“Pay It No Mind: The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson”

Screenshot of Marsha P. Johnson in "Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson".

Marsha P. Johnson was a Black LGBTQ+ activist and self-proclaimed drag queen central to the early LGBTQ+ rights movement, including the 1969 Stonewall uprising (them). The 2014 documentary, “Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson,” centers on interviews and recordings of Johnson throughout her life.

Watch Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson on Youtube.

Donate to The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI), which protects and defends the human rights of Black transgender people.

Johnson was born August 24, 1945 in New Jersey to working-class parents. As a teenager, she ran away to New York City with only fifteen dollars in her pocket. She changed her name to Marsha P. Johnson, the “P” standing for “Pay It No Mind,” which is what Marsha would say in response to questions about her gender.

While struggling with mental health, houselessness, the dangers of survival sex work and several arrests, Johnson became an influential member of the Black LGBTQ+ community, often referred to as the “Mayor of Christopher Street” (them). Alongside fellow trans activist Sylvia Rivera, Johnson co-founded the radical activist group Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, which campaigned for equal rights and provided housing and support to houseless LGBTQ+ youth and sex workers. She was also a founder of the Gay Liberation Front, an organized collective of gay liberation groups that protested and marched for gay rights (them). In her later years, she was a prominent activist for ACT UP, a coalition working to end the AIDS epidemic.

On the night of June 27, 1969, police raided The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, NYC. During this time period, raids on gay bars were common, and police would routinely arrest and terrorize patrons. But tonight was different. As patrons were being handcuffed outside the building, a fight broke out, sparking a rebellion that lasted for days. As a result, the LGBTQ+ community across the city rallied to fight for equal rights. The Stonewall uprising ia now considered one of the most influential moments of LGBTQ+ history.

Johnson is often credited as the one who “threw the first brick” that sparked the rebellion, but in interviews, she’s emphasized that wasn't true. Regardless, the influence of Johnson and so many other LGBTQ+ leaders (including Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, who we featured in a previous newsletter) was critical to shaping the culture that sparked this collective uprising (them).

She was also a celebrated drag queen, remembered for both her looks and personality (NYTimes). She toured with the troupe “Hot Peaches” throughout the U.S. and Europe for much of her life and was known for making incredible outfits and jewelry from thrift store finds (Stand with Trans). She wrote and performed spoken-word poetry, some of which is featured in the documentary.

Johnson lived in New York City’s Greenwich Village from 1966 until her death in 1992, when her body was found in the Hudson River. Although the NYPD officially ruled it a suicide, those closest to her believe she was murdered, particularly because violence against trans people – particularly the Black trans community – was rising, and continues to this day (Out). Victoria Cruz of the Anti-Violence Project has spent the past few years fighting to reopen the case, and gather any possible information. The NYTimes released a very belated obituary in 2018 (NYTimes).

The story of the gay rights movement is often told from a white, cis, male perspective. Over the past few years, it’s largely the work of the Black LGBTQ+ community, particularly Black trans women, that have ensured the voices of Johnson and other leaders aren’t lost through history. Tourmaline, an activist, filmmaker and writer based in New York City, has done extensive work to preserve and honor the work of trans activists throughout history. She is the co-director of two films that reflect the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson, “STAR People Are Beautiful People” (2009) and “Happy Birthday, Marsha” (2018). Elle Hearns, a trans activist, founded the Marsha P. Johnson Institute in 2015 to carry Johnson’s work forward and protect the human rights of Black transgender people (them).

It is up to all of us to not just carry the work of our LGBTQ+ leaders into the present, but do all that we can to protect the LGBTQ+ community today. Trans violence and discrimination is still a real threat, particularly with the current series of anti-trans legislation proposed in states to prevent trans youth from playing on sports teams and receiving adequate medical care. Read more and take action in a previous Anti-Racism Daily newsletter.

Reflection Questions

• How are you actively supporting the Black trans community?
• Right now, there are dozens of anti-trans bills being introduced in state legislatures across the U.S. What can you do to rally against their passing?
• Why are Black LGBTQ+ people more marginalized in society? How should that influence our activism?

Learn More

• Watch: “Happy Birthday, Marsha!,” a film about Marsha P. Johnson and her life in the hours before the 1969 Stonewall uprising. Directed by Tourmaline and Sasha Wortzel and starring Independent Spirit Award winner Mya Taylor (Amazon Prime).
• Read: “Pride Is and Always Was About Rebellion, This Year More Than Ever” (them).
• On June 24, 2016, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo designated The Stonewall Inn a State Historic Site, making it the first LGBTQ+ history site in the country listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places (NYC Parks).