When she was born she was called “Malcolm Michaels”, but she never identified with the male gender. Johnson had the soul of a woman, from childhood she liked dresses and playing with dolls. She suffered a lot of prejudice and harassment, including from her parents, and that's why, as soon as she finished school, she moved to New York alone.

Marsha couldn't get regular jobs, so she had to turn to prostitution. She lived on the streets and spent part of her life without a roof over her head.

To fight homophobia and help the LGBTQ+ community, Marsha Johnson created the “Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries”, to provide housing for homeless trans people.

Marsha represents Casa 1, which welcomes LGBT+ youth expelled from home, and provides physical and mental health care for those in need of support.