marsha p johnson speech transcript

The two became instant friends. Marsha and Sylvia later formed the Street Transvestite Activist Revolutionaries (STAR). It was a time when same-sex dancing in public wasnt allowed, bars were banned from serving alcoholic drinks to gay people and cross-dressing could lead to a sexual deviancy arrest. And when you think about people like J.K. Rowling, and I want to read this quote, she said, quote, "If sex isn't real, the lived reality of women globally is erased." So it is hurtful, but I don't have the luxury of giving up. But life didnt start out fearlessly for Johnson. Protest Leader: Black trans power matters. especially the women. That interview originally appeared on his show, Making Gay History. At Marshas funeral, hundreds of people showed up. How are you gonna support transforming our families, having those hard conversations with our elders? Happy Birthday, Marsha Willis: I absolutely do think that there is a confluence and overlap of LGBTQ+ liberation and Black liberation. What was Marshas role in the Stonewall uprising, and how did it shape the rest of her life? University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center. The Rudy Grillo Collection, Rudy Grillo / LGBT Community Center Archive. June 7, 1999. A person who was assigned male at birth but identifies as a woman. You can't say that it's about having a particular set of body, you know, thinking of the many women I know who have had hysterectomies, right? I think about how Black cis women like Breonna Taylor so often fall under the radar of a zeitgeist that prioritizes men regardless of your racial or ethnic background. They thought it was more likely that Marsha was a victim of an attack. Date accessed. Marsha P. Johnson: The way I winded up being at Stonewall that night, I was having a party uptown. WebMarsha P. Johnson at the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, a protest inspired by the events that took place at the Stonewall Inn. In another, she climbed a lamppost and dropped a heavy purse onto a police car, shattering the windshield. The troubles she experienced as a child followed her into adulthood. In 1963, Rivera met Marsha P. Johnson and it changed her life. 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. Johnson, like many other transgender women, felt they had nothing to lose. Johnsons life changed when she found herself engaging with the resistance at The Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969. But how are you finding joy in this moment? That night, police officers raided the gay bar. A performance artist who typically dresses up like a woman for entertainment purposes. Susan Devaney, Marsha P Johnsons Activism Matters Now More than Ever, Vogue UK, June 6, 2020, https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/who-was-marsha-p-johnson, Meilan Solly, New York City Monument Will Honor Transgender Activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, Smithsonian Magazine, June 3, 2019, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-york-city-monument-will-honor-transgender-activists-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera-180972326/, Hugh Ryan, Power to the People: Exploring Marsha P. Johnsons Queer Liberation, Out, August 24, 2017, https://www.out.com/out-exclusives/2017/8/24/power-people-exploring-marsha-p-johnsons-queer-liberation, Sewall Chan, Marsha P. Johnson, Overlooked, The New York Times, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/obituaries/overlooked-marsha-p-johnson.html?mtrref=&mtrref=undefined&gwh=7FAC77AD0450CB8215713140B8184F62&gwt=regi&assetType=REGIWALL. Good news is coming your way! When the organizers of the gay pride parade tried to ban STAR, they showed up anyway. They fixed up the building and paid rent for nearly eight months. But I will say I don't think that this is just a moment for Black trans people. IE 11 is not supported. I mean, I think things have definitely shifted in the last few years of my career. In 1970, Johnson and Rivera founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), an organization dedicated to sheltering young transgender individuals who were shunned by their families. The two also began STAR House, a place where transgender youth could stay and feel safe. The first STAR House was in the back of an abandoned truck in Greenwich Village. series. I mean, how often does that happen? Marshas friends and acquaintances strongly disagreed. And I didn't get downtown till about 2:00. 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. So, I mean, there are so many ways in which the argument against trans women being women also erases swaths of cisgender women who don't have those particular experiences. Original music by Hannis Brown. That is just another element of patriarchy. You should stand as close to them as you can and help them out as much as you can. Lee: This is from a 1989 interview with journalist Eric Marcus. Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor: Culinary Anthropologist, Dr. Wangari Maathai: The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Towards Hawaiian Sovereignty: Legacy of Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask, 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, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38099161, https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/who-was-sylvia-rivera, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/20/nyregion/sylvia-rivera-50-figure-in-birth-of-the-gay-liberation-movement.html, https://npg.si.edu/blog/welcome-collection-sylvia-rivera, https://ag.ny.gov/civil-rights/sonda-brochure, https://www.nps.gov/people/sylvia-rivera.htm, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/Sylvia-Rivera, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/forgotten-latina-trailblazer-lgbt-activist-sylvia-rivera-n438586, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-york-city-monument-will-honor-transgender-activists-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera-180972326/, https://www.villagevoice.com/2002/02/26/a-woman-for-her-time/, https://www.out.com/pride/2019/5/21/how-sylvia-rivera-created-blueprint-transgender-organizing. How do you actually navigate those spaces? By Source, Fair use,https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38099161. What