Frenchie Davis: ‘As a Queer Black Woman, Shoutout to Our Sister, Marsha P. Johnson. God Rest Her Brave Soul’
Singer Frenchie Davis on Stonewall 50: ‘Until we do a better job of creating safe spaces for women, black folk, and our trans brothers and sisters, we aren’t advancing as a whole.’
Photo Illustration by Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast / Photos Getty
In this special series, LGBT celebrities and public figures talk to Tim Teeman about the Stonewall Riots and their legacy—see more here.
Frenchie Davis
Broadway performer, and soul, dance/electronica, and pop singer; former contestant on American Idol
When/how did you first hear about the Stonewall Riots, and what did you make of it?
I feel like I’d been hearing about Stonewall for my whole life, but I didn’t fully grasp all of it until my teens/early adulthood.
What is their significance for you?
It’s significant for me in a multitude of ways. Particularly as a queer black woman. Shoutout to our sister, Marsha P. Johnson. God rest her brave soul.
How far have LGBT people come since 1969?
I think we have a lot further to go, actually. On the surface, it looks like the LGBT community has made great strides but until we collectively do a better job of creating safe spaces for the women, the black folk, and the trans brothers and sisters in the community, we aren’t advancing as a whole.
What would you like to see, LGBT-wise, in the next 50 years?
I would like to see more visibility and inclusivity for non-white cis male members of the community. The Stonewall history has become so white-washed, and far too many people are unaware of who Marsha P. Johnson was. That is our responsibility.