What Marsha P. Johnson’s Death Can Teach Us About Racism and Homophobia
Marsha P. Johnson was an iconic, revolutionary figure of the gay rights movement. She was also an activist, sex worker, and self-identified drag queen.
Born in 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Marsha P. Johnson became the face of many LGBTQ liberation movements. And even more notably, Johnson was one of the people to ignite the Stonewall Riots of 1969. According to friends, Marsha was a charismatic, dynamic, wise, and kindhearted person who dedicated every aspect of her life to equality for the LGBTQ community.
I’ve been reading a lot about Marsha, both in honor of Pride month and to educate myself more as a white woman and member of the LGBTQ community. I’ve enjoyed learning about Marsha’s story and understanding her influence in the fight for LGBTQ rights. When I see her in videos or photos, I am warmed by her soft smile, her smooth voice, her sparkling eyes. She is truly someone that I wish I could have known.
In learning about her, though, I have come to a rude awakening:
We still don’t know how Marsha P. Johnson died.
This is chilling, inhumane and downright unacceptable.
Marsha died in 1992. She was only 46, and her death came as a shock to much of the LGBTQ…
