MARSHA P. JOHNSON: THE RADICAL REBEL TRUMP WOULD PROBABLY HATE AND FEAR.
WEEK 21/2025
Imagine Marsha P. Johnson, black, trans, fierce, and fabulous strutting through the streets of New York today. Would she be welcomed at a corporate-sponsored Pride parade or would she get side-eyed by security for not fitting the sanitized rainbow narrative? More likely, she’d face politicians who treat her existence like a political piñata, especially those who think “trans rights” is a foreign language best left unspoken.
Marsha wasn’t just a party queen with a flower crown, though her style alone could stop traffic. She was a revolutionary who helped spark the Stonewall riots in 1969, a pivotal moment in LGBTQ+ history. But if she walked into today’s America, she’d probably face the same forces that tried to erase her back then, only now with anti-trans legislation popping up in over 30 U.S. states in the last few years aiming to restrict healthcare, bathroom access, and even participation in school sports.
Corporate Pride today is a glittery spectacle filled with rainbow-colored lattes, corporate floats and drag shows that look like a mashup of RuPaul’s Drag Race and a marketing pitch. Meanwhile, real Marsha-style activism is about feeding homeless trans youth, an estimated 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+, demanding justice, and surviving systemic violence. The harsh reality? The average life expectancy of a Black trans woman in the U.S. remains a shocking 35 years, and in 2023 alone, at least 15 Black trans people were murdered—numbers that should horrify any society that claims progress.
And yet, Marsha’s legacy is often repackaged like a reality TV contestant glossy. Entertaining, but dangerously shallow. The activists who fought for survival and radical love are now “inspirational icons” gracing Pride merch and diversity training slideshows. It’s like turning a Molotov cocktail into a confetti cannon.
Let’s not forget the politicians who parade “family values” while pushing bills that erase trans identities. If Marsha were alive, she might hand them a bouquet of flowers and shout: “Pay it no mind!” as she sashayed away right into the next battle for freedom.
So, what have we truly learned since Marsha’s days? That you can slap a rainbow sticker on injustice but not make it sparkle? That visibility is great, as long as it fits neatly into a marketable box? Or that the struggle is far from over and that true Pride means demanding more than just a parade or a hashtag?
Marsha P. Johnson’s life is both a reminder and a challenge. Progress isn’t about looking pretty for the camera, it’s about dismantling the systems that made her fight necessary. Until then, the party’s not really started.
If we truly honor Marsha P. Johnson’s legacy, it’s time to move beyond performative Pride. Support grassroots organizations that provide real help to homeless and marginalized LGBTQ+ youth. Vote against politicians who push hateful anti-trans legislation. Educate yourself on the ongoing struggles faced by Black trans women and other invisible communities. And next Pride, don’t just wear the rainbow—use your voice, your vote, and your privilege to fight for the radical change Marsha dreamed of. Because until every Marsha is safe, free, and celebrated, not just commodified the revolution is far from over.
#protectthedolls
A new column by The Gay Bradshaw will be live next Sunday at 20:00h, exclusively on tobecroft.com/tgb
