Discrimination: A Brief Story Of Marsha P. Johnson

Marsha P. Johnson was different from the beginning. She faced discrimination from her own parents and peers, facing struggles from an early age to death yet fighting. She fought to be seen, only to be hidden behind more popular activists. Marsha P. Johnson was assigned male at birth, on August 24, 1945, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She was brought up in an extremely religious household and attended Mount Teman African Methodist Episcopal Church as a child. At the age of five, she found her sense of self in flowy dresses and pretty skirts, despite her parents' outrage. Marha's confidence shifted when a 13-year-old boy sexually assaulted her, not to mention the added pressure of bullying by her peers. In effect, she stopped wearing what made her

1950-1960 was a straining time on the community, being a lot of their doings were illegal, such as cross dressing or dancing with the same danger. Marsha often struggled with work and living situations. She slept in places like movie theaters, restaurants and sometimes with her friends. The job that kept Marsha afloat was highly frowned upon, causing her to have to deal with violence in large quantities once even being shot. Yet despite everything, she still made a lasting impact. One of her most popular acts was the stone wall riots. Which is when many police stormed a gay bar,arresting people for the "laws" they had broken. During the riot the community refused to back down, and they fought back.While there are many conflicting stories about the uprising’s start, Marsha was on the front lines. In one account, she started the uprising by throwing a shot glass at a mirror. In another, she climbed a lamppost and dropped a heavy purse onto a police car, shattering the windshield. Young trans women like Marsha were vocal that night because they felt they had nothing to left to