marsha p johnson speech transcript

But there's still a lot of work to be done. For example, dancing with a person of the same sex as well as cross-dressing were illegal. An acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer and is an umbrella term for the community of people whose gender and sexual identities exist outside of heteronormative expectations. When a Warhol screen-print of Marsha went on display in a Greenwich Village store, Marsha took some friends to see it. Johnson: We just were saying, "No more police brutality," and, oh, "We had enough of police harassment in the Village and other places." To learn more, check out the vocabulary resource guides from. Reyes, Raul A., A Forgotten Latina Trailblazer: LGBT Activist Sylvia Rivera, NBC News, October 6, 2015,https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/forgotten-latina-trailblazer-lgbt-activist-sylvia-rivera-n438586. And in these moments where we see people rising up, and we see coalition building, and we see people coming together in the name of equality, do you believe in this moment that there is a true chance that we'll step closer to the equality that folks claim (LAUGH) they believe in? In the early morning hours, police raided the bar and began arresting the patrons, most of whom were gay men. A term to describe people who wear clothes designed for the opposite sex. In a 1992 interview, Johnson said "I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville until I became a drag queen.. Special thanks to Eric Marcus, founder and host of the podcast Making Gay History, for the use of his 1989 interview with Marsha P. Johnson. There's only one thing they want to get up your dress. 2021.www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/Sylvia-Rivera. So if we're gonna say we're getting rid of prisons, we're defunding the police, which I support, we have to be just as much or maybe more invested in building up the consciousness of our people to be able to actually hold those people who commit harm and abuse accountable in the ways that we need them to be held accountable. A veteran of the 1969 Stonewall Inn uprising, Sylvia Rivera was a tireless advocate for those silenced and disregarded by larger movements. By Emma Rothberg, NWHM Predoctoral Fellow in Gender Studies, 2020-2022. To wear clothes typically associated with a different sex and is most commonly used to describe men who wear make-up and womens clothing. Marsha was part of a growing community of LGBTQ youth who sought acceptance in New York City. New-York Historical Society Library. Stonewall 50 Minisode 1 Marsha P. Johnson & Randy Wicker Our executive producer is Ellen Frankman. But when it comes to this kind of allyship, especially when we're talking about Black people, right, what does it take? 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. How can food be used as a form of cultural memory & resistance? Marsha P Johnson, born 24 August, 1945, holds a special place within the LGBTQ+ community for her larger-than-life spirit and trans rights activism. Unknown photographer, A Typical Boomer Family, ca. When we're talking to white people about white supremacy, we could say, "Read how to be an antiracist," right? Like, does one feed the other, especially when it comes to Black trans lives? And whatever I can do to use the bit of access I might have, or privilege, or platform to push the dignity of Black trans people, I'm gonna do it. Particularly as a Black trans woman, I'm dealing with the dual history of trans women not being seen as women enough but also Black women. 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. No matter how marginalized you are, you can still be an oppressor. #RFK Presidential Announcement w/ Shannon Joy. Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor: Culinary Anthropologist, Dr. Wangari Maathai: The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Towards Hawaiian Sovereignty: Legacy of Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask, Chronicles of American Women: Your History Makers, Women Writing History: A Coronavirus Journaling Project, We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC, Learning Resources on Women's Political Participation, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38099161, https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/who-was-sylvia-rivera, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/20/nyregion/sylvia-rivera-50-figure-in-birth-of-the-gay-liberation-movement.html, https://npg.si.edu/blog/welcome-collection-sylvia-rivera, https://ag.ny.gov/civil-rights/sonda-brochure, https://www.nps.gov/people/sylvia-rivera.htm, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/Sylvia-Rivera, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/forgotten-latina-trailblazer-lgbt-activist-sylvia-rivera-n438586, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-york-city-monument-will-honor-transgender-activists-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera-180972326/, https://www.villagevoice.com/2002/02/26/a-woman-for-her-time/, https://www.out.com/pride/2019/5/21/how-sylvia-rivera-created-blueprint-transgender-organizing. Marsha P. Johnson was born on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. How did Marsha feel about this? Crowd: Black trans lives matter. And we saw just from the turnout for the Rally for Black Trans Lives that there is momentum there also. Date accessed. Not long after moving to New York, then 17-year-old Johnson met 11-year-old Sylvia Rivera. She also found work waiting tables and performing in drag shows. Here