By DEVON GOHDE
On Feb.1 , Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the East River State Park located on Hudson River Greenway in Brooklyn will be renamed after late gay rights activist, Marsha P Johnson. The “P” standing for “pay it no mind.”
Johnson, known as the first person to throw a brick at the stonewall riots in 1969 though she had always contended she arrived after the riots, is a prominent figure in the LGBTQ+ , and African American community. She is considered one of the faces of the gay rights movements.
?? Happy Black History Month Ya’ll ??
NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a state park in Williamsburg will be named after #MarshaPJohnson. ? pic.twitter.com/IMYDLnNbN3— Hotline Series (@Hotline_Series) February 5, 2020
“It is important for there to be social recognition for the LGBTQ+ community,” said Mauricio Vasquez from Lodi, New Jersey who is gay and gender-non-conforming “We are so oppressed right now it’s important for there to be more recognition for our community and this park can become a safe space for us.”
Johnson moved to the Greenwich Village, New York, from Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1963. She was homeless and became a prostitute to make ends meets. She found a love of doing drag and soon became a drag mother for homeless LGBTQ+ youth.
Associate Professor of Gender and Women’s studies at the University of Arizona, Susan Stryker said: “Marsha P. Johnson could be perceived at the most marginalized of people, black, queer, gender-nonconforming, poor.”
But that didn’t tear her down; people described Johnson as a charismatic and kind person. Close friend Randy Wicker said, “Friends and many people who knew Marsha called her ‘Saint Marsha’ because she was so generous.”
Sylvia Riveria, another activist, described Johnson as a mother to her. She met Johnson when she was still a pre-teen and working as a child prostitute in 1963. Johnson gave her the love and stability she never had before.
Both Riveria and Johnson were active in organizing and attending gay rights protests. They founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) and opened a shelter for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, which was the first of its kind at the time. Her dream was to see the people of her community have the same rights as everyone else in America.
The Death of Marsha P Johnson
On July 6, 1992, Johnsons body was found floating in the Hudson river after missing for days. She was 46 years old when she died. Police were quick to rule her death as a suicide despite claims from friends and other members of the community that she was not suicidal. They believed she was attacked by people who would regularly harassed and assaulted her near the pier where her body was found.
According to research done by Mic.com, the overall murder rate in the U.S.is 1 in 19,000 per year, but the murder for black trans women per year is 1in 2,6000. In 2002, Johnson’s case was changed from “suicide” to “undetermined,” and in 2012, her case was reopened by the Manhattan District Attorney office, and it remains open to this day.
“How many years has it taken the people to realize that we’re all brothers and sister and human beings in the human race?” she once said, “How many years does it take people to see that we’re all in this rat race together?”
Very informative article, I had known nothing about Marsha P Johnson prior to this article. You captured her motives, struggles, and movement professionally. I now know the significance of her role in the LGBTQ and African American community. Also, the quote to finish the article is really powerful, and captures her personality, good job.
I really enjoyed this story! I felt it was informative and easy to read. I also really liked the media you included, you we’re clear with your use of linking where you got your information from. I think it would have been effective to also add in the perspective or opinion of a black queer person in today’s day and age that you interviewed (but I know the time was limited and it’s not always so easy to have people speak up)