A gay liberation activist and a self-identified drag queen, Marsha P. Johnson was born Malcolm Michaels Jr. and known as Marsha. He was a prominent figure in the Stonewall uprising of 1969 and a voice for gay rights. Besides setting up the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), Johnson was also instrumental in giving support to homeless transgender youth in New York City. A tragic accident led to his death in 1992 at the age of 46.
Let us rewind just a bit. What event made Mr. Michaels?
There was a series of protests by LGBTQIA+ community members at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, Lower Manhattan. Their actions were in response to a police raid that began in the early hours of the morning at the Stonewall Inn. Street people and patrons of the Stonewall, other gay bars in the Village, and other lesbian and gay clubs reacted violently when the police became aggressive. As the most significant turning point in the gay liberation movement and LGBTQIA+ rights in America during the twentieth century, the riots are widely regarded as a watershed event.
On June 28, 1969, police officers completely lost control of the situation at the Stonewall Inn due to it being a Mafia-owned establishment. While police raids on gay bars were common in the 1960s, these occurred at the Stonewall Inn due to it being a Mafia-owned establishment regarding the questionable motives of the patrons of the time. In the evening of the next day and several nights later, tensions between NYPD and gay Greenwich Village residents escalated. Activist groups organized within weeks to demand the right to live openly regarding their sexual orientation. Within months, three lesbian and gay newspapers were started to support rights for gay men and lesbians.
As a mark of the anniversary of the uprising, the first gay pride marches were organized in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco in 1970. Within a few years, gay rights organizations were formed all over the world. As a tribute to the Stonewall riots, LGBTQIA+ Pride events are held annually in June.
I reached out to The Stonewall Inn for an official comment. Further updates will be made available when information is presented.
So, as we progress through June, let us remember those who paved the way for LGBTQIA+ culture.
Let society remember them as the ones who said once and for all the future will be better and we will STOP hate in its tracks.
Citations
Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, June 6). Marsha P. Johnson. Wikipedia. Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsha_P._Johnson
The stonewall inn. The Stonewall Inn. (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://thestonewallinnnyc.com/
admin, S. F. (2022, March 24). LGBTQIA Resource Center Glossary. LGBTQIA Resource Center. Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/glossary
Jonathon M. Poe 