By: Susan Oser
NFBPWC Advocacy Team LGBTQIA+ Lead

LGBTQ+ Icon of the Month:  Marsha P. Johnson

Why highlight?

If you know about the Stonewall Uprisings, eight days of protest that gave birth to the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, chances are you know about Marsha “Pay It No Mind” Johnson. As an organizer and advocate, Johnson was a central figure in the 1969 rebellion. Following that fateful week in June, Johnson continued to advocate for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, particularly poor trans femmes of color. Alongside Sylvia Rivera, she co-founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), an organization dedicated to sheltering houseless LGBTQ+ youth. Johnson’s impact can still be felt today, as her legacy and name are evoked in the names of LGBTQ+ organizations, by projects that collect resources for trans people, and through the work of activists that seek to end violence against Black trans femmes. 

Source(s):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dduj7IMKL0 

https://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/tgi-bios/marsha-p-johnson

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5233558/

https://marshap.org/

https://www.them.us/story/happy-birthday-marsha-interview

https://www.them.us/story/new-statue-marsha-p-johnson-fighting-whitewashing-lgbtq-history 

Good LGBTQ+ News for February: 

• ✓ Affirming Actions and Gender Euphoria Among Transgender and Nonbinary Young People http://tinyurl.com/3y2z7hws  Gender euphoria is defined as satisfaction or joy caused when one's gendered experience aligns with their gender identity, rather than with the gender they were assigned at birth.
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• ✓ Pope Francis says priests can give blessings for same-sex couples. http://tinyurl.com/5ywwhyme.   The Pope made the announcement on December 18th, representing a historic change for the Catholic Church. Many LGBTQ+ Catholics celebrated the change, hoping this would create a more welcoming space for them within the Church.
• ✓ Washington Blade publishes Year in Review for 2023.  http://tinyurl.com/58nt5bnjThis collection of the top 10 national news stories from 2023 include the Pride Celebration at the White House, and the scandals surrounding former Congressman George Santos.

And now for the BAD news:

• ✓ A New Report Exposes the Network of Extremist Groups Behind the Anti-Trans PR Machine http://tinyurl.com/mtthja8u Researchers stressed that anti-LGBTQ+ disinformation is part of a larger reactionary conservative movement.
• ✓ Only 5 Days into The Year, 125 Anti-Trans Bills Have Been Filed.  http://tinyurl.com/46v2xct9  Over 125 bills targeting the transgender community have been released in 2024, more than double the pace of 2023.

If you have any news or leads on anything related to LGBTQ+ news, issues, and organizations, please contact Sue Oser at soser@nfbpwc.org