If you have had any exposure to Pride before, chances are you have heard the name Marsha P. Johnson before. But who was she? Why is her name everywhere? What does the P. stand for?
Born right on the border between New Jersey and New York, Johnson found herself in Greenwich Village shortly after high school. She fought to establish herself as a Black, trans drag queen, and single-handedly created a reputation for herself as the neighborhood “drag mother” of Christopher Street. For example, she had a close friendship with another trans woman new to New York City: Sylvia Rivera.
But Johnson’s mythical status in queer history stems from the Stonewall Inn riots rather than her successful drag career. When the gay bar was raided on June 28, 1969, Johnson is famously credited with fighting back by throwing the first brick against police.
The riots prompted organizers to create groups and hold marches, and the movement for LGBT+ rights was never the same. Today, witnesses and queer historians can’t seem to agree on anything about Stonewall: who threw the first brick, Marsha or Sylvia, what the mood at Stonewall was that night, and even whether a brick was thrown at all.
But the details don’t actually matter. As Marsha would say, “Pay it no mind.” That’s what the P. stands for, after all.
Instead, it’s the fiercely proud spirit of queer folks rising up against violent and oppressive forces that remains with us today.
SOURCES: About MPJ, Life Story, Who Threw It? Let’s Argue.