Though she struggled with mental health issues, Johnson was beloved for her charismatic persona. Johnson became known as much for her activism as for her attention-grabbing wardrobe, often complete with red plastic heels, colorful wigs and flowers and fruit in her hair. By following year, the first gay pride parades took place, and Johnson and Rivera founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) to house, feed and clothe young transgender people.
While the genesis of the Stonewall Inn uprising remains shrouded in myth, there’s no doubt Johnson was a key figure leading the events of June 28, 1969 - some even credit her with throwing the “shot glass heard around the world” that started the rebellion.
