Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, circa 1989-1990.
“No Pride for some of us without Liberation for all of us.”
– Marsha P. Johnson
Pride and National Immigrant Heritage Month overlap in the month of June, so at Safe Passage Project we are looking at the work of transformative leaders who fought to build movements that unite people of color, immigrants, the poor, those without shelter, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson may be best known for their role in the Stonewall Uprising, a watershed moment in the movement for LGBTQ+ rights, and for their fight for the inclusion of trans people in the broader movement for gay rights.
But what is less widely known, was their day-to-day work on the streets of New York with LGBTQ+ homeless youth, which was just as central to their struggle for liberation.
Leaders like Johnson and Rivera understood that the collective effort of experiences can lead to change – whether it be in societal attitudes or in laws.
In 1970, they pooled money from the community to buy a house in the East Village and created STAR – an organization that provided refuge for homeless trans and queer youth by providing shelter, food, protection, and community.
Similarly, Safe Passage Project was founded to create safety, asylum, and refuge for kids arriving alone in New York, many of whom are fleeing LGBTQ+ persecution.
The young LGBTQ+ immigrants we represent will often take giant leaps of courage to forge new lives seeking refuge and safety here. When they arrive in New York, Safe Passage Project joins them in their fight for asylum at court, and offers support as they find housing, enter new schools, and build a life here.
Please consider supporting our work protecting unaccompanied immigrant youth by:
- Starting a monthly gift of $25, $50, or $100 to ensure every child has a lawyer by their side for as long as it takes.
- Sharing this post with a friend or colleague who cares about immigrant justice.
- Volunteering as a translator, interpreter, or pro bono attorney.