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The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson

"A life that launched a revolution, a death that remains a mystery."

Describing herself as a 'street queen,' Johnson was a legendary fixture in New York City’s gay ghetto and a tireless voice for LGBT pride since the days of Stonewall, who along with fellow trans icon Sylvia Rivera, founded Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.), a trans activist group based in the heart of NYC’s Greenwich Village. Her death in 1992 was declared a suicide by the NYPD, but friends never accepted that version of events. Structured as a whodunit, with activist Victoria Cruz cast as detective and audience surrogate, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson celebrates the lasting political legacy of Johnson, while seeking to finally solve the mystery of her unexplained death.

Top Cast

  • Marsha P. Johnson

    Marsha P. Johnson

    Self (archive footage)

  • Victoria Cruz

    Victoria Cruz

    Self

  • Sylvia Rivera

    Sylvia Rivera

    Self (archive footage)

  • Taylor Mead

    Taylor Mead

    Self (archive footage)

  • Pat Bumgardner

    Pat Bumgardner

    Self (archive footage)

  • Vito Russo

    Vito Russo

    Self (archive footage)

Overview

Describing herself as a 'street queen,' Johnson was a legendary fixture in New York City’s gay ghetto and a tireless voice for LGBT pride since the days of Stonewall, who along with fellow trans icon Sylvia Rivera, founded Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.), a trans activist group based in the heart of NYC’s Greenwich Village. Her death in 1992 was declared a suicide by the NYPD, but friends never accepted that version of events. Structured as a whodunit, with activist Victoria Cruz cast as detective and audience surrogate, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson celebrates the lasting political legacy of Johnson, while seeking to finally solve the mystery of her unexplained death.

Rating

7.1 / 10
104 Reviews
1 Popular

Trailers & Clips

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