was STAR, and why was it so important? says peoples pronouns should Chicago Rothberg, Emma. After graduating high school, Marsha moved to New York City with only $15 and a bag of clothes. Chicago Rothberg, Emma. Her partner, Julia Murray, was with her at the time of her death. If you walked down Christopher Street, Marsha would receive you in the manner of a gracious host. So people like Marsha P. Johnson, Zazu Nova, a Black trans elder who's still with us named Miss Major were present there and were actively invested in the fight that sprang out of that moment. Johnson also became an AIDS activist, later revealing in a 1992 interview that she had been HIV-positive for two years. Dunlap, David W., Sylvia Rivera, 50, Figure in Birth of the Gay Liberation Movement,New York Times, February 20, 2002,https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/20/nyregion/sylvia-rivera-50-figure-in-birth-of-the-gay-liberation-movement.html. As he entered activism, community organizing, and politics, Milk became known as a champion of the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, minorities, immigrants, women, and children. Marsha P. Johnson never self-identified with the term transgender, but the term was also not in broad use while she was alive. Willis: I don't think so. 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. What challenges did she face there? She sometimes lived with friends. I really appreciate it. Thats what made me in New York, thats what made me in New Jersey, thats what made me in the world., On Changing History: History isn't something you look back at and say it was inevitable. The first STAR House was in the back of an abandoned truck in Greenwich Village. Solly, Meilan, New York City Monument Will Honor Transgender Activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, Smithsonianmag.org, June 3, 2019,https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-york-city-monument-will-honor-transgender-activists-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera-180972326/. The City intends to have the monuments installed by 2021, as part of a plan to address gender gaps in public art. Hey, Luke. When they could no longer pay, they were evicted. . 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. Jarena Lee, 1849. Describe Marshas and Sylvias friendship. Lee: Raquel, thank you so much for your time. Willis: I think that we need all the allies. Marsha was often alone with strangers in hotel rooms and cars. 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. But I don't know if we'll even completely know we're in a revolution probably until maybe it's almost over, right? But I'll be honest. reinc: The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. She actively spoke out about the transphobia in the early gay rights movement. We paid the rent. Although only 19, Rivera became a mother to many of the residents of STAR House. 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. 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. Though her life was cut tragically short, Marsha's legacy remains an inspiration to us all. And so in the wake of the Stonewall riots, there was an entire web of nonprofit organizations that sprang out of that, right? Rivera said of Johnson that she was like a mother to me. The two were actively involved in the Stonewall Inn uprising on June 28, 1969 when patrons of the Stonewall Inna gay bar in Greenwich Village in lower Manhattanrebuffed a police raid and set a new tone for the gay rights movement. Black trans women continue to face disproportionate levels of violence. Willis: First of all, anytime a celebrity tweets, I'm like, "How you got time for this?" Marsha is one of many Black Trans 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. And then the last thing I'll say is, you know, you brought up the contours of womanhood. And I think that we have to be able to hold that. Rivera explained in 1998 that she and Johnson decided it was time to help each other and help our other kids. Their rage was not just about the police. Do you disentangle your identity like that? Thank you. However, young Marsha enjoyed wearing clothing made for girls. We are a movement. According to her nephew, Johnson always maintained a close but fraught relationship with her family back in New Jersey. What were the circumstances around Marshas death? We should not be ashamed of who we are. Marsha P. Johnson, Id like to see the gay revolution get started If a transvestite doesnt say Im gay and Im proud and Im a transvestite, then nobody else is going to hop up there and say Im gay and Im proud and Im a transvestite for them. Marsha P. Johnson, Darling, I want my gay rights now! Marsha P. Johnson. The riots had already started, and they said the police went in there and set the place on fire. She started Transy House, modeled off STAR House, in 1997 in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Johnson adored wearing colorful, fun outfits that she made from finds at thrift stores and discarded items; she was also often seen wearing a crown of flowers. We lose a lot of nuance there. Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Thank you for having me. You know, when I had this recent conversation with my brother, I left the conversation, you know, I was angry and I was tearful 'cause it does hurt. WebTo the brave souls who came before us, Marsha P Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Harvey Milk, Audre Lord, and igniting the fight for all of us. Marsha P Johnson, born 24 August, 1945, holds a special place within the LGBTQ+ community for her larger-than-life spirit and trans rights activism. Jen Carlson, Activists Install Marsha P. Johnson Monument in Christopher Park, Gothamist, August 25, 2021. reinc: The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. WebMarsha P. Johnson: The way I winded up being at Stonewall that night, I was having a party uptown. She used she/her pronouns. Marsha was part of a growing community of LGBTQ youth who sought acceptance in New York City. But in the 1950s and 1960s, LGBTQ peoples rights were strictly limited. For example, dancing with a person of the same sex as well as cross-dressing were illegal. Though she struggled with mental health issues, Johnson was beloved for her charismatic persona. The