A brief history of the Gay Liberatn Front, 1970-73 |

gay liberation front 1969

A short acunt of the Gay Liberatn Front the UK, wrten by Stuart Feather.

Contents:

THE GAY LIBERATN MOVEMENT

The Stonewall Rts, also lled the Stonewall Uprisg, took place on June 28, 1969, New York Cy, after police raid the Stonewall Inn, a lol gay club. The raid sparked a rt among bar patrons and neighborhood rints as police hled employe and patrons out of the bar, leadg to six days of protts and vlent clash. The Stonewall Rts served as a talyst for the gay rights movement. * gay liberation front 1969 *

For stance, solicatn of same-sex relatns was illegal New York such reasons, LGBT dividuals flocked to gay bars and clubs, plac of refuge where they uld exprs themselv openly and socialize whout worry. But engagg gay behavr public (holdg hands, kissg or dancg wh someone of the same sex) was still illegal, so police harassment of gay bars ntued and many bars still operated whout liquor licens— part bee they were owned by the Rights Before StonewallThe first documented U.

In 1966, three years before Stonewall, members of The Mattache Society, an anizatn dited to gay rights, staged a “sip-” where they openly clared their sexualy at taverns, darg staff to turn them away and sug tablishments who did. When The Commissn on Human Rights led that gay dividuals had the right to be served bars, police raids were temporarily Stonewall Inn The crime syndite saw prof terg to shunned gay clientele, and by the mid-1960s, the Genove crime fay ntrolled most Greenwich Village gay bars.

CATEGORY:GAY LIBERATN FRONT

* gay liberation front 1969 *

And was one of the few—if not the only—gay bar left that allowed were still a fact of life, but ually rpt ps would tip off Mafia-n bars before they occurred, allowg owners to stash the alhol (sold whout a liquor license) and hi other illegal activi. Stonewall's LegacyThough the Stonewall uprisg didn’t start the gay rights movement, was a galvanizg force for LGBT polil activism, leadg to numero gay rights anizatns, cludg the Gay Liberatn Front, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD (formerly Gay and Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn), and PFLAG (formerly Parents, Fai and Friends of Lbians and Gays) the one-year anniversary of the rts on June 28, 1970, thoands of people marched the streets of Manhattan om the Stonewall Inn to Central Park what was then lled “Christopher Street Liberatn Day, ” Ameri’s first gay pri para. ”In 2016, then-Print Barack Obama signated the se of the rts—Stonewall Inn, Christopher Park, and the surroundg streets and siwalks—a natnal monument regnn of the area’s ntributn to gay Gallery The Stonewall Inn is a bar loted New York Cy’s Greenwich Village that served as a haven the 1960s for the cy’s gay, lbian and transgenr muny.

Most gay bars and clubs New York at the time were operated by the Mafia, who paid rptible police officers to look the other way and blackmailed wealthy gay patrons by threateng to “out” them.

After the Stonewall Rts, a msage was pated on the outsi of the board-up bar readg, "We homosexuals plead wh out people to please help mata peaceful and quiet nduct on the streets of the village. ”Over the next several nights, gay activists ntued to gather near the Stonewall, takg advantage of the moment to spread rmatn and build the muny that would fuel the growth of the gay rights movement. Jump to searchGay Liberatn Front advocy groupUpload media WikipediaInstance ofadvocy groupLotnUned Stat of AmeriInceptn1969Dissolved, abolished or molished date1973Authory file Q920919ReasonatorScholiaPetSnstatisticsWikiMapLotor toolKML fileSearch picted.

HISTORY HAS OVERLOOKED THE GAY LIBERATN FRONT’S ROLE STONEWALL … UNTIL NOW

Sylvia Rivera was a Lata-Amerin drag queen who was a gay and transgenr activist the 1960s and 70s. She's known for participatg the Stonewall Rts of 1969 and tablishg the polil anizatn STAR. * gay liberation front 1969 *

"Gay Liberatn Front is a aln of radil and revolutnary homosexual men and women mted to fight the opprsn of the homosexual as a mory group, and to mand the right to the self-termatn of our own bodi.

