenced and disregarded by larger movements. WebMARSHA P JOHNSON SAVES BOY Randolfe Wicker 633 views 10 years ago Trans Women of Color and the Stonewall Riots Rachel Simon 1.7K views 7 years ago During Marshas lifetime, the term transgender was not commonly used. The weight is heavy, and there's a lot to be concerned, sad, angry about. Looking for ideas on how you can celebrate Pride Month? She gave people clothes and food, even though she had little of her own. Well never share your email with anyone else. [2]Two Transgender Activists Are Getting a Monument in New York There are plenty of cis women who don't check off a lot of criterias that are considered womanhood. Acronym for Auto Immune Deficiency Disorder. The group became a space to organize and discuss issues facing the transgender community in New York City and they also had a building, STAR House, that provided lodgings for those who needed it. And that fearless attitude exemplifies how the Black transgender activist lived her life, leading the charge for LGBTQ+ rights every step of the way and helping instigate the Stonewall Inn uprising that sparked the gay pride movement. When we're talking to white people about white supremacy, we could say, "Read how to be an antiracist," right? Marsha P And I think what is consistent unfortunately is the sidelining of our voices and the sidelining of our experiences and work. Chicago Rothberg, Emma. And we need the in-between. Willis: And so let today be the last day which you ever doubt Black trans power. 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. Hey, Luke. I mean, I think about the early feminist movement and how people like Sojourner Truth, Ida B. However, Johnson also found a community in the city, especially after meeting Latina drag queen Sylvia Rivera. Episode The term transgender wasnt commonly used in Marshas lifetime, but she identified as a transvestite, gay and a drag queen and used she/her pronouns. She was an advocate Currently, LGTBQ+ monuments are not among the Citys public statues. And we were all out there. 'Cause when I got downtown, the place was already on fire and it was a raid already. 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. Jarena Lee, 1849. In the wake of the raid, Johnson and Rivera led a series of protests. 1893-1894. However, young Marsha enjoyed wearing clothing made for girls. The LGBTQ community was furious the police did not investigate her death. So thank you very much for your time. Willis: I don't know. Johnson, an African American self-identified drag queen and activist, was also battling exclusion in a Like, we all carry insecurities about our gender, about who we are and who we're supposed to be in the world. Encourage them to search for articles about the Marsha and Sylvia statue in New York City, Marsha P. Johnson state park in Brooklyn, and more. Sewall Chan, Marsha P. Johnson, Overlooked. 1890. [3] These will be the first permanent monuments dedicated to Transgender women in the state of New York. IE 11 is not supported. Cooking for myself, right? In 1990, Johnson was diagnosed with H.I.V. Willis: No. And people don't want to say that because I think there's this idea that the biggest enemy is white supremacy, but that is a fallacy. 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. Always sporting a smile, Johnson was an important advocate for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, those effected by H.I.V. It is said those who threw the first brick on And so when I think about womanhood, we have to be expansive with all of these gender categories. And it's not just Black trans women. 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. 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. During Marshas lifetime, the term transgender was not commonly used. . We fed people and clothed people. Here are 14 quotes from Johnson that capture her spirit and endless passion for LGBTQ+ rights: On Coming of Age: I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville until I Though her life was cut tragically short, Marsha's legacy remains an inspiration to us all. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. So you can't really say that womanhood is based in the ability to procreate as a woman. It feels like a revolution. And the idea of womanhood, is it worth having to explain to people what it means to live in this identity? You know, and so when I think about the murders of Black trans women at the hands of Black cis men, I'm very particular about how and when and where I have those conversations because inevitably what is happening to us will be used in the service of white supremacy against Blackness writ large. WebMarsha P. Johnson, transgender activist and urban legend, was never one to mince words. Their rage was not just about the police. Marsha P. Johnsons Best Friend Was A Fellow Pioneer,Vogue UK, June 13, 2020,https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/who-was-sylvia-rivera. STAR House was of personal importance to Johnson and Rivera as they had both spent much of their youth experiencing homelessness and destitution. 