Marsha ‘Pay no mind’ Johnson
People often say that knowledge is power, and that learning from the past is very important. The LGBTQ community is a community that is so rich in history and power, yet the history of this community is very rarely talked about. From the first brick thrown at Stonewall all the way to same sex marriage being legalized, the LGBTQ community has been loud and proud for many, many years. However, one of the modern day tragedies that this community faces is a lack of understanding and awareness of the roots of this movement. Being a gay, brown man, I have always felt like it is important to know the history of the community that I identify with, a community that has helped me love and accept myself. And yet, when I have talked to other members of the LGBTQ community, there are people who do not know who people like Marsha P. Johnson or Sylvia Rivera are. These two names are names that should be memorialized for all of time.
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson is Netflix’s new documentary that is set to release soon. This film is a mix between an informative documentary about the life and death of Marsha P. Johnson as well as a who-done-it film. The story of Marsha is that she was the person who threw the first brick at Stonewall. This was the event that started the LGBTQ movement. Marsha headed this movement, fighting for people who identified as LGBTQ to get the rights they deserved. However, one day she was found dead in the Hudson River. The police noted it as a suicide, yet many people who knew Marsha claimed that she was not the type of person who would commit suicide. For years people have claimed that it was not a suicide but a murder, yet the police ignored those shouts for justice, and still do to this day. This documentary follows legendary activist Victoria Cruz as she examines the colorful life of Marsha (along with other notable queer figures such as Sylvia Rivera), and attempts to put her life and death into perspective, all while trying to figure out who killed Marsha ‘Pay No Mind’ Johnson.
This movie was incredible and left such a huge impact. It can be thought of as the 21st century’s Paris is Burning. The amazing thing about this documentary is that is does the job of explaining the roots of the LGBTQ community. It touches upon where it all began, how gay people were treated during that time, and how this movement evolved to what it is now. There is no sugar coating in this film. It examines all the dark moments within this community, addressing things that for a long time have been swept under the rug. One moment that left me (and much of the audience) in shock was during one of the pride parades. Sylvia Rivera, one of the people who started and supported the gay rights movement, was set to make a speech during that pride. However, she had to force her way on stage because the organizers thought she wasn’t fit to make a speech, all pointing to the fact that she was a trans woman. When she got on stage, the crowd booed her and she said something along the lines of ‘I started this movement for you people. And you people who live in a middle class lifestyle have the privilege of using this as a celebration and not acknowledging the people, the trans people, that fought for your right to be gay.’ What was shocking about this moment was that this ideology is still prevalent in today’s society. Trans woman suffer from the most hate crimes, and trans women deaths are not talked about as they should be. This film touches upon the transphobia, bigotry, homophobia, racism, and hatred of that time while also alluding to how that is still prevalent in today’s society as well. In fact, the gay community is a very racist and transphobic community because a lot of people within this community ignore their history and bathe in the privilege that they have (most of these people being white gay men who have the luxury of male white privilege) while simultaneously discriminating against people of color and trans people. Towards the end of the movie, they touch upon a current trans murder case and how justice is very rarely served for people in the trans community. This movie speaks the truth, and it will show you the truth whether you like it or not.
As you can probably tell, this movie stirs up so many emotions. It is a very raw, honest, and refreshing take on the queer community and is a movie that will be noted in the history books. If you have a Netflix account, you better see it. If you don’t have a Netflix account, find someone who does and see it. This movie is too important for people to ignore.
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