Trans Rights Icon Marsha P. Johnson to be Honored with Monument in New Jersey
Source: Netflix
Trans Rights Icon Marsha P. Johnson to be Honored with Monument in New Jersey
The nation's first-ever monument to a trans woman of color will go up in Johnson's hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Iconic transgender rights activist, Marsha P. Johnson, will be honored with a monument in New Jersey.
According to an ABC News report, Union County officials announced the allocation of land in Johnson's hometown of Elizabeth for what will be the nation's first monument dedicated to a transgender person of color. Officials were joined by Johnson's family, who were reportedly integral to both the monument proposal and the selection process for its site. "Today, the family of Elizabeth native and LGBTQ+ Civil Rights activist Marsha P. Johnson was joined by Union County Freeholders and LGBTQ+ advocates to announce the future site of a public monument on Freedom Trail in the City of Elizabeth in Johnson's honor," county officials wrote in an official statement shared by ABC.
A pivotal figure in the Stonewall uprising of 1969, Marsha P. Johnson was an early and vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, specifically for those of trans people of color. Following the police raid at the famous Greenwich Village bar, Johnson went on to found Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries (STAR,) an organization focused on aiding homeless trans youth. She remained outspoken an outspoken trans rights activist until her tragic death. In 1992, when her body was discovered in the Hudson, police were quick to rule her death as a suicide. However, her family and friends have long suspected foul play.
An unveiling date for the monument in New Jersey has yet to be announced. But on the other side of the river, New York governor Andrew Cuomo has revealed another dedication to the late activist. Earlier this week, Cuomo announced Brooklyn's East River Park would undergo a renovation and be named in honor of Johnson, making it the nation's first public park to honor an LGBTQ+ person. The announcement was made Monday, August 22nd, on what would have been Johnson's 75th birthday.
