“Thank god the revolution has begun, honey.” Rumor has it that after legendary Black transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson threw the first brick in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, she picked up a shard of broken mirror to fix her make-up. This fearless moment embodies both the beauty and violence of the early LGBTQ+ rights movement—and the fabulous, tenacious charisma of Marsha herself. Yet despite the fact that Marsha’s work as a gay liberation activist and drag queen helped spark the progress and continued protest we see today, there has been no definitive record of her life, loves, and lessons. Until now.
Written with verve and sparkling prose, Black trans leader Tourmaline brings this iconic, scandalous, vital justice warrior to life in full color for the first time. Through nearly two decades of research and unprecedented access, Tourmaline has become Marsha’s leading archivist. This book will take readers into Marsha’s childhood in New Jersey in the 1950s, to her dramatic and essential activism from the Stonewall Riots to the AIDS crisis, to her life creating radical art from the humblest means. Marsha was not just an activist—she was an artist and a performer, a lover and a mentor, a mischievous and transgressive queen. Her larger-than-life presence leaps out of every page. Adorned with her signature flower crown, she was a street fashion icon. She performed with RuPaul and with the internationally renowned drag performance troupe The Hot Peaches. She was muse to countless artists from Andy Warhol to the band Earth, Wind, and Fire. And she continues to inspire countless artists and activists today.
Marsha honors the fullness of her life and will give this remarkable figure her rightful place in history. Her story promises to inspire readers to live as their most liberated, unruly, vibrant, and whole selves.
