Painting of Marsha P. Johnson (Photo courtesy of Whitman-Walker Health)
Chastity Bowick is the new incoming executive director of the Marsha P. Johnson Institute.
Current executive director Elle Moxley is stepping down after six years.. She founded the organization in 2019 as a national nonprofit dedicated to the protection of Black transgender people.
“Marsha lit the path, and Elle carried that fire by building an institute rooted in truth, survival, and joy. I step into this role not to replace that legacy, but to carry it forward as part of one continuous story,” Bowick said.
Bowick is a trans activist, consultant, and model. She is the former executive director of the Transgender Emergency Fund of Massachusetts, a crisis agency for the state’s trans community.
The AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts awarded Bowick the 2016 Belynda Dunn Award for Bowick’s leadership in providing transgender health programming at AIDS Project Worcester. She also served on the board of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition for four years.
Bowick is currently the CEO of Chastity Bowick Consulting and Talent Group, which provides services and programs meant to empower trans women of color to advocate for and with the trans community.
Moxley told the Washington Blade in 2022 that her decision to launch the Marsha P. Johnson Institute “was in response to the consistent murders that were being reported of Black trans women across the country.”
Based in Columbus, Ohio, the group offers advocacy and artistic fellowships alongside state-specific resources, including a trans bill of rights toolkit.
“The Marsha P. Johnson Institute was never mine alone; it has always belonged to the community. Marsha inspired this institute through her unapologetic fight for freedom and her human rights, and I carried that legacy forward by building an organization rooted in those same values,” Moxley said.
Bowick stated she aims to both uphold Marsha P. Johnson’s legacy and Moxley’s foundational work “as part of one continuous story.”
“To the extremists and lawmakers who legislate against our humanity: we are still here, our voices will not be silenced, and we are not going anywhere. Together, we will honor the foundation and build higher,” Bowick said.
The Marsha P. Johnson Institute is partnered with a variety of companies and other groups that share similar values, ranging from H&M to Planned Parenthood, according to the organization’s website. Singer Lizzo also previously donated $50,000.
Learn more about the Marsha P. Johnson Institute at its website.
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