Celebrating Marsha P. Johnson
In honor of Marsha P. Johnson's birthday on August 24, the Advocate connected with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York to celebrate her life and legacy.
Born in 1945, Johnson was a revolutionary Black transgender sex worker and activist, best known for her role in the Stonewall Riots of 1969. A "drag mother" who supported struggling youth in the city, she worked with Sylvia Rivera to found the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) and helped lay the foundation for the modern LGBTQ+ movement.
Often overlooked in favor of white, cisgender icons, she has since been recognized as a key figure. Photos from The Center's archives show her marching in Pride parades, attending protests, and connecting with her West Village community, where she became known as the "Mayor of Christopher Street." She died in 1992.
The Center celebrated what would have been Johnson's 77th birthday by hosting the QT Art Camp, a summer series of art workshops for queer and trans youth. Students joined a drawing session on August 24, 2022, learning the fundamentals of portrait drawing from Jesse Pallotta's sculpture "A Love Letter to Marsha" on view in The Center's lobby. The following day, dance artists Angel Glasby and Jose Lapaz-Rodriguez hosted a breakdown of vogue, one of the many rich art forms brought to us by the queer BIPOC community.
Keep scrolling for historic photos from The Center Archive.
Gay Liberation Front demonstration at Bellevue Hospital — 1970
Photographer: Richard C. Wandel. Courtesy of The Center Archive.
Christopher Street Liberation Day, New York — June 24, 1973
Photographer: Leonard Fink. Courtesy of The Center Archive.
Gay Pride March, New York — June 30, 1974
Photographer: Leonard Fink. Courtesy of The Center Archive.
Gay Pride March, New York — June 29, 1975
Photographer: Leonard Fink. Courtesy of The Center Archive.
