Note: I am an ally to LGBTQIA+ community. As part of the Pride month celebration, I received a request to write an article on Stonewall and Marsha P. Johnson. This is their story.
It began in the early hours on June 29, 1969, nine days after the historic Moon landing. The New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. While the riot that ensued ended after six days, it has left a permanent footprint in the LGBT+ community. Without Stonewall, the current LGBT+ activism and advocacy community would not have existed at all.
In 1960’s, for members of the LGBT+ community, doing things that a heterosexual couple take for granted — holding hands in public, going to a restaurant for a nice dinner, dancing at a club — meant risking their own personal safety. Gay bars and clubs offered a place of refuge. A place where they can express themselves without fear.
Even after LGBT+ patrons were legally allowed to be served alcohol in 1966, many gay bars continued to operate without liquor license, in part because a lot of them were owned by the Mafia. Stonewall Inn was one of the many gay bars owned by the Genovese family. They kept the police on their payroll so the bars will be tipped off before the raid, giving the patrons enough time to relocate. In return, the Mafia ran the establishment in a subpar condition (no fire exits, no running water behind the bar), and blackmailed the wealthiest patrons who wished to keep their identity a secret.
Stonewall Riot, 1969
Regardless, Stonewall Inn became one of the few establishments in the Village that welcomed drag queens, including the one who was often seen with a flower crown — Marsha P. Johnson. In the early hours of June 29, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn. This time, there was no tip. The standard “raid protocol” at that time was that patrons and employees were taken to the restroom for physical examination, and anyone who was not dressed in accordance with their assigned gender at birth was arrested. Those who were not arrested were told to leave. Instead, a crowd of 150 people formed outside of the inn. “We Shall Overcome” was sung at one point. A woman in handcuffs was forcefully escorted to the police wagon. When she got hit in the head with a baton, she yelled at the crowd to take action, to stop being bystanders. The riot that broke out, followed by the five-day long protest are what we now know as the Stonewall Riot.
Marsha P. Johnson
Marsha Johnson is often referred to as the one who threw the first brick, or the first shot glass. She probably threw both, and many more things that night. While she is often associated with the Stonewall Riot, her true accomplishments followed in the years to come. In 1970, Marsha and Sylvia Rivera, a gay liberation and transgender rights activist, founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), an organization that provided housing and community support to homeless LGBT+ youth in Lower Manhattan. In the 1980’s Marsha was involved with AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) as an organizer and activist working to improve the lives of people with AIDS.
On July 6, 1992, Marsha’s body was found floating in the Hudson River. Her death was at first ruled as a suicide; changed to murder only after many witnesses came forward. She was 46.
Violence against transgender women is still prevalent in 21st century, and it disproportionately affects women of color. In 2019, at least 26 transgender women were murdered in the United States. 91% of them were black. The term “at least” is used, because many violent crimes against transgender women goes unreported, or victims robbed of their rightful pronoun.
In Memoriam ~ Rest In Power
June 28, 1970 marked the first year anniversary of the Stonewall Riot. The day was celebrated by marches in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago — the first Pride Parade. This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Pride Parade. While the parade itself may be canceled, the spirit of Pride is relevant now more than ever. Be kind to each other. Treat each other with respect and dignity. We were Born This Way.
Stonewall Inn, Present Day