10 Important LGBTQ+ Figures From History You Should Definitely Know About!

8. Marsha P. Johnson

Marsha P. Johnson is an American transgender activist most well-known for her key role in the Stonewall Riots in New York. What exactly she did at the riots is still disputed, with the story of “the shot glass that was heard around the world” almost becoming a legend. One thing most people agree happened was that, on the second night of riots, she climbed a lamppost and dropped a bag with a brick inside on a cop car.

Alongside her friend and fellow activist Sylvia Rivera, she founded the gay and transgender organization STAR, which stands for Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, with the goal to help LGBT+ youth and sex workers with support and housing. They opened the STAR House in 1972, which was a place for gay and transgender street kids to stay. Johnson and Sylvia paid for the rent in any way they could, frequently working as sex workers for money. These two women were so smart and unafraid of the world, doing everything they could to help the community. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera continued to have a huge presence at gay pride events and protests, and are honored today as heroes for their contributions to the LGBT+ community in NYC.