marsha p johnson speech transcript

Ask them to think about the kind of monument or memorial they would want to create for Marsha, based on her life story. She was 46. (LAUGH) But is her name and folks who came after her and worked alongside her, are those names forgotten, overlooked by accident, by intent? Willis: Of course. And so for me it's been very important to always be a Black trans woman when I come into spaces. She wanted to protect young transpeople living on the street by giving them a home. 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. It will be the citysand according to New York City, the worldsfirst monument dedicated to transgender individuals. And the idea of womanhood, is it worth having to explain to people what it means to live in this identity? or a search for the Black Trans Lives Matter movement. Transpeople were more likely to be homeless and targeted by police. Marsha enjoyed expressing herself through her appearance. 'Cause it's like you're only cherished if you're dead, or you're only cherished if you can be in the spotlight and in some ways serve this desire of a cis person for you to be a spectacle, right, so they can add another layer of distance to you. Thank you. The term transgender wasnt commonly used in Marshas lifetime, but she identified as a transvestite, gay and a drag queen and used she/her pronouns. She was often abused by clients and arrested by the police. Sylvia Rivera. National Womens History Museum. It is said those who threw the first brick on Trymaine Lee: Last month, in the middle of Pride, thousands of people gathered in Brooklyn, New York for a rally for Black trans lives. I mean, I wish I could say yes, but Black cis folks are not doing enough. I think its about time the gay brothers and sisters got their rights especially the women., On Embracing Her Identity: 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., On Human Rights: You never completely have your rights, one person, until you all have your rights. Marsha P. Johnson was a proud and outspoken member of the LGBTQ+ community before it was popular to be so. 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. Cihak and Zima (photographer), Ida B. Wells-Barnett, ca. 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/. For example, dancing with a person of the same sex as well as cross-dressing were illegal. And so I don't want to leave places, you know, coming in as the first Black trans woman to do X, Y, and Z and then have not built any pathways for more Black trans people to come into the space, to carry the banner when I leave and inevitably go do other work. She said in a 1989 interview that, Before gay rights, before the Stonewall, I was involved in the Black Liberation movement, the peace movementI felt I had the time and I knew that I had to do something. Lady Gaga Stonewall Day Speech Transcript 2019: "I Would Take a Our executive producer is Ellen Frankman. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. Chicago Rothberg, Emma. The Importance of Dialogue, Development and Acceptance We have been fighting to be respected, fighting to live for centuries. And I think what is consistent unfortunately is the sidelining of our voices and the sidelining of our experiences and work. Marsha is one of many Black Trans But when people are close to you and they're side, maybe they're family or people that you really respect and they don't get it, does that sting a little bit? She realized that the fastest way to make money was to hustle. This meant working as a sex worker; The work, due to stigmatization of sex workers, was incredibly dangerous. Rivera frequently experienced homelessness and had problems with substance abuse. The LGBTQ community was furious the police did not investigate her death. May 31, 2022 6:30 AM. Johnson is also now the subject of many documentaries. Willis: First of all, anytime a celebrity tweets, I'm like, "How you got time for this?" 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. They were not only angered by the police raid but also the oppression and fear they experienced every day. [4]The transgender women at Stonewall were pushed out of the gay rights movement. Chien-shiung Wu (1912-1997), professor of physics at Columbia University, 1963. WebToday, historians and former friends of Marsha describe her as a trans woman. If I can't even get the people closest to me to understand what's going on, how am I gonna get the masses to get it?" STAR House was of personal importance to Johnson and Rivera as they had both spent much of their youth experiencing homelessness and destitution. Mostly white cisgender gay men, but also cisgender lesbians as well. The Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA), New York State Office of the Attorney General,https://ag.ny.gov/civil-rights/sonda-brochure. They fixed up the building and paid rent for nearly eight months. WebMarsha P. Johnson, transgender activist and urban legend, was never one to mince words. I think when you're close to people it does hurt in a particular way. Abrams is now one of the most prominent African American female politicians in the United States. says peoples pronouns should While it was in use during Marshas life, this term is now considered offensive and has been replaced with other terminology, such as transgender. Protest Leader: Black trans power matters. Lee: Black trans women in particular have been an important of the gay rights movement since the Stonewall uprising in 1969 in New York City. Wells, Anna Julia Cooper were sidelined as Black women. The first Gay Pride Parade took place in 1970 and a series of gay rights groupsincluding the Gay Liberation Front, a more radical organization, and the Gay Activist Alliance, a more moderate and focused spin-off groupemerged. We have an issue particularly in media where we often get to be either victims, of course, and not alive, or we're a superstar or celebrity. Marsha P. Johnson. National Womens History Museum. Marsha Pay it no Mind Johnson Challenging Gender Episode Lee: Raquel, thank you so much for joining me. We can educate you, learn the history. 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. Willis: I think it's all of the above. 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. You can't say that it's about having a particular set of chromosomes. Lee: You know, I guess it was maybe two weeks ago now at the Black Trans Lives Rally in Brooklyn, we were actually driving home to Brooklyn and it was like I'd never seen (LAUGH) almost that many people. Why do you think Marshas life has started to gain more attention in recent years? Marsha was neither the first nor the last trans woman of color to be a victim of violence. Looking for more quotes? One morning, they returned to the truck just as it was pulling away with STAR residents sleeping inside. Rivera was born in New York City in 1951 to a father from Puerto Rico and a mother from Venezuela. The store owners called her riffraff and threw her out. ' In 2001, she was marching in New York City Pride Parades and living in Transy House. And I think that we do a disservice by allowing folks who lead Black liberation movements to envision liberation as contingent on one identity or one experience. "Read Stamped from the Beginning," right? Trans women, particularly women of color, were regular targets of hate crimes. The store owners called her riffraff and threw her out. A man pulled a gun on me and snatched my pocketbook in a car. Immediately after graduating from Thomas A. Edison High School, Johnson moved to New York City with one bag of clothes and $15. Johnson described herself as a gay person, a transvestite, and a drag queen and used she/her pronouns; the term transgender only became commonly used after her death. Steve Lickteig is executive producer of audio. Invite students to research recent activism around the extreme violence that trans women of color continue to face. Willis: It does hurt. Encourage them to search for articles about the Marsha and Sylvia statue in New York City, Marsha P. Johnson state park in Brooklyn, and more. Marsha P. Johnson was one of the most prominent figures of the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s in New York City. It feels like a different time. To celebrate Pride month and to honor the current protests in our country, here are nine of Marsha P. Johnson's most timeless quotes. A heads up: some of the fan-made artwork is available for purchase and goes towards a good cause. RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU "I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville, until I became a drag queen." 1890. Young trans women like Marsha were particularly vocal that night because they felt they had nothing to left to lose. We don't really talk about how we have our own conceptions of which victims are worthy of our empathy. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. 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. 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. WebIn 1963, Rivera met Marsha P. Johnson and it changed her life.

Contests And Sweepstakes Ending Soon, Kehe Corporate Office, Florida Man April 7, 2002, Ria Money Transfer Location In Fiji, Contests And Sweepstakes Ending Soon, Articles M