Saint Marsha P. Johnson, pray for us!
This is an illustration I have been working on for a while. It has existed as a concept for years and years, especially after coming across the photos of Marsha with the Snoopy plush. However, there was this story that stood out to me:
Everyone has seen the iconic picture of Marsha with the flower crown. Did you know not only was this her signature look but that those flowers were natural and fresh? Marsha spent a lot of her time in the Flower District in NYC. She would sleep under the tables set out by the vendors, and once the day was finished, they would give her the flowers that couldn't be sold. When one of the vendors was asked why they did all of this for a Black transgender woman, a homeless sex worker, he said, "Because she's holy."
Marsha identified as a Christian her whole life. She says, "I got married to Jesus Christ when I was sixteen years old, still in high school." God provided Marsha solace, strength and guidance. It was integral to her activism. She loved the Virgin Mary and the saints with a fierce devotion. When her fellow queens couldn't find her, they'd go to churches first. Catholic, Orthodox, Episcopalian, Baptist, or synagogues (she said she was "covering all angles"), she could be seen there, lighting candles, prostrating before statues of the Virgin Mary, wearing velvet and throwing glitter.
"I practice the Catholic religion because the Catholic religion is part of the Santería of the saints, which says that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ."
Marsha, patroness of trans women, activists, drag queens, sex workers, homeless youth, people —but especially Black people— who have experienced police brutality or lost someone at the hands of police, people with HIV/AIDS, the ocean, people with STIs or STDs, florists, found family, mothers, riots and revolution... pray for us. 💐
dededos
prguitarman
romaincrisis
gummygunk
discoholicmusic
stormborns
dailybridgerton
theartofmadeline
