Marsha P. Johnson

Full Name: Born Malcolm Michaels Jr.
Profession: Transgender Activist and Drag Queen

Biography: As one of the most prominent advocates for gay rights from the 1960s-90s, Johnson was a pioneering transgender activist best remembered for her calls for socio-economic justice and support for marginalised groups in society.

A key figure in the 1969 Stonewall riots, helped galvanise a more assertive, even militant, gay-rights movement in pursuit of her goal “to see gay people liberated and free and to have equal rights that other people have in America.”

Johnson also co-founded the Gay Liberation Front, and the transvestite advocacy organisation S.T.A.R. (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) to support transgender communities.

The 1970s brought Johnson greater mainstream attention as she began working with the drag group Hot Peaches (1972), and her collaboration with Andy Warhol (“Ladies and Gentlemen” - 1975).

When Johnson was discovered dead in the Hudson River in 1992 it was initially ruled as a suicide. In 2012 the case was reopened as a possible homicide.

Various film tributes to Johnson have been made since her death, including the documentaries "Pay it No Mind: The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson" (2012) and "The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson" (2017).

Born: August 24, 1945
Birthplace: Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA

Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Rooster
Star Sign: Virgo

Died: July 6, 1992 (aged 46)
Cause of Death: Alleged suicide, possible homicide