Importance of Dialogue, Development and Acceptance Throughout the 1970s, Johnson became a more visible and prominent member of the gay rights movement. The new monuments and dedicated state park mark powerful steps toward recognizing and amplifying the voices of people who have changed history in their fight for equality, but much remains to be done. Im a strong believer in that and thats why I try to do that for everyone I know has the virus. Marsha P. Johnson, You never completely have your rights, one person, until you all have your rights. Marsha P. Johnson, As long as gay people dont have their rights all across America, theres no reason for celebration. Marsha P. Johnson, Nobody promised you tomorrow. Marsha P. Johnson, I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville, until I became a drag queen. Marsha P. Johnson, I always just do drag. Is it education? She grabbed the microphone anyway, telling the spectators and other marchers, If it wasnt for the drag queen, there would be no gay liberation movement. Nicols Enrquez de Vargas (artist), Portrait of Sor Juana Ins de la Cruz, ca. She brought some serious thoughts to this gay audience. Show more Show more Sylvia Rivera | National Women's History Museum You may wish to start with a screening of. Lee: That was Raquel Willis, a Black trans activist and director of communications for the Ms. Foundation. I don't think any of us have the luxury of focusing on one group or the other. She slept in hotel rooms, restaurants, and movie theaters. In 1990, Johnson was diagnosed with H.I.V. After her high school graduation, she moved across the Hudson River to New York City in 1963 with only a bag of clothes and $15. She used she/her pronouns. The Historic New Orleans Collection, acc. 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 She was arrested over 100 times. Lee: I'm Trymaine Lee, and this is Into America. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. 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/. To honor Johnsons life, public art will be included and interpretive park signage throughout the park will share her story. To learn more, check out the vocabulary resource guides from. Marsha taught Sylvia how to apply makeup, live on the street, and look out for trouble. Wells, Anna Julia Cooper were sidelined as Black women. Willis: I definitely think that names like Marsha P. Johnson were forgotten intentionally. Johnson and Rivera arrived at Stonewall around 2am where, Johnson said in a later interview, the place was already on fire, and there was a raid already. She began dressing almost exclusively in womens clothes and adopted the full name Marsha P. Johnson. The best email in your inbox.Filled with the days best good news. I don't relish in these ideas of being the first, or being a token, or being an only. Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City. What tensions existed within the gay liberation movement? Rivera, a Puerto Rican transgender girl, and the two became instant friends. 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,. A monument dedicated to Marsha P Johnson, the late African-American transgender activist and pioneer, will be unveiled in New York in 2021. Sylvia Rivera. National Womens History Museum. With public installations already being implemented, the plan is to complete renovations by 2021. Marsha P. Johnson. National Womens History Museum. Throughout her life, she fought against the exclusion of transgender people, especially transgender people of color, from the larger movement for gay rights. Oh, there was a lot of little chants we used to do in those days. The film stars Mya Taylor as Johnson and Eve Lindley as Rivera.. What is it, do you think? Her father was absent and her mother died by suicide when Rivera was 3 years old. She also continued to engage in sex work, not knowing any other way to make money, and continued to get arrested. 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. And yet we have to contend with the fact that even if there was a clear story, which there rarely is for any victim, particularly if you're Black, he would not have gotten any more attention from most people because people have a bias against trans folks. Now they are getting a statue in New York And it also of course extends to folks who are nonbinary or gender nonconforming who straddle all of these struggles. Note: Marshas life story includes a large amount of vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to teachers and students. 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? We kept the building going. Like, does one feed the other, especially when it comes to Black trans lives? 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. An infectious disease that attacks a persons immune system and can be difficult to treat. Yet this was not the first time Rivera was directly involved in activism. They were pushed out of the fight for suffrage in this country. I think about just two days after George was murdered, Tony McDade was murdered in Tallahassee, Florida, a Black transgender man. I found a little bit of joy having this complex, smart conversation with you. It was difficult for Marsha to find work. You know, I thought that we were at a point where we were past a lot of his misgivings or misconceptions about transness. The Sylvia Rivera Law Project continues her legacy, working to guarantee all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence. The intersection of Christopher and Hudson streets in Greenwich Village, two blocks from The Stonewall Inn, was renamed Sylvia Rivera Way. In 2015, a portrait of Rivera was added to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., making her the first transgender activist to be included in the gallery. In 1990, Marsha contracted AIDS. Sylvia and Marsha hustled every night to make sure their new family had breakfast each morning. They were not only angered by the police raid but also the oppression and fear they experienced every day. Throughout Greenwich Village, she was known as Saint Marsha. Locals admired her ability to truly be herself. She remains one of the most recognized and admired LGBTQ+ advocates.

Vampire Diaries House In Covington, Ga, Best Dorms At Scripps College, Max And Paddy Raymond The Bastard, Olivia Fierro Wedding, Articles M