Celebrating Black History Month | Marsha P. Johnson
“History isn't 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
This week, we conclude our Black History Month series, where we are highlighting Black LGBTQ+ individuals from current and recent history who continue to inspire us as LGBTQ+ Christians. Taking a look at how we as people of faith can continue to learn from their stories, passions, and work as we learn new ways to be in community with and for one another even in the midst of challenging times.
Today, we're celebrating and highlighting one of the mothers of the Gay Liberation Movement, Marsha P. Johnson. She was a prominent LGBTQ+ activist and drag performer known for her role in the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. She co-founded the advocacy group STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), which supported homeless transgender and LGBTQ+ youth.
Recently, the National Park Service website for the Stonewall Riots has been stripped of the word “transgender”, and the T (and Q in some cases) was removed from the acronym on the page. This underscores the significance of sharing Marsha's story today. We denounce this erasure of our trans siblings and invite you to continue reading to join us in celebrating the life of Marsha P. Johnson!
Marsha P. Johnson was born in 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to a father who was an assembly line worker at General Motors and to a mother who was a housekeeper. Marsha was one of seven children. She started dressing “like a girl” at about 5 years old; however, her self-expression was not supported, and she was bullied by other kids. As soon as she had graduated from high school, at the age of 17, she left home and moved to New York City with only a bag of clothes and $15 in her pocket.
A teenage Marsha ended up making money as a waiter; however, the majority of her income came from sex work. Which presented its own challenges in the forms of abuse and being arrested by police quite often. She was not able to make enough money to find a stable place to live. So Marsha was homeless and could be found sleeping under the tables of street vendors until a friend gave her a place to stay.
Even with those struggles, Marsha was able to be her true self. She was known to wear dresses, flower crowns, and jewelry she was able to obtain from thrifting. It was in the 1960s where she found joy as a drag queen, leading her to eventually serving as a drag mother by helping homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Marsha was also known for always giving away her last dollar to others in need.
It was in June 1969 when the Stonewall Riots began, and Marsha was present. In this time period in New York, homosexuality was illegal. So gathering at a gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, put a target on the backs of those who frequented the bar. The community fought back after seeing their community arrested. Which became the Stonewall Riots, which lasted for several days. We are unclear on what Marsha’s exact role with the riots was, but we do know that she was present and was only 23 years old at the time. This furthered Marsha’s activism and led to her co-founding STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) in 1970 with Sylvia Rivera. STAR advocated for trans rights and helped homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Marsha’s advocacy also caught the eye of artist Andy Warhol, and he photographed Marsha. In the 1980s, her activism included speaking out about the AIDS epidemic.
What many people do not know about Marsha is that she was very spiritual. She could often be found praying at a church. From her teenage years, Marsha had a relationship with God that was personal. In a documentary about her life, Pay It No Mind, Marsha says, “I got married to Jesus Christ in church when I was 16 years old. He’s the only man I can really trust. He’s like a spirit that follows me around … he helps me out in my hours of need and listens to all my problems and never laughs at me. He takes me very seriously.”
The documentary continues to tell stories from her friends where they report that Marsha would light candles and pray at various churches around town. Although she was raised in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Marsha did not allow denominational lines to keep her from her devotion to God and finding her own way to interact with the Divine.
Marsha P. Johnson was found dead in 1992, a little over 30 years ago, and her death remains unsolved. She was 46 years old. We pray that one day her death will be solved. Today, we are honored to highlight Marsha P. Johnson, and in highlighting her, we hope that you are able to learn a fuller picture of her life and that our faith moves us to be advocates for each other. May we celebrate all of who she is, and may our voices be loud as we keep Marsha’s story alive!
