Establishing a Protesting Body
The image of a protesting body is constantly changing and reforming the sense of community. Within the display of protest the body stands for a truth to be revealed in hopes for change to be established. In a way the protesting body enables itself to escape from a higher power that controls and forms a docile body.
Michel Foucault, a French philosopher, describes a docile body to be disciplined at all times. It is a body that does not have room or thought to put up resistance. This body belongs to a strict and organized time schedule which is also isolated and stands alone. With this description of a docile body, the opposite image of this body belongs to a protesting body.
During the late 1960’s a movement for gay rights, known as the “Gay Liberation” movement pushed for the awareness of sexual difference and the importance of all humans gaining respect in America by obtaining their rights as citizens and in hopes to no longer be shamed for their sexual/gender preference.
Marsha P. Johnson was the image of a protesting body during the Gay Liberation movement. Marsha was a transgender drag queen who found her voice through the process of protest. In an interview/ documentary titled “Pay it No Mind: The Life and Times and Marsha P. Johnson” gives a rundown of Marsha’s life as a Human Rights Activist who had all odds against her. She lived a rough life from being homeless to becoming a prostitute and of course having to deal with the negative impulses against her with those who had power. When Marsha realized her body was worth something, she moved into the phase of protesting. She helped runaway youth by creating a space for transgender youth. Marsha was the opposite of a docile body when she discovered the reason for her voice. She was a body who opposed the negative holds society viewed within the LGBT community.
Marsha’s life ended in the river. It was unknown if she was murdered or if it was a suicide and because of who she was Police never went into an investigation and deemed it a suicide.
There comes a danger when a body becomes ready to protest. It offers the willingness to sacrifice commodities. It leaves you in an open space, better known as the public sphere. It allows the body to act without thought and creates a space for passion and instinct.
In today’s news, the latest protesting body seems to be the one and only Beyonce. With her new single “Formation” out on the waves, she performed the song during the Super Bowl’s halftime show. Beyonce’s performance has taken over the newsroom and social media by using her single to bring awareness to #BlackLivesMatters movement.
In all respects, Beyonce has made a space for the community of women to reclaim their power by allowing them to become part of a protest. With all this talk about her Super Bowl performance, all eyes are on the actions her body represents.
The image of a protesting body is constantly changing. Marsha P. Johnson and Beyonce are two very different people, but both allowed their body to become a symbol for justice.
The difference also lies within the power structure. While Beyonce is a well-known artist, who makes tons of money, keeps up with beauty standards and gains the love and respect of many people across the world, Marsha was more of a community based celebrity, who wasn’t rich and wasn’t well known around the world.
This article is written in hopes of Marsha’s name becoming WELL-KNOWN.
If Beyonce is seen as such a powerful women…the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson must survive.
Interesting Article on Marsha P. Johnson:
In order to understand a protesting body, the world must be able to see the different types of bodies that have offered their duty to bring change.
