Marsha P. Johnson | Transgender Woman

The talk about the LGBTQ spectrum wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Marsha P. Johnson and her contributions to the topic. She was born Malcolm Michaels Jr. and was a gay liberation activist and a self-identified drag queen. Johnson was a widely outspoken advocate for gay rights and was one of the prominent figures in the 1969 Stonewall uprising. She also founded the Gay Liberation Front and co-founded S.T.A.R. or Street Transvetite Action Revolutionaries.

Besides being a prominent figure in raising gay awareness, Johnson was also into modeling. She was a popular figure in the gay and art scene in New York City. She even had the chance to model for Andy Warhol and perform together with the drag performance troupe Hot Peaches. Due to her popularity, Johnson received credit as the “mayor of Christopher Street,” and she enjoyed a welcoming presence in the streets of Greenwich Village.