The LGBTQIA+ activist modelled for Andy Warhol
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE VIA NETFLIX
It’s likely that you’ve seen the iconic picture of Marsha P. Johnson wearing a flower crown, a bold red lip, smiling directly into the camera. The trailblazing trans activist is one of the most prominent figures in LGBTQIA+ history, and her legacy lives on today through organisations like the Marsha P. Johnson Institute.
Marsha was one of the pivotal figures at the Stonewall Uprising in 1969, the event which catalysed modern-day LGBTQIA+ civil rights as we know them and led to the formation of the world’s first Pride. She was a powerful LGBTQIA+ activist, and her words have continued to inspire generations to follow.
While many of us may know her face and her words, you may not know these facts about Marsha.
She co-founded STAR and STAR House
Marsha was one of the founding members of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) alongside Sylvia Rivera. In 1970, they opened STAR House, which provided food and shelter for trans youth. Although STAR was not active for long, it has inspired many trans political organisations to follow suit.
She was a member of an avant-garde drag performance troupe
Marsha was not just an activist. She was also part of a troupe called Hot Peaches, where she performed glamorous high drag on stage. In 1990, Marsha even went to London to perform with Hot Peaches. Also in this year, Marsha performed in a production entitled The Heat, where she sang the song Love while wearing an ACT UP “Silence = Death” pin to advocate for AIDS education and visibility.
While her death was initially ruled a suicide, the case has been reopened
Marsha passed away in 1992 and was found in the Hudson River. While the police initially ruled her death as suicidal, friends and community members were quick to say that she had not been suicidal and directed police to investigate the wound on the back of her head. In 2012, the police changed her death from “suicide” to “undetermined”, and the case remains open today.
The P in her name stood for something important
Standing for “Pay It No Mind”, the P in the middle of Marsha’s name was a symbol of her defiant refusal to conform to society’s expectations. When asked about her gender, Marsha would use this motto to silence transphobia.
She modelled for Andy Warhol
Marsha was part of Andy Warhol’s iconic collection, Ladies And Gentlemen, which featured several trans people. While the collection has since gained notoriety for featuring prominent figures like Marsha, the ethics of this series are still up for debate. In an interview with the Village Voice, Marsha pointed out the irony that her portrait was being sold for thousands of dollars while she still struggled to pay rent.
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