'Cause it's like you're only cherished if you're dead, or you're only cherished if you can be in the spotlight and in some ways serve this desire of a cis person for you to be a spectacle, right, so they can add another layer of distance to you. Lee: This is from a 1989 interview with journalist Eric Marcus. The best email in your inbox.Filled with the days best good news. I never do it seriously. Marsha P. Johnson, We have to be visible. So it has been intentional, and it is still intentional today. Wilchins, Riki, A Woman for Her Time,The Village Voice, February 26, 2002,https://www.villagevoice.com/2002/02/26/a-woman-for-her-time/. Marsha P. Johnson: The way I winded up being at Stonewall that night, I was having a party uptown. By Emma Rothberg, NWHM Predoctoral Fellow in Gender Studies, 2020-2022. An acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer and is an umbrella term for the community of people whose gender and sexual identities exist outside of heteronormative expectations. WebMarsha P. Johnson at the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, a protest inspired by the events that took place at the Stonewall Inn. The Importance of Dialogue, Development and Acceptance Today, historians and former friends of Marsha describe her as a trans woman. But then the fact that she had the energy to use her platform to demonize trans people, demonize a more marginalized group of women is problematic to me, but it's also emblematic of white womanhood. WebToday, historians and former friends of Marsha describe her as a trans woman. Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, mission specialist, carries her son Wilson Miles-Ochoa following the STS-96 crew return at Ellington Field. 12 Best Marsha P. Johnson Quotes About LGBTQ+ Rights - Good STAR House then moved to a dilapidated building, which they tried to fix up, but the group was evicted after eight months. ", On Mental Health: I may be crazy, but that don't make me wrong., On Distrust: I got robbed once. Jen Carlson, Activists Install Marsha P. Johnson Monument in Christopher Park, Gothamist, August 25, 2021, https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/marsha-p-johnson-statue-bust-christopher-park, The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, https://marshap.org/, By Emma Rothberg, Ph.D. | Associate Educator, Digital Learning and Innovation. Original music by Hannis Brown. Well, I know how to handle them. She was beaten for doing so and, after being attacked on a school playground in sixth grade by another student, suspended from school for a week. Rivera, a Puerto Rican transgender girl, and the two became instant friends. How did Marsha embody her Pay It No Mind name? She was sometimes homeless and living on the streets but almost always present for decades. Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor: Culinary Anthropologist, Towards Hawaiian Sovereignty: Legacy of Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask, Dr. Wangari Maathai: The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Chronicles of American Women: Your History Makers, Women Writing History: A Coronavirus Journaling Project, We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC, Learning Resources on Women's Political Participation, Defying Expectations: Unsung Hero: Marsha P. Johnson and the Stonewall Riots, https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/who-was-marsha-p-johnson, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-york-city-monument-will-honor-transgender-activists-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera-180972326/, https://www.out.com/out-exclusives/2017/8/24/power-people-exploring-marsha-p-johnsons-queer-liberation, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/obituaries/overlooked-marsha-p-johnson.html?mtrref=&mtrref=undefined&gwh=7FAC77AD0450CB8215713140B8184F62&gwt=regi&assetType=REGIWALL, https://wams.nyhistory.org/growth-and-turmoil/growing-tensions/marsha-p-johnson/#:~:text=After%20graduating%20high%20school%2C%20Marsha,to%20questions%20about%20her%20gender, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/marsha-p-johnson, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/Sylvia-Rivera, https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/marsha-p-johnson-statue-bust-christopher-park. For example, dancing with a person of the same sex as well as cross-dressing were illegal. We know that homophobia and transphobia knows no bounds. 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. Hope y'all enjoy the long holiday weekend. Cihak and Zima (photographer), Ida B. Wells-Barnett, ca. Lee: I think people have a pretty decent grasp of lesbian, gay, bi. Lady Gaga Stonewall Day Speech Transcript 2019: "I Would Take a 6 June 2020. Devaney, Susan, Who Was Sylvia Rivera? Cemetery Name: Marsha P. Johnson grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with her mother. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. At one point, Rivera attempted suicide. [4]The transgender women at Stonewall were pushed out of the gay rights movement. Trymaine Lee: Last month, in the middle of Pride, thousands of people gathered in Brooklyn, New York for a rally for Black trans lives. And I didn't get downtown till about 2:00. New York State still persecuted gay people and frequently criminalized their activities and presence. I've been around them for years, from working the streets. Nearly 24 young people called the truck home. 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. Rivera had an incredibly difficult childhood. Marsha taught Sylvia how to apply makeup, live on the street, and look out for trouble. Transpeople were more likely to be homeless and targeted by police. LIVE! The Stonewall uprising was an awakening for an entire generation of LGBTQ activists. Marsha P. Johnson (U.S. National Park Service) Johnson, an African American self-identified drag queen and activist, was also battling exclusion in a movement for gay rights that did not embrace her gender expression. In 1990, Marsha contracted AIDS. Are we seeing a little bit of that now? Sylvia was a Puerto Rican trans woman who was also new to New York. 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. Oportunidades Iguales Para Las Mujeres En El Trabajo y La Educaccion, Womens Strike for Equality, New York, Fifth Avenue, 1970, Eugene Gordon photograph collection, 1970-1990. Happy Birthday, Marsha A performance artist who typically dresses up like a woman for entertainment purposes. I don't relish in these ideas of being the first, or being a token, or being an only. Thank you for joining the Goodnewsletter! The store owners called her riffraff and threw her out. And they never forget it. Marsha P. Johnson. National Womens History Museum. While the genesis of the Stonewall Inn uprising remains shrouded in myth, theres no doubt Johnson was a key figure leading the events of June 28, 1969 some even credit her with throwing the shot glass heard around the world that started the rebellion. In the 1970s, Johnson experienced a series of mental health breakdowns and spent time in and out of psychiatric hospitals. When a Warhol screen-print of Marsha went on display in a Greenwich Village store, Marsha took some friends to see it. In June of 2019, just as New York City was entering their month of Pride celebrations, the City announced its plans to build two monuments honoring the late Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera for their lifelong commitment to ending oppression for marginalized communities. You know, at every level there's a systemic transphobia that is not being addressed. Today, a look at how racism and transphobia have pushed Black trans women to the fringe of the gay rights movement and the movement for Black lives, and what's being done to change that. What was Marshas role in the Stonewall uprising, and how did it shape the rest of her life? Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. 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. WebIn December 1970, Liza Cowan of WBAI saddle down with members of and novel formed Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (or S Rivera explained in 1998 that she and Johnson decided it was time to help each other and help our other kids. Marsha was part of a growing community of LGBTQ youth who sought acceptance in New York City. And when that doesn't happen, I mean, you're being dehumanized on two levels. As one of few women and Asian musicians in the jazz world, Akiyoshi infused Japanese culture, sounds, and instruments into her music. Compare the lives of Marsha P. Johnson and, Connect Marshas life story to other LGBTQ individuals within, One of Marshas proudest moments was with Andy Warhol. 1985.212. Regardless of the true nature of her death, she was a victim of violence, including police brutality, throughout her life. And sometimes it seems obviously clear that this person was killed because they were trans. What tensions existed within the gay liberation movement? Sylvia Rivera. National Womens History Museum. Not long after arriving in New York, 17-year-old Marsha met 11-year-old Sylvia Rivera. Lee: What do you think it would take to get that kind of allegiance, especially among Black folks, right? WebIn 1963, Rivera met Marsha P. Johnson and it changed her life. She returned to the city in 1992 after the death of Johnson. New-York Historical Society Library. A person who identifies with the sex they were assigned at birth. Rivera frequently experienced homelessness and had problems with substance abuse. Or is it your gender identity first? Given what many are seeing as the historic nature of this speech out of left field from the blue dog democrat, this is not something you are going to want to Despite her joyous personality and ever-present smile, Johnson experienced hardship.