are 14 quotes from Johnson that capture her spirit and endless passion for LGBTQ+ rights: On Coming of Age: I was no one, nobody, from Nowheresville until I became a drag queen. Marshas friends and acquaintances strongly disagreed. But do we have a good enough holistic nuance view of that violence? The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Lee: Raquel, thank you so much for your time. Steve Lickteig is executive producer of audio. She was given a place of honor in the 25th Anniversary Stonewall Inn march in 1994. Looking for more quotes? I mean, how often does that happen? Rivera frequently experienced homelessness and had problems with substance abuse. Since the term transgender wasnt used during her time, she identified as gay, transvestite and as a drag queen, using the pronouns she/her. Because as a Black trans woman, you telling me you want to abolish the police or you telling me you want to abolish prisons, that you want to defund the police doesn't necessarily put me completely at ease because I know that I could still be and am likely to be harmed by men in our communities, particularly Black cishet men. I'm Trymaine Lee. I never do it seriously. Marsha P. Johnson, We have to be visible. I think its about time the gay brothers and sisters got their rights . Emma Rothberg, Sylvia Rivera, National Womens History Museum, 2021. Are you Black first? Marsha P. Johnson Raised by her grandmother, Rivera began experimenting with clothing and makeup at a young age. Throughout the 1970s, Johnson became a more visible and prominent member of the gay rights movement. Their tireless efforts continue to resonate as issues surrounding the health, safety, and autonomy of Black, Brown, and Indigenous Trans women are still challenged. is a 2017 fictional short film that imagines the gay and transgender rights pioneers Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera in the hours that led up to the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City. Willis: I think it's all of the above. Marsha enjoyed expressing herself through her appearance. Sylvia Rivera, National Park Service,https://www.nps.gov/people/sylvia-rivera.htm. Marsha P. Johnson at the First Christopher Street Liberation Day March, 1970. I mean how many years does it take people to see that? So there's no way to talk about us getting to liberation without talking about Black trans people. especially the women. CNN I've been around them for years, from working the streets. New-York Historical Society Library. I really appreciate it. And so we've got to understand that. (LAUGH) Or is it too tough? Rivera, a Puerto Rican transgender girl, and the two became instant friends. We have been fighting to be respected, fighting to live for centuries. On multiple occasions, clients pulled guns on Marsha. Ask them to think about the kind of monument or memorial they would want to create for Marsha, based on her life story. The case involving Marshas death remained closed for decades. Why do you think they were so close? Wilchins, Riki, A Woman for Her Time,The Village Voice, February 26, 2002,https://www.villagevoice.com/2002/02/26/a-woman-for-her-time/. Johnson, an African American self-identified drag queen and activist, was also battling exclusion in a movement for gay rights that did not embrace her gender expression. The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. WebMarsha P. Search streaming video, audio, and text content for academic, public, and K-12 institutions. Like, it's hard to know in the moment. Honey, I promise you, I'm not. Rivera said in a 1995 interview with The New York Times of participating in this parade, the movement had put me on the shelf, but they took me down and dusted me offStill, it was beautiful. I was involved with that.. And it's just a reminder that we've been here and it's a reminder we're gonna be here. She never let her personal setbacks stop her advocacy. The troubles she experienced as a child followed her into adulthood. It was difficult for Marsha to find work. Please try again. Despite her joyous personality and ever-present smile, Johnson experienced hardship. Is it education? LIVE! Date accessed. Emma Rothberg, Sylvia Rivera, National Womens History Museum, 2021. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/Sylvia-Rivera. WebHappy Birthday, Marsha! Raquel Willis: There's this idea that because we are having an openly different gender experience, that we deserve the abuse that we may receive. She started Transy House, modeled off STAR House, in 1997 in Park Slope, Brooklyn. NASA on The Commons, via flickr, Home / Growth and Turmoil, 1948-1977 / Growing Tensions / Life Story: Marsha P. Johnson. Lot of flying. The monuments are dedicated to their legacy and to share their stories for generations to come. I would love for there to be a massive mobilization of allies of Black folks. You may wish to start with a screening of. Marsha P. Johnson The group became a space to organize and discuss issues facing the transgender community in New York City and they also had a building, STAR House, that provided lodgings for those who needed it. I think about how Black cis women like Breonna Taylor so often fall under the radar of a zeitgeist that prioritizes men regardless of your racial or ethnic background. WebToday, historians and former friends of Marsha describe her as a trans woman. Throughout her life, she fought against the exclusion of transgender people, especially transgender people of color, from the larger movement for gay rights. They were not only angered by the police raid but also the oppression and fear they experienced every day. And when that doesn't happen, I mean, you're being dehumanized on two levels. Acronym for Auto Immune Deficiency Disorder. That night, police officers raided the gay bar. Willis: Of course. WebMarsha P. Johnson: The way I winded up being at Stonewall that night, I was having a party uptown. Black trans lives matter. What tensions existed within the gay liberation movement? And I think for me as an activist, I take it also to be like, "Is what I'm doing even working? Marsha described herself as a gay person, a transvestite, and a drag queen. But I'll be honest. A progressive social reformer and activist, Jane Addams was on the frontline of the settlement house movement and was the first American woman to wina Nobel Peace Prize. 