Johnson frequently faced bullying from her peers, but it was around the age of five when she started donning dresses. Being the fifth child out of seven in a family where her parents worked for General Motors and as a housekeeper, Johnson’s early life was not without its challenges.
After her high school graduation, she relocated to New York City with just a bag of clothes and $15, crossing the Hudson River. She adopted the name “Black Marsha” and later incorporated her renowned middle initial, deriving her last name from a Howard Johnson eatery she frequently visited.
Together, Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, both prominent figures in the Latina drag queen community, began raising their voices after a meeting in the city. However, Sylvia Rivera, who later became a sex worker, often faced arrest, especially after the 100th incident where she lost count. This arrest often resulted from her involvement in activities such as cross-dressing and serving alcoholic drinks to gay people, as bars were banned from serving alcohol and public same-sex dancing was prohibited at that time.
Rivera and Johnson, founders of the Revolutionaries Action Transvestite Street (STAR), played a pivotal role in the genesis of the Stonewall uprising in June 1969. There is no doubt that Johnson was a key figure in the events of that month, and her contributions are credited with starting a rebellion that was heard around the world. Additionally, the following year saw the first gay pride parades taking place in various locations.
Adorned with vibrant red plastic heels, vivid wigs, and adorned with flowers and fruit in her hair, Johnson’s eye-catching attire gained recognition not only for her commitment to activism but also for her own persona. Renowned for her captivating charm, Johnson faced challenges stemming from mental health concerns. Utilizing the pronouns she/her, she embraced her identity as a gay individual, a transvestite, and a drag queen, as the term transgender was not commonly employed during her era.
After living in Village West near the Hudson River for two years, she revealed in a 1992 interview that she had been HIV-positive for a long time. Later on, Johnson became an AIDS activist as well.
Here are 14 quotes from Johnson that embody her essence and boundless dedication to LGBTQ+ rights.
In the globe, that’s what formed me in New Jersey, that’s what formed me in New York. From Nowheresville until I transformed into a drag queen, I was an unknown individual, a nobody, I had no identity.
It is inevitable to say that when you look back on something, it is not history. Those moments are cumulative realities, but sometimes people make impulsive decisions at the very moment because it happens. And, at that moment, history changes:
How many years has it taken for us, as human beings and brothers and sisters in the human race, to realize that we are all people?
Especially the women… Acquired their rights, brothers and sisters rejoice the era about it’s ponder I now rights homosexual my desire I, Darling: Inspiration on.
I am a proud transvestite and gay, and I’m saying that no one else is as excited as I am.
On Human Rights: “You never fully possess your rights as an individual, until all individuals possess their rights.”
On Mental Health: “I might be mentally unstable, but that doesn’t mean I am incorrect.”
Nowadays, I don’t trust men as much as I used to. I was robbed once when a man snatched my purse in a car and pulled a gun on me. This incident made me more distrustful.
In the struggle for freedom: “No sense of accomplishment for a few of us without emancipation for all of us.”
Begging for change out in the open as she has no other means of survival, I am aware that some individuals perceive me as a naive street queen based on my reputation.
“You know, when you become pregnant or something, they don’t even want to acknowledge your existence. They only think about one thing: getting you out of your clothes. It’s truly insulting how they objectify women. All they care about is undressing you. They don’t want anything else from you. I’m not particularly friendly with them because I know their intentions. I may not be attracted to men, but I’ve been working alongside them on the streets for years. I know how to handle them well. I feel very at ease around heterosexual men.”
I have often reached out my hand to help people in the gay community, even when they were feeling down and out and had nobody else to turn to. I will always be known for reaching out to young people who have no one else to help them, whether it’s by giving them some change for their pocket, providing them with food to eat, or finding them a place to stay. “Forward It Paying On” is something they will never forget.
“During the ’70s and ’80s, I am among the remaining few monarchs, as numerous monarchs have departed. They dub me a legendary figure of my era, they indeed do.”