When Tourmaline began researching Marsha P. Johnson 20 years ago, she could not rely on online searches. “The Internet contained so much less across the board, but especially about figures who were marginalized in the ways that Marsha was as a Black, trans sex worker with multiple disabilities.” This led the artist, writer, and activist to connect with the people who knew Marsha best: her friends and family. Through their profound recollections and generous contribution of their records, Tourmaline was able to grasp deeper and more intimate knowledge about Marsha than the Internet could provide. This research led her to write Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P Johnson.
Tourmaline’s dedication to Black joy and freedom is indisputable through her extensive research and biography of Marsha, as she highlights the lasting intersection of joy and defiance throughout Marsha’s life. Marsha blended the two in different ways, “sometimes dramatically, like when she catalyzed her community to rebel against police violence at Stonewall, and sometimes more subtly, like when she offered wildly different names each time she was arrested.” Marsha “Pay It No Mind” Johnson dreamed of a world that was safe, loving, and abundant for her and her community, and worked alongside other activists to make that dream a reality, leaving a legacy that Tourmaline uplifts and carries on today.
Photograph by Sawyer Roque
Throughout Tourmaline’s own work as an organizer and activist, she has looked to Marsha as inspiration to “dream further and walk in the direction of [her] dreams, no matter how distant they might feel.” Tourmaline acknowledges that the intersection of joy and defiance has as many shapes, sizes, and faces as there are people.
The narration of Marsha’s story reflects on her creation of an abundant and joyful community, and revives a sensation of hope and care that is present within the community today. “I see joy and defiance now in how the LGBTQIA+ community is finding our way towards beauty, love, and connection, regardless of the harsh circumstances we're facing,” Tourmaline adds.
Tourmaline's own artistic and organizing work encapsulates this joy and defiance, drawing attention to injustice while simultaneously lifting up the stories of the queer and trans ancestors who have come before. Although Pride is a celebration of the joy and defiance that Marsha took part in at Stonewall in June of 1969, we know that “Pride is a year-round, 24/7 occasion!” Tourmaline’s work to unveil the humanity of Marsha P. Johnson has resulted in a biography that is both an affirmation of the existence of queer histories and a call to collective action.
The National Bestseller, Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P Johnson, is now available wherever you get your books.
Photographer - Sawyer Roque
Producer - Attia Taylor
Videographer - Mandy Marcus
Hair and Makeup Artist - Tarina Meaders
Stylist - Claire Sullivan
Creative Director - Cara Elise Taylor
