Marsha “Pay It No Mind” Johnson was not just a figure in LGBTQ+ history - she was a force of resilience, defiance, and compassion during one of the most turbulent times in America’s civil rights movement. A Black transgender woman and drag queen, Johnson became a household name in activist circles for her outspoken advocacy on behalf of gay and trans people, especially the homeless and marginalized communities in New York City.

Widely believed to have been among the first to resist during the Stonewall Uprising in June 1969 - a series of protests that ignited the modern gay rights movement - Johnson’s legacy has often been framed by her courage in the face of violence and discrimination. Although she reportedly didn’t arrive at the Stonewall Inn until 2:00 a.m. that night, her name has remained synonymous with the spirit of rebellion and pride that defined that pivotal moment.

Johnson’s activism didn’t stop with Stonewall. She was a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front and co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with her close friend Sylvia Rivera. STAR was more than a political collective; it was a lifeline for transgender and homeless youth and sex workers, offering shelter, support, and advocacy when few others would. During the early 1970s in Greenwich Village, this kind of grassroots activism was both necessary and revolutionary.

Despite her contributions to the LGBTQ+ movement, Johnson’s life was plagued by systemic neglect and mental health challenges. Her struggles intensified in the later years of her life, and her death in 1992 was both tragic and deeply suspicious. Just after the NYC Pride Parade that year, Johnson’s body was discovered floating in the Hudson River. Authorities hastily ruled her death a suicide, despite widespread concerns and contradictory evidence.

Friends, including her roommate and longtime ally Randy Wicker, strongly contested the suicide ruling. Wicker argued that Johnson had not been suicidal, and members of the LGBTQ+ community pointed out that Johnson had been in a fragile but stable state of mind. More alarmingly, a massive wound was found on the back of her head, a detail that many believed should have pointed toward foul play rather than self-harm.

Further casting doubt on the initial police findings were accounts from witnesses who reported seeing Johnson being harassed and potentially assaulted in the days leading up to her death. Some claimed she may have walked into the river during a hallucination, while others believed she was chased or pushed by a group known for robbing and harassing queer residents in the neighbourhood. One witness recounted hearing a man boast about killing “a drag queen named Marsha,” a chilling statement that was allegedly reported to police but ultimately dismissed.

Such inconsistencies and ignored leads fuelled community outrage and a growing demand for justice. In 2012, two decades after her death, renewed advocacy led to a significant shift: Johnson’s cause of death was officially changed from “suicide” to “undetermined.” This change was largely due to the efforts of New York State Senator Tom Duane, who criticized the original investigation for being too cursory and pointed to the clear lack of a suicide note as further evidence that the ruling was premature.

The case gained new momentum in 2016 when Victoria Cruz of the New York City Anti-Violence Project took it upon herself to reopen the investigation. She managed to access previously unreleased documents, locate old witnesses, and conduct interviews with individuals who may have had knowledge about the circumstances surrounding Johnson’s death. Her work was documented in the acclaimed 2017 Netflix documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson. The film not only revisited the murky details of Johnson’s final days but also served as a searing indictment of the systemic neglect trans women of colour continue to face, even in death.

Despite renewed attention and evidence, as of 2021, Johnson’s death remains unsolved. The lingering questions surrounding her demise are symbolic of the broader issues facing transgender individuals - particularly trans women of colour - who are often the targets of violence yet receive little protection or justice from law enforcement systems. Johnson’s story underscores how easily marginalized people can be discarded by institutions meant to serve and protect them.

More than three decades after her death, Marsha P. Johnson’s legacy lives on in the continued fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Her life has inspired a generation of activists, and her name is now memorialized in murals, pride parades, and historical accounts that ensure she will not be forgotten. In 2020, New York State announced plans to erect a monument in Johnson’s honour -the first of its kind to celebrate a transgender person in the state.

Yet even with these recognitions, true justice remains elusive. The unresolved nature of her death reminds us that honouring activists like Johnson requires more than monuments or documentaries - it demands accountability, reform, and a deeper reckoning with the systems that failed her.

In many ways, Marsha P. Johnson embodied the intersection of multiple identities that continue to face systemic exclusion: Black, queer, trans, poor, and mentally ill. Each of these factors compounded her vulnerability, both in life and in death. The call to reexamine her case is not simply about finding a killer - it is about acknowledging the dignity of every human life, regardless of gender identity or social status.

As the struggle for trans rights continues around the world, Marsha P. Johnson’s story serves both as a warning and a rallying cry. Her suspicious death is more than a cold case; it is a symbol of unresolved injustice - a stark reminder of how far society still has to go to ensure equality and safety for all.

References:

• The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, Netflix, 2017.
• NYC Anti-Violence Project
• New York State Archives
• The True Crime File, Kim Daly