--- description: Marsha P. Johnson is one of the leaders, innovators, activists, entertainers, athletes and artists who defined the last century. title: Marsha P. Johnson: 100 Women of the Year image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt299bd09431acf091/698a0af5011682bdc297f0f2/social-1969_Marsha-P-Johnson.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 1969: Marsha P. Johnson Mar 5, 2020 12:08 PM CUT  Buy the cover art→ Buy the cover art→Art by Mickalene Thomas for TIME; Johnson: Arlene Gottfried—Daniel Cooney Fine Art; Sign: Diana Davies © NYPL/Art Resource, NY by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 5, 2020 12:08 PM CUT In 1969, police raided a gay bar in New York City called the [Stonewall Inn](https://time.com/5598363/stonewall-beginnings-history/ "undefined"), patrons resisted, and the [LGBT-rights movement](https://time.com/5617238/lgbtq-community-after-stonewall/ "undefined") changed forever. One of the rioters who burst into the streets was Marsha P. Johnson, a self-described transvestite and drag queen who helped remind everyone just how many directions oppression can come from. Decades later, New York City [decided to erect a statue in her honor](https://time.com/5598110/sylvia-rivera-marsha-johnson-monument-stonewall/ "undefined"). There’s a documentary about her. Fans have tattooed themselves with her image and words. The surge of interest is due, in part, to the example set by “St. Marsha.” As she called on fellow activists not to forget issues like class and homelessness and racism—long before the word [_intersectional_](https://time.com/5560575/intersectionality-theory/ "undefined") was in the zeitgeist—Johnson pushed past struggles like mental illness, poverty and HIV. [**Buy the cover art→**](https://fineartamerica.com/featured/marsha-p-johnson-1969-time.html "undefined") “She was a black, gender-nonconforming, feminine-presenting, sex-working, street-living person,” says Susan Stryker, visiting professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Yale University. “Yet she was politically engaged.” The fervor also comes from a growing acknowledgment of how LGBT rights in America took shape in the wake of Stonewall. [Accounts don’t agree](https://time.com/5579971/christopher-st-stonewall-history/ "undefined") on what the likable, unpredictable Johnson did that night. Some say she was among the first to revolt. Others insist she showed up later. But many argue it’s beside the point. “I don’t think whether she threw that first brick matters,” says Darius Bost, assistant professor of ethnic studies at the University of Utah. “It’s about the diversity of that legacy. Were trans women there? Were people of color there?” The answer is yes: before, during and after. _—Katy Steinmetz_ --- _This article is part of_ [_100 Women of the Year_](https://time.com/100-women-of-the-year/ "undefined")_, TIME’s list of the most influential women of the past century. Read more_ [_about the project_](https://time.com/5793734/time-100-women-of-the-year-issue/ "undefined")_, explore the_ [_100 covers_](https://time.com/5793732/time-100-women-of-the-year-covers/ "undefined") _and sign up for our_ [_Inside TIME newsletter_](https://cloud.newsletters.time.com/newsletters?newsletter%5Fname=INSIDE%5FTIME&source=article-woy-footer "undefined") _for more._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5793632/marsha-p-johnson-100-women-of-the-year/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5793632/marsha-p-johnson-100-women-of-the-year/"},"headline":"1969: Marsha P. Johnson","datePublished":"2020-03-05T12:08:22.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T08:21:14.978Z","description":"Marsha P. Johnson is one of the leaders, innovators, activists, entertainers, athletes and artists who defined the last century.","url":"https://time.com/5793632/marsha-p-johnson-100-women-of-the-year/","keywords":["Women of the Year"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt299bd09431acf091/698a0af5011682bdc297f0f2/social-1969_Marsha-P-Johnson.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt299bd09431acf091/698a0af5011682bdc297f0f2/social-1969_Marsha-P-Johnson.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"SOCIAL - Women of the Year: 1969_Marsha-P-Johnson","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5793632/marsha-p-johnson-100-women-of-the-year/","name":"1969: Marsha P. Johnson"}}]}] ```