Monday night, 11/28, at the IFC Center's Queer/Art/Film series, don't miss the WORLD PREMIERE of PAY IT NO MIND: MARSHA P. JOHNSON, a documentary about the legendary trans activist and downtown fixture, presented by Michael Musto! After the screening, we'll have a panel of Marsha's friends and colleagues singing her praises!
To purchase tickets:
http://www.movietickets.com/pre_purchase.asp?house_id=9598&movie_id=124123&rdate=11%2F28%2F2011
Marsha P. Johnson was a revolutionary trans activist, Stonewall instigator, Andy Warhol model, drag queen, prostitute, starving actress, and Saint, as well as a downtown NYC fixture from the 1960’s through her too-soon demise in 1992. Johnson persevered through a life embodied by her middle initial P, which stood for “Pay It No Mind.” Tonight we’ll be presenting the very special world premiere of a powerful documentary by Michael Kasino and Richard Morrison. We’ll also welcome Johnson’s friends and companions to discuss the near-forgotten legacy of this one-of-a-kind queen. You won’t want to miss this historical screening.
PS. As always, we'll be having our post-film gathering at Julius Bar on West 10th and Waverly, right after the Q&A!
A message from Antony Hegarty about Marsha P. Johnson
Marsha P. Johnson, the namesake of my band, was a gay activist who started the seminal organization S.T.A.R. (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) in the early 70s with her friend Sylvia Rivera (sp?). They founded the "STAR house"on the lower East side in an attempt to provide shelter for homeless gay youth; Marsha and Sylvia paid the rent with money they made as street prostitutes. Among the legends about Marsha is that she threw the first bottle at the Stonewall riots; she was certainly among the faces at the forefront of the gay civil rights movement for over 2 decades, representing the community's most marginalized contigent. "Saint Marsha," as she was widely known, was also the kind of person who would give the shirt off her back to a stranger in need, and was once sighted giving all the money she had panhandled that day to another homeless person. Marsha starred in performances by The Hot Peaches, and she sometimes did impromtu quick changes on Christopher Street, whipping out wigs and feathers that she had hidden in the garbage cans along the stroll to the piers. During Marsha's final years, she was taken in by lamp shop owner and activist Randy Wickers. Her body was found in the Hudson River in the Summer of 1992; the cause of her death was never properly determined. She is still sorely missed by all those who treasure New York City's rich, secret tapestry of STARS. - Antony 2004 (Antony and the Johnsons)