Happy Birthday, Marsha! Screening & Panel Discussion

Join Black & Latinx Pride for a film screening of Happy Birthday Marsha! at the Strand Theater! Happy Birthday, Marsha! is a film about iconic transgender artist and activist, Marsha “Pay it No Mind” Johnson and her life in the hours before she ignited the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City. Written and directed by Tourmaline and Sasha Wortzel.

Watch the trailer at www.happybirthdaymarsha.com

Boston Pride named Marsha P. Johnson as the Champion of Stonewall Honorary Marshal for the 2019 Annual Boston Pride Parade. Champion of Stonewall is an honorary designation conferred by the Boston Pride Committee. Johnson, a gender non-conforming African-American activist and icon, was one of the most prominent participants in the Stonewall Inn riots.
This event is organized in collaboration with the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth and SPARK Boston.

Panelists:
· Moderator: Casey Dooley, Black Pride
· Gary Bailey, DHL, MSW, ACSW, Professor of Practice at Simmons School of Social Work
· Athena Vaughn, Senior Transgender Health Navigator at Fenway Health, President of the New England Ball Collective
· Samantha Montaño, Program Officer, Massachusetts Cultural Council
· Katherine O’Connor and Leo Spooner, youth activists for transgender rights

Free Event but RSVP
Wheelchair Accessible
All Ages

Gary Bailey is currently a Professor of Practice at Simmons School of Social Work where he directs the Urban Leadership Certificate Program.Dr. Bailey sits on numerous boards such as the Massachusetts Commission for LGBTQ Youth, Fenway High School;and was a member of the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) Board of Ambassadors, the AIDS Action Advisory Council. He is also chair of the church council at Union United Methodist Church (UUMC) in Boston.

Athena Vaughn runs the TransCEND (Transgender Care and Education Needs Diversity) at the AIDS Action Committee where she helps provides support and risk reduction services to transgender women (male to female). Athena is also President of the New England Ball Collective where she organizes Balls year-round for young queer and trans people of color can access support and build community.

Samantha Montoño has recently joined the Massachusetts Cultural Council as a Program Officer working partner with communities across the Commonwealth to expand access, improve education, promote diversity, and encourage excellence in the arts, humanities, and sciences. For the last 3.5 years, Samantha served as a Senior Housing Organizer with JP Neighborhood Development Organization. Currently, Samantha is a Representative on the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council and a member of SPARK Boston, the Mayor’s Millennial Council.

Leo Austin-Spooner is a trans rights advocate in 10th grade. He is currently a field organizer for Mass Equality, a speaker for Greater Boston PFLAG, and a member of the Cambridge LGBTQ commission. Before his involvement in Mass Equality, he worked as a Youth Outreach Coordinator for the Yes on 3 campaign.

Katherine O’Connor is a 10th grader passionate about queer liberation. After working on the Yes on 3 campaign, they currently organize for Mass Equality. They also serve as a mentor at the Edith Baker middle school, as well as an active member of their school’s Gender-Sexuality Alliance.

Casey Dooley if a Quincy native who’s been organizing with Black Pride & the Pride Committee to coordinate a number of programming such as the family fun section at the festival, ASL interpretation & accessibility, & sold out events with Black Pride. Casey is also an advanced DivaCurl stylist, passionate about curly hair.