Marsha P. Johnson

✨ Introducing our awesome woman of the week, Marsha P. Johnson! ✨

Marsha was a gay liberation activist and self-identified drag queen. She was a prominent figure in the Stonewall uprising of 1969.

She was a co-founder of the advocacy group STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries). She was also an AIDS activist through the organization ACT UP.

She was an extremely popular figure in New York’s LGBT scene, modeling for Andy Warhol and performing with the renowned drag group Hot Peaches.

After graduating high school, Marsha moved to New York City with a bag of clothes and $15. She spent much of her adult life without a stable home, and struggled with her mental health. She worked as a sex worker while living on the street.

In 1992, her body was discovered in the Hudson River, and was ruled a suicide, though the cause of death is widely questioned.

The Stonewall Uprising is cited as the impetus for modern day Pride celebrations, and it was led primarily by black, trans women (including Marsha).

Make sure you're following us on Instagram at @feminist.doodles to meet a new awesome woman every Wednesday (that's why we call it Awesome Women Wednesdays)! 🌈