ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Following the announcement of a New York state park in her name, iconic transgender civil rights activist Marsha P. Johnson will be honored in her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Johnson's family was joined by Union County Freeholders Sergio Granados, Rebecca Williams and LGBTQ+ advocates to announce the future site of a public monument on Freedom Trail in Johnson’s honor.
The city said the monument is "anticipated to be the first public monument in the State of New Jersey to honor a LGBTQ+ person and transgender woman of color."
Elizabeth also announced that they will be holding a series of events during LGBTQ History Month in October to "engage with the community and the public to participate in the planning and creating of the historic project."
Johnson died in 1992 at age 46. She is considered a pioneer of the movement for the rights of transgender people, although the term transgender was not widely used during her lifetime.
Some witness accounts say Johnson was a leader of the Stonewall rebellion of 1969.
This story was originally published by Stephen M. Lepore at WPIX.
