Stonewall Jail History

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Marsha P. (“pay it no mind”) Johnson, an African American drag queen known for being a notable figure and activist in New York City’s queer community, was born Malcolm Michaels, Jr. in 1945. During this time period, there was strong discrimination against homosexual and gender non-conforming individuals across the United States. After moving to New York City in the ‘60s and witnessing firsthand the events at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, Johnson began to work for change within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community by advocating for the rights of queer individuals – especially ones who were considered minorities within the community, like transgender people – and later, those with AIDS. Leadership is often defined by certain …show more content…
One of these, known for being “the” gay bar in New York City, was the Stonewall Inn. It was the only one in the city to allow dancing between members of the same sex. The majority of the clientele was gay males, and very few transgender folks or drag queens were allowed inside. The Mafia paid off the police to warn them before any raids, the liquor was being sold without a license, and the owners had little to no concern about their customers’ welfare, but “gay people were desperate for places to meet and usually had to settle for dirty and dangerous environments” (Carter 80). At around 1:00 AM on June 28, 1969, the Inn was raided unexpectedly and its patrons were taken out for inspection and then for arrests. A large group of people, instead of leaving, stayed to witness what would happen. Tensions were high and it all escalated when an angry lesbian fought against the police’s attempts to push her into the car and asked the crowd to do something to help her. That was when a couple of street kids began to throw their change at them and the rest of the group began to yell out and fight against the police (Carter 151, 152). Several witnesses confirm that it was “the most marginal groups of the gay community [that] fought the hardest – and therefore risked the most – on this and the following nights” …show more content…
Johnson, in her final interview on June 26, 1992, stated that she was “one of the first drag queens to help the drag queens and other people have food” because she knew what it was like to be in need of basic necessities and not have anyone or anything there to help (Kasino). She served as a sort of mentor, or “drag mother” to homeless, queer youth – one being her friend, fellow transgender activist and founder of STAR, Sylvia Rivera. She was known for her generous nature and often called “Saint Marsha” by friends and others who had heard of her. Carter writes that “the characteristic most often cited by those who knew Marsha best was her essential goodness” (65). She would help out the queer and homeless community as much as she could. Four exemplary qualities of a good leader are authenticity, selflessness, vision, and hard work. Marsha P. Johnson fits the criteria for all of these qualities, in my opinion, for the following reasons. Johnson’s authenticity was shown throughout her daily life – she dressed and behaved as she wanted to, with no care as to whether others approved. Her odd outfits and boisterous attitude caught the attention of several people as she sauntered down the streets of New York City but she didn’t mind; she was unapologetically
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