How Marsha P. Johnson influenced Queer lives

By: Elizabeth Guerrero Marsha P. Johnson was an African-American transgender artist and activist. She is responsible for leading many protests and riots to demand rights for gay people. These occurred most prominently as part of the stonewall riots. The Stonewall Uprising began in 1969 after police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City. The impact of these riots were great for the LGBTQ+ community as it led to a more accepting society and other huge steps such as the legalization of same-sex marriage (Obergefell v. Hodges 2015).

Apart from this Marsha founded an organization known as STAR - Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries. Marsha did this alongside a friend, Sylvia Rivera and together they worked to support homeless gay and trans teenagers. She was a marvelous advocate for other issues such as abusive police force and she spoke with pride on behalf of prisoners, sex workers, and etc. The battle in support of LGBTQ people is nowhere near over. Over the years the violence has risen horribly. It is only June and already 21 transgender people have been murdered. This does not include all the tragedies which go unreported or undiscovered. Knowing this, it is our responsibility to continue the work until every member of the LGBTQ community can live and live comfortably.

Johnson’s passion for these issues came from her own experiences. She was often homeless after leaving her hometown with a mere $15. Along with struggling with poverty, Johnson dealt with mental illness. Despite this, Marsha worked with so much love and fervor for this cause and for that her name will be honored forever. Sources: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/52981395.amp https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots https://www.out.com/crime/2021/2/03/all-trans-americans-killed-violently-2021#media-gallery-media-2