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. Image Credit:Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Ron Simmons. Willis: I think that we need all the allies. By Source, Fair use,https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38099161. A man pulled a gun on me and snatched my pocketbook in a car. The Stonewall Inn uprising was also a turning point in the visibility of the gay rights movement. Devaney, Susan, Who Was Sylvia Rivera? A person who identifies with the sex they were assigned at birth. She was the fifth of seven children born to Malcolm Michaels Sr. and Alberta Claiborne. So it is hurtful, but I don't have the luxury of giving up. And that's something other LGBTQ+ folks, particularly white ones, need to understand. Marsha P. Johnson was an African-American, activist from New Jersey, whose work in the 1960's and 70's had a huge impact on the LGBTQ+ community. By following year, the first gay pride parades took place, and Johnson and Rivera founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) to house, feed and clothe young transgender people. Engraving. Willis: Right. During Marshas lifetime, the term transgender was not commonly used. It was about the oppression and fear they felt every single day. Marsha Pay it no Mind Johnson Challenging Gender How do you actually navigate those spaces? You know, and so when I think about the murders of Black trans women at the hands of Black cis men, I'm very particular about how and when and where I have those conversations because inevitably what is happening to us will be used in the service of white supremacy against Blackness writ large. Once in New York, Johnson returned to dressing in clothing made for women and adopted the full name Marsha P. Johnson; the P stood for Pay It No Mind, a phrase that became her motto. You know, at every level there's a systemic transphobia that is not being addressed. Invite students to. Compare the lives of Marsha P. Johnson and, Connect Marshas life story to other LGBTQ individuals within, One of Marshas proudest moments was with Andy Warhol. Look no further than our guide. Trymaine Lee: Last month, in the middle of Pride, thousands of people gathered in Brooklyn, New York for a rally for Black trans lives. It wasnt commonly used until the 1990s. She spoke publicly about it and told people she hoped they would not be afraid of those who had the disease. Willis: No, I think that we have to find pockets of joy. Together, they started raising their voices. She sometimes lived with friends. You say Marsha P. Johnson, and people who don't know, she was so about it, right, and so about the work. And so Black women in general have had to fight against this restrictive idea of womanhood that has been contingent on a white bourgeois imagination. Show all 45 During her speech at her New York gig, the "Born This Way" singer also celebrated transgender activist Marsha P Johnson, who played a pivotal role in the Stonewall riots. Lee: You know, I don't want to either/or it or make it too reductive or too simple. What does this make you think and feel? What opportunities did she find? And that fearless attitude exemplifies how the Black transgender activist lived her life, leading the charge for LGBTQ+ rights every step of the way and helping instigate the Stonewall Inn uprising that sparked the gay pride movement. TRANSCRIPT I don't trust men that much anymore., On the Fight for Freedom: No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us., On Her Reputation: I know people think Im a stupid little street queen out there begging for change cause theres nothing else she knows how to do., On Gender Roles: I'm very comfortable around straight men. I also think about our institutions. Other times, it seems like the vulnerabilities and the layer of vulnerabilities that Black trans people find themselves in are those layers of vulnerability that many Black people face: poverty, abuse and trauma. series. Marsha had a reputation for being generous and kind. And I didn't get downtown till about 2:00. At Marshas funeral, hundreds of people showed up. Cihak and Zima (photographer), Ida B. Wells-Barnett, ca. The two became instant friends. She also created and wore elaborate crowns of fresh flowers. She began dressing almost exclusively in womens clothes and adopted the full name Marsha P. Johnson. My name is Todd Bishop. And from those earliest days, people had concerns about Black folks, brown folks, people who are incarcerated, and of course trans people because we were seen as not in line with some of the assimilationist goals of many of those early movement figures. 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.

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marsha p johnson speech transcript

marsha p johnson speech transcript