New York inaugurates a park dedicated to LGBTIQ+ activist Marsha P. Johnson
Activist, drag queen, performer and, in her own words, survivor . The events that occurred in New York in the sixties motivated Marsha P Johnson to become a fervent fighter for the rights of the LGBTIQ++ community and the black transgender woman . She is also remembered for leading the Gay Liberation Front, setting up a shelter to support young people rejected by their families, raising awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and playing a pivotal role in stonewall bar police raid from 1969.
And, as part of what would have been her 75th birthday, the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo , has unveiled at the Human Rights Campaign gala the new design of the East River State Park , renamed in February as Marsha P. Joshnson State Park , an open space that aims to commemorate the innumerable achievements and work of Marsha.
Posters will be installed to make Marsha P. Johnson's fight visible
"Too often, the marginalized voices that have driven progress in New York and across the country go unnoticed, making up only a fraction of our public monuments. Marsha P. Johnson was one of the early leaders of the LGBTIQ+ movement, and now she is finally getting the recognition she deserves . Dedicating this state park to her and installing public art to tell her story will ensure her memory and her fight for equality," Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
In this way, the space located in Williamsburg will become the first New York State Park dedicated entirely to a defender of LGBTIQ+ rights a native of New Jersey , in what is translated as a firm commitment of the American city for collective equality and racial justice in times of the movement Black Lives Matter.
Thanks to this initiative, the area's facilities will be improved and a succession of artistic works will be made available, among which stand out colorful murals for pay tribute to the activist she was born on August 24, 1945, and the causes of her death are still unknown, in an investigation that has been resumed at the request of the family in 2012.
Likewise, with the aim of raising awareness and disseminating her actions, they have decided to place a series of posters that describe the life of Marsha P. Johnson and her role in the fight for the guarantee of rights for people suffering from AIDS during the 1960s and 1970s.
"New York is the birthplace of the LGBTIQ+ rights movement with the Stonewall uprising over 50 years ago. . With the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, more than ever we must continue the fight for LGBTIQ+ equality and racial justice in our society," said Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul.
The space not only aims to create an environment with artistic works, decorative screens and endless colors that work perfectly to host renowned festivals such as Smorgasburg, but it will also erect a educational center with extraordinary views of Manhattan.
According to the planning made known by the State of New York, the open air exposure It will take place in the summer of next year. , along with a Marsha monument to be unveiled in the heart of the Williamsburg-based park.
Marsha P. Joshnson State Park design to be completed in 2021