The History of Pride: Marsha P. Johnson

• Posted on 29 May 2021
• By Holly Engel, former Mod B Intern
• Posted in LGBTQIA+, Pride, Pride Event, Rock Your Curves
• 0

Marsha P. Johnson was a black trans woman and an activist in the 60’s and 70’s. She was one of the founding members of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries or STAR; a refuge for homeless queer youth and sex workers. Providing food and shelter for the people in New York when they were at a vulnerable point in their lives. She was known at the time as the “mayor of Christopher Street”, since she had worked so hard at making the area a welcoming place for anyone to reside or visit.

Marsha P. Johnson was a black trans woman and an activist in the 60’s and 70’s. She was one of the founding members of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries or STAR; a refuge for homeless queer youth and sex workers. Providing food and shelter for the people in New York when they were at a vulnerable point in their lives. She was known at the time as the “mayor of Christopher Street”, since she had worked so hard at making the area a welcoming place for anyone to reside or visit.

Marsha was one of the first to go into the Stonewall Inn, a bar for gay men only, as a drag queen. At that time being gay was seen as a mental illness and they were frequently beaten by the police. On June 28, 1969, when Marsha was 23, the police raided the Stonewall Inn. The police forced over 200 people into the streets using excessive force. She resisted arrest and that night jump-started a series of protests and riots to fight for gay rights. About a month after the riots and protests, there was a ground-breaking march, the first openly gay march took place.

In 1974, the Equality Act was written to amend the Civil Rights Act to make it illegal to discriminate against someone due to their sex. When this was written, people didn’t think to include the LGBTQIA+ community. A sad but true fact, this community of glorious people have been fired for no reason, denied medical care, denied housing and medical insurance, and even discharged from fighting for our great nation.

If not for Marsha and her bravery to continue fighting for what she believed in, we wouldn’t have Pride Month, there would be no Pride celebration, and the LGBTQIA+ community would continue to have to hide in fear of getting beaten by police and outcast by the rest of society. Unfortunately, she passed away in 1992, so she was unable to see the progress our country has made for the LGBTQIA+ community.

WE CELEBRATE BECAUSE OF MARSHA.

We are shutting down the street to bring you Naughty Bettie's first-ever Pride Extravanganza!

Naughty Bettie wants to change the way bodies are viewed in West Michigan and provide a safe and welcoming space of love and acceptance for the LGBTQIA+ community. Join us for a day of celebrating diversity to support people identifying as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Asexual, Non-Binary, and/or other emerging sexual identities.

Rock your curves on Curve St. with us for an all bodies lingerie fashion show, a performance by Beauty Beyond Drag, a dance class by Hotties in Heels, a burlesque performance by Venus Valentine, vendor booths, food booths, and more!

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Adopted from a blog written by former Mod B Intern: Holly Engel published 6/28/2020

A marketing student with strengths in digital and traditional messaging to today's most sought after generations and demographics, Holly is currently the Intern for Marketing and Event Planning for us. Holly, graduated with a Marketing Degree (B.S.) at Ferris State University, and has served as Vice President of Professional Development for the American Marketing Association at Ferris, a Top 20 Chapter of AMA internationally. She currently leads as Director of Crimson Consultants, the marketing firm of AMA Ferris developing messaging and outreach strategies for growing teams and entrepreneurs across West Michigan. Holly graduated from Rockford High School, is an accomplished equestrian, and volunteers her time and leadership to LGBTQIA+ and Black Lives Matter causes.