 After meeting gay people in the city, Johnson finally felt it was possible to be gay and was able to come out.Johnson initially used the moniker "Black Marsha" but later decided on the drag queen name "Marsha P. Johnson", getting "Johnson" from the restaurant Howard Johnson's on 42nd Street, stating that the "P" stood for "pay it no mind" and used the phrase sarcastically when questioned about gender, saying "it stands for pay it no mind".Johnson said the phrase once to a judge, who was amused by it, leading to Johnson's release.