marsha p. johnson united states
Marsha P. Johnson was most well-known for her involvement in the Stonewall uprising, but was an activist and self-identified drag queen who strongly believed in LGBTQ+ liberation. The Stonewall Rebellion (1969) occurred when a group of drag queens, transwomen, gay men, and lesbians resisted a police raid at a gay bar called the Stonewall Tavern. Johnson led a life of radical organizing and advocacy for LGBTQ+ liberation, which was exceedingly dangerous during and postLavender Scare*. She was a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front, and a founder of S.T.A.R. (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), which provided support for gay incarcerated folks and housing for LGBTQ+ youth without housing. Johnson understood as a member of the most oppressed identities that quality of life could not be achieved without having basic material needs met.
*Lavender Scare: paralleled anti-communist hysteria and government campaigns (Executive Order 10450), specifically targeting gay and lesbian people as “communist sympathizers”, and sought to remove and out all LGBTQ+ people from their places of work (specifically government positions), housing, etc. Over 5000 people were fired and outed because of this executive order.
What controls you and your community? What must change or shift for you to be truly free?