The world we know today is paved by the movements people all over the world have pushed. Civil rights movements have been pushed time and time again, every single decade. Every fight was fought by the people and for the people. There are times we forget to properly acknowledge the people who fought for us.
The LGBTQ+ community has gone through scrutiny time and time again, and still they remain strong for the right to love and to express. Queer communities have been scoping out their own spaces for years now, and not once have they backed down from making it their own. Among those people was Marsha P. Johnson, a Black, transgender activist for gay rights.
Born and raised in New York, Johnson quickly became a prominent figure in what was known as the gay liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s. When she took on her drag queen persona, she loved to create and perform and was notable for her beautiful outfits that she often made out of scrap and garbage. Her main priorities were for the rights of Black, gay, and transgender people. She was a vocal advocate amidst the AIDS and HIV crises, especially as a carrier and major target herself.
Her name is often associated with the first “brick” thrown in the Stonewall riots of June 28, 1969, which were a series of demonstrations against police raids on Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar at the time. However, every account from witnesses and participants of the riots was consistent in the fact that Johnson did not throw the first brick, if any at all; she personally testified that she did not even arrive until 2 a.m. that day. Nevertheless, she fought bravely amongst her queer peers against discrimination and police brutality.
Intersectionality reaches deep in every community, and it affects all of our history. Our social standing today is reflected by the fight and sacrifice of people from all places. For the sake of Black history, remember her name.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
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