These Marsha P Johnson quotes show the intensity of the care Marsha felt for activist work.

Marsha P Johnson is famously known for being a transgender activist, drag queen decades before this lifestyle was more widely accepted by society.

Born as Malcolm Michaels Jr., Marsha’s life was one full of obstacles and difficulties. She worked to fight for gay rights during difficult times and was remembered by friends as always being willing to help other people in need who crossed her path.

As you’ll see in these quotes, she wasn’t afraid to put herself out there for a message she was determined to spread. 

Don’t forget to also check out these LGBTQ quotes celebrating pride and love.

Marsha P Johnson Quotes on activism

1. “Usually, I wear a short dress every day of the week.” – Marsha P Johnson

2. “In 1969, I started wearing female attire full-time.” – Marsha P Johnson

3. “I’d been going to jail for like 10 years before the Stonewall.” – Marsha P Johnson

4. “I don’t know what I am if I’m not a woman.” – Marsha P Johnson

5. “There are a lot of gay transvestites who have been in jail for no reason at all.” – Marsha P Johnson

6. “I was no one, nobody from Nowheresville, until I became a drag queen.” – Marsha P Johnson

7. “I might be loopy, however that doesn’t make me fallacious.” – Marsha P Johnson

8. “No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.” – Marsha P Johnson

9. “You never completely have your rights, one person, until you all have your rights.” – Marsha P Johnson

10. “I may be crazy, but that don’t make me wrong.” – Marsha P Johnson

Marsha P Johnson quotes about people

11. “How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race? I mean how many years does it take people to see that? We’re all in this rat race together!” – Marsha P Johnson

12. “I got robbed once. A man pulled a gun on me and snatched my pocketbook in a car. I don’t trust men that much anymore.” – Marsha P Johnson

13. “A lot of times I’ve reached my hand out to people in the gay community that just didn’t have nobody to help them when they were down and out.” – Marsha P Johnson

More Marsha P Johnson quotes

14. “I never come out of drag to go anywhere. Everywhere I go I get all dressed up.” – Marsha P Johnson

15. “I’ll always be known reaching out to young people who have no one to help them out, so I help them out with a place to stay or some food to eat or some change for their pocket.” – Marsha P Johnson

16. “I’d like to see the gay revolution get started… If a transvestite doesn’t say I’m gay and I’m proud and I’m a transvestite, then nobody else is going to hop up there and say I’m gay and I’m proud and I’m a transvestite for them.” – Marsha P Johnson

17. “I know people think I’m a stupid little street queen out there begging for change cause there’s nothing else she knows how to do.” – Marsha P Johnson

18. I don’t think you should be ashamed of anybody that you know that has AIDS. You should stand as close to them as you can and help them out as much as you can. I’m a strong believer in that and that’s why I try to do that for everyone I know that has the virus.” – Marsha P Johnson

19. “I always just do drag. I never do it seriously.” – Marsha P Johnson

20. “Nobody promised you tomorrow.” – Marsha P Johnson

Inspiring Marsha P Johnson quotes for the gay community

21. “Darling, I want my gay rights right now.” – Marsha P Johnson

22. “A drag queen is one that usually goes to a ball and that’s the only time she gets dressed up. Transvestites live in drag. A transsexual spends most of her life in drag.” – Marsha P Johnson

23. “I’m still stuck in the Stonewall in 1968. I never left the Stonewall.” – Marsha P Johnson

24. “I started out with makeup in 1963 and 1964. In 1965, I was coming out more, and I was still wearing makeup but I was still going to jail just for wearing makeup.” – Marsha P Johnson

25. “History isn’t something you look back at and say it was inevitable, it happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities.” – Marsha P Johnson

26. “As long as gay people don’t have their rights all across America, there’s no reason for celebration.” – Marsha P Johnson

27. “STAR is a very revolutionary group. We believe in picking up the gun, starting a revolution if necessary. Our main goal is to see gay people liberated and free and have equal rights that other people have in America.” – Marsha P Johnson

28. “Now they got two little nice statues in Chariot Park to remember the gay movement. How many people have died for these two little statues to be put in the park for them to recognize gay people?” – Marsha P Johnson

29. “I got lost in the music in 1963 at Stonewall… No! No, it was Stonewall – it was 1967 that I got lost. In 19 – oh my dear, Stonewall, I got lost at Stonewall. Heard it through the grapevine. 1969! I got lost in the music and I couldn’t get out.” – Marsha P Johnson

30. “They call me a legend in my own time, because there were so many queens gone that I’m one of the few queens left from the ’70s and the ’80s.” – Marsha P Johnson

What did you learn from these Marsha P Johnson quotes?

Marsha P Jones died in the 90’s. Her death was immediately believed to be a suicide as she struggled with her mental health and seemed to be declining over the years.

However, a future investigation changed that ruling to “undetermined” as many friends believed that she was murdered. While only living to be 46, the work that Marsha P Jones did has been documented and remembered as it was part of the steps taken forward to earn equality for gay and transgender individuals.

It’s apparent that her experiences and struggles took a toll on her and she worked to help others to not suffer as much as she did.

What’s your biggest takeaway from these Marsha P Johnson quotes and sayings? Do you have any other favorite quotes to add? Let us know in the comment section below.