On Her 80th Birthday, We Reflect on What Marsha P. Johnson Taught

Activist Marsha P. Johnson wasn’t just a name in history books or a face on a protest sign — she was a force. She was a drag queen, a sex worker, a street activist, and a mother to many who had no one else. Decades after her death, her legacy still drops lessons like gems for anyone willing to listen. 

Johnson was a Black trans trailblazer, a self-described drag queen and “street queen,” who became a cornerstone of the gay liberation movement. Her activism took fire during the 1969 Stonewall uprising, when police raids sparked a week-long revolt in Greenwich Village. Arriving as the chaos unfolded, Johnson jumped into the fight, helping turn Stonewall into a defining moment for the LGBTQIA+ community.

On what would have been her 80th birthday, we celebrate Marsha P. Johnson not as a distant historical figure, but as a living force in the movement. Here are some key lessons we’ve learned from her trailblazing life.

1. Radical self-love and authenticity are non-negotiable. 

Johnson loved herself exactly as she was, and she made sure everyone knew it. She lived openly as a gender-nonconforming Black queer person long before society had words to celebrate that. “She modeled what’s possible when you decide to be your most authentic self, every single day,” TIME notes. In a world that told her to hide, Marsha’s very existence was an act of self-love — from her thrift-shop furs to her flower crowns.

2. Resilience and survival are keys to happiness.

Johnson taught us that survival itself can be a victory. She faced homelessness, abuse, mental health crises, and injustice, but she kept going and kept giving. Johnson showed that resilience means enduring hardship and transforming it into fuel for change. She turned struggles into stories and pain into power. Her resilience urges us to stand tall through our struggles and help the next person.

3. Grassroots advocacy and collective power make a difference.

Johnson didn’t wait for institutions to save her community; she organized from the ground up. Co-founding STAR was a radical act of grassroots power — a poor, trans woman of color creating shelter for her peers when no one else would. She showed that ordinary people can build extraordinary movements with nothing but determination and mutual support.

4. Chosen family and community care are essential.

Rejected by her biological family for who she was, Marsha built a new family on her own terms. She took countless young queer people under her wing, offering them guidance, a place to crash, or a warm meal. Johnson housed and fed LGBTQIA+ youth through STAR House as a mentor and protector. She understood that “chosen family” can heal the wounds of abandonment.

Perhaps Marsha’s most beautiful lesson is that joy can be a form of protest. In a world that gave her every reason to be bitter, she chose laughter, color, and kindness. She often said, “No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us,” insisting that celebration meant nothing if it wasn’t inclusive. Her vibrant outfits and warm generosity were deliberate rebellions against a society that expected her misery.

What’s one lesson from Marsha P. Johnson’s life that still resonates with you today? Comment below!

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