“Saint” Marsha P. Johnson and “Mother” Sylvia Rivera:
Resistance and Liberation
Eyes of past Transgender Women of color and early Activists for Transgender & Gay Rights,
from the Still I Rise series
LED Neckpiece, emiko oye © 2025
Collaboration with Matt Cantu for LED components
Repurposed, recycled and chromed LEGO®; Argentium and sterling silver; found & reworked metal chain necklace, crystal rhinestone necklace and earrings, plastic beads; crystal rhinestone trim; sterling silver plated & non plated nylon coated stainless steel wire; recycled steel label; stainless steel screws and nuts; LED filament, AAA Battery Holder with JST PH connector,10 Ohm resistor, 2 AAA rechargeable batteries
Full neckpiece dimensions in inches: 5 W x 20.5 H x 2.75 D
Neckchain dimensions: 1.5 W x 0.187 – 0.37 D x 21” inside circumference
Marsha P. Johnson. Right photo by Leee Black Childers, NYC Pride March. July 1982
About Marsha P. Johnson
1945-1992
Marsha P. Johnson was a Black Trans woman, activist, self-identified drag queen, performer, sex worker and survivor. She was a prominent figure in the Stonewall uprising of 1969 and an iconic figure in New York City’s LGBTQ+ community from the 1970s-1990s. She was involved in the early days of the Gay Liberation Front, active in it’s Drag Queen Caucus, as well as the Gay Activist Alliance, but grew frustrated with the exclusion of transgender and people of color from the movement. Marsha went by “BLACK Marsha” before settling on Marsha P. Johnson. The “P” stood for “Pay It No Mind,” which is what Marsha would say in response to questions about her gender.
She actively spoke out about the transphobia in the early gay rights movement, and in 1970 together with friend Sylvia Rivera, co-founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), the first transgender organization, and STAR House, which was dedicated to sheltering and supporting homeless transgender and LGBTQ+ youth who were shunned by their families. Although STAR House was short lived, it was important to Marsha and Sylvia as they had both spent much of their youth experiencing homelessness and destitution.
Marsha had a joyous and generous spirit, always one to give what little she had to others in need - people often referred to her as “Saint Marsha”. She made her own clothing extravagant head pieces from whatever she could find, often leftover flowers from the flower markets. She performed internationally in the drag group Hot Peaches, and she attracted the attention of Andy Warhol who included her image in his “Ladies and Gentlemen” series of prints.
She never let her personal setbacks stop her advocacy. Her untreated/undiagnosed syphilis infection led to a series of mental breakdowns, and in 1990 she was diagnosed with H.I.V., the latter of which she spoke publicly about and how people should not be afraid of those with the disease. She was found dead in the Hudson River July 6, 1992, many people have suspected it might have been foul play as 1992 was the worst year on record for anti-LGBTQ violence in New York City. [Source]
2021 - Marsha P. Johnson State Park, Brooklyn, NY - first state park in NY to be dedicated to an LGBTQ person and trans woman of color
LEARN MORE ABOUT MARSHA P. JOHNSON
womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/marsha-p-johnson
The Marsha P. Johnson Institute
#shedeservesspace: Marsha P. Johnson, the fighter, Beyond Stereotypes
Life Story: Marsha P. Johnson: Transgender Activist, Women and the American Story
Images of an Icon: Photographs of Marsha P. Johnson, Faulkner Morgan Archive
The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson, documentary film by David France, 2017, Netflix
Pay It No Mind - The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson, documentary film by Michael Casino, 2012, YouTube
Photo left: Sylvia Rivera, photographer unknown. Photo right: Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, ca. 1989-1990. The Rudy Grillo Collection, Rudy Grillo / LGBTCommunity Center Archive.
About Sylvia Rivera
1951-2002
Sylvia Rivera was a Latinx Trans woman of Puerto Rican & Venezuelan descent, a gay liberation and transgender rights activist who advocated for LGBTQ+ rights in New York during the 1970s right up until her death in 2002 from liver cancer.
She met Marsha P. Johnson in New York City when she was 11 years old and Marsha was 17, both living on the streets as sex workers and became close friends. They were prominent figures in the 1969 Stonewall riots, and soon after co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.) group (now known as S.T.A.R.R or Strategic Transgender Alliance for Radical Reform). She was regarded as a “Mother” figure to many transgender youth.
As someone who suffered from systematic poverty and racism herself, Rivera used her voice for unity, sharing her stories of pain and struggle to show her community they are not alone. She was active member of ACT UP (The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) to raise awareness of the epidemic and demand action from the government. She pushed for the LGBTQ+ community to acknowledge people of color, transgender people, homeless youth and gay inmates in prison as part of the community, part of the social movements in the context of their broader civil rights struggle.
“Coined as the “Rosa Parks of the modern transgender movement,” she paved the way for greater access to dignity and legal protections for all gay people, and is best known for her dedication to furthering trans-inclusive legislation in New York and beyond. Rivera was committed to Revolution, Transformation, and intersectionality of gender, race and class.
The Sylvia Rivera Law Project continues her legacy, working to guarantee “all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence.” [Source] [Source]
2015- a portrait of Rivera was added to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, the first transgender activist to be included in the gallery.
LEARN MORE
womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sylvia-rivera
Sylvia Rivera: Activist and Trailblazer, National Portrait Gallery blog
Transgender Advocates You Should Know, diversitycomm
transponder.community/empowering-trans-voices-4/
biography.com/activists/sylvia-rivera
Understanding Sylvia Rivera, National Portrait gallery talk, YouTube
Biography of Sylvia Rivera documentary, YouTube
Beyond Stonewall: Exploring LGBTQ+ History Through the Smithsonian Archives, YouTube
If you face discrimination as a Transgender person, you have rights under federal and state law:
“History isn’t something you look back at and say it was inevitable, it happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities”