The Phoenix Center invites the community to a weekend of celebration in honor of what would have been activist Marsha P. Johnson’s 80th birthday. The festivities include a fundraiser dance party, an afterparty and a free film screening, all paying tribute to the life and legacy of one of the most iconic figures in LGBTQ+ history.
Marsha P. Johnson was a fearless Black transgender activist and drag performer who played a central role in the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York, considered a turning point in the gay rights movement. She adopted the name Marsha P. Johnson after moving to Greenwich Village. When asked what the “P” stood for, she’d famously reply, “Pay it no mind,” a witty and defiant response to questions about her gender.Â
Johnson was born Malcolm Michaels Jr. on Aug. 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the fifth of seven children in a working-class, religious family. Assigned male at birth, Johnson began dressing in girls’ clothes around the age of 5. Her parents were disapproving of her self-expression and she was often bullied by the boys in her neighborhood. During a 1992 interview, she described being a young victim of sexual assault at the hands of a 13-year-old boy, after which she stopped cross-dressing and decided the idea of being gay was “some sort of dream” rather than a realistic possibility.
In 1963, Johnson graduated from Thomas A. Edison High School and moved to New York City. The 17-year-old brought one bag of clothes and $15 with her. Though she often struggled to make ends meet, living in Greenwich Village became the catalyst for embracing her identity and discovering her passions, despite the challenges she often faced being Black and queer.
A prominent figure in New York’s gay community, Johnson was a member of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and, with her close friend Sylvia Rivera, cofounded the radical activist group Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR). She was also a vibrant presence in the city’s art scene, modeling for Andy Warhol and performing with the drag troupe Hot Peaches. Known as the “mayor of Christopher Street,” she was a welcoming and beloved figure in Greenwich Village. Later in life, she became a dedicated AIDS activist with ACT UP, beginning in 1987.
Johnson died in 1992 at the age of 46 and an investigation into her death remains open to this day. A 2017 Netflix documentary by director David France, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, looks at both the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death and her life’s work advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, particularly for trans women of color. Johnson continues to inspire movements for equity and justice into the present.
“Marsha P. Johnson was a fearless and fly woman who dedicated her life to helping people,” said Ricki Marvel, a local singer/songwriter and activist who has agreed to host the birthday event. “This weekend of events will give us a chance to honor one of our trancestors and reflect on our power, as well as the challenges BIPOC trans folks face.”
“This weekend is about honoring Marsha’s legacy the way she lived: with joy, resistance and beauty,” said Teresa Silva, executive director of The Phoenix Center. “We invite everyone, LGBTQ+ folks and allies alike, to come together, celebrate and support the work that still needs to be done.”
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This article appears in Fall Guide 2025.
