Film Screening: The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson

Friday, November 17, 2017 • 6:30-8:30pm

Ford Motor Company Theater • Panel discussion to follow

Who killed Marsha P. Johnson? She was one of the icons of the gay rights movement in the 1960s, the self-described "street queen" of NY's gay ghetto, and founded the Transvestites Action Revolutionaries with fellow luminary Sylvia Rivera. When Johnson's body was found in the Hudson River in 1992, police called it a suicide and didn't investigate. In David France's new documentary, trans activist Victoria Cruz seeks to uncover the truth of her death while celebrating her legacy.

For mature audiences due to adult language. Viewer discretion is advised.

Panelists:

• Dr. Marisa Richmond is a member of the Metro Human Relations Commission, and the Democratic National Committee.  Previously, she served many years as the President and Lobbyist for the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition. She is a prolific author and speaker on transgender rights, and has served on many boards at the local, state, and national levels.  She has been recognized for her work with many awards. She earned her bachelors degree from Harvard University, her masters from the University of California-Berkeley, and her doctorate from George Washington University, all in U.S. history. She currently teaches history and women’s and gender studies at Middle Tennessee State University. 
• Renae Taylor is a 41 yo non-binary trans person involved in a various organization dealing with Social Justice. She is a member of the local HIV Care and Prevention planning body. She is also a writer for The Unleashed Voice Magazine. Her area of interest is the inclusion of trans folks in Reproductive Space and Liberation.  
• Kayla Gore is a longtime member of H.O.P.E Women’s Caucus, where she works to help organize homeless women, coordinate homeless services, conduct direct outreach with those who are currently or a formerly homeless, and advocate for the rights of homeless women, especially homeless transgender woman. She has assisted in several campaigns with the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center, including fighting for housing equality for all people who are chronically homeless and advocating for the just treatment of transgender people by law enforcement. She has a long history working for the rights of transgender people in Memphis and is excited to continue this work at OUTMemphis.

Panel Moderator is Whitney Hardy. Hardy earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in accounting from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, followed by a short stint at a CPA firm in Atlanta. Her first foray into Memphis community building came in 2014, when she founded LesBiFriends (“Let’s Be Friends”), a meetup group for Memphis Lesbians and out901.com. She currently co-directs OutFlix, the Memphis LGBTQ film festival. And in her copious spare time, she is the executive director of Young Arts Patrons, a nonprofit that connects young professionals with Memphis artists.

This event is hosted in partnership with OutMemphis.