Marsha P. Johnson was a Black transgender woman who was a pioneer of the Gay Rights movement in the 1960s into the 1990s. She is a well-recognized figure in the Stonewall Riots, and participated heavily in community outreach especially for at-risk transgender youth. In 1970, with Sylvia Rivera, she co-founded  Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), which helped to house and support trans youth who were disowned and rejected by their biological families. Marsha herself grew up in a religious household and had little support from them, however she maintained her Christian religion throughout her lifetime.

During the era in which she was alive and a public figure, the term transgender was not in common use and Marsha described herself as “a gay person, a transvestite, and a drag queen and used she/her pronouns.” Today, she is recognized as a transgender woman and gender pioneer in the United States. The P in her name stood for “Pay it no mind” which was her quip back when questioned about her gender and/or sexuality.

Upon graduating high school Marsha moved to New York City, reportedly with a bag of clothes and 15 dollars to her name. She later performed as a drag queen and cited this as her claim to fame and notoriety in NYC. She styled her own outfits from thrifted clothing and was rarely seen without a smile. She engaged in sex work and was many times arrested by police for this work. Later in life, she was photographed in a series by artist Andy Warhol. She was public about her positive HIV status and was an HIV advocate, urging people to not fear those affected by HIV and AIDS  in the early 90s. She struggled with mental illness throughout her life but sought to be a shining beacon of hope for those currently living in her own previous shoes.