In observance of Black History Month, Family Equality Council will be remembering and highlighting people, events and issues that have shaped the lives of many of today’s LGBTQ families.
Marsha P. Johnson (1944-7/6/1992)—Drag queen and transgender rights activist. Johnson is well known as a veteran of the 1969 Stonewall riots, and reportedly stopped counting her arrests after she hit 100. She was also a mentor to Sylvia Rivera and many others on New York’s Lower East Side. Johnson and Rivera co-founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), which provided food and housing for young transgender people in need. Johnson was photographed by Andy Warhol, and her life is featured in the documentary Pay It No Mind.