Aligns self polilly and crilly wh the femist/women's/lbian movements occurrg ntemporaneoly, movg away om specifilly male- and female- oriented gay serials that preced (The Ladr for women, the newsletters of the var rnatns of the Mattache Society, among others). On the 4th July Lbians and Gay Men om the Matache Society New York, rponse to the rts, staged a walk-out and moved to the Alternative Universy Greenwich Village where they found what beme the Gay Liberatn Front.

GAY LIBERATN FRONT AT ALTERNATE U.

On September 12, 1969 he Gay Liberatn Front held a prott at the Village Voice,mandg a meetg wh publisher Ed Fancher. The prott went on all day as Fancher stubbornly refed to meet wh the group. * gay liberation front 1969 *

“Not only did liberatnists go to Philalphia to show solidary wh the black movement, but was there that Huey Newton as lear of the Panthers, first gave clear support of the Gay Cse, sayg that homosexuals were maybe the most opprsed people of Amerin society, and uld well be the most revolutnary. On 13th November, GLF ma the first ever, public monstratn the UK by lbians and gay men at Highbury Fields, Islgton, to prott the e of “pretty policemen” agent provotrs ed by the police to entrap gay men to attemptg acts of gross cency, a standard police practice and an easy way for them to crease the figur for crime tectn and prosecutn.

An Anti-Psychiatry Group foced on analysg and attackg the Psychiatric Establishments wholale acceptance of Juo Christian prejudice, Biblil thory, and the e of electric shock/emetic dg programm on gays and lbians who did not f , or who were found guilty of breakg the law.

An Actn Group anisg public GLF danc held lol town halls, and later the Gay Days the parks, an Office Collective, and the Steerg Group, later the Co-ordatg Commtee to n the Wednday night General Meetgs.

SYLVIA {LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:600;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:0.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.25REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}} A{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;} A:HOVER{LOR:#A00000;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}SYLVIA RIVERA WAS A LATA-AMERIN DRAG QUEEN WHO WAS A GAY AND TRANSGENR ACTIVIST THE 1960S AND 70S. SHE'S KNOWN FOR PARTICIPATG THE STONEWALL RTS OF 1969 AND TABLISHG THE POLIL ANIZATN {LOR:#323232;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;MARG-LEFT:0.625REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}UPDATED: JAN 7, {DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;}{MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 64REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(100VW - (1REM * 2));MARG-LEFT:1REM;MARG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(-1 * 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - (LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 2 * 1REM)) / -2);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 90REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / 2);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / -2) - 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 2);MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 + 1REM)) / -2) - LC(2 * 1REM));}[DATA-HAS-SPONSOR] {MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);MARG-RIGHT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);}}{JTIFY-SELF:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG-LEFT:-50VW;MARG-RIGHT:-50VW;WIDTH:100VW;LEFT:50%;RIGHT:50%;}}{HEIGHT:TO;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO LC(50% - 50VW);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO;}}{POSN:RELATIVE;HEIGHT:TO;}{POSN:RELATIVE;--POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} A{POSN:ABSOLUTE;}{POSN:RELATIVE;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;VERTIL-ALIGN:TOP;}{BACKGROUND:#C92228;BOTTOM:0;PADDG:.5REM;RIGHT:0;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG:0.39REM;}}{DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:1REM;WIDTH:1REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:1.063REM;HEIGHT:1.063REM;}}{LE-HEIGHT:1;MARG-TOP:0.3125REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0;}}{LOR:#595959;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}PHOTO: AP PHOTO/JT {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:3.5REM;PADDG-RIGHT:3.5REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MAX-WIDTH:45.25REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 100REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}{CLEAR:BOTH;NTENT:" ";DISPLAY:BLOCK;FONT-SIZE:0.7REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.5REM;HEIGHT:0REM;VISIBILY:HIDN;}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}(1951-2002){LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;MARG-TOP:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}WHO WAS SYLVIA RIVERA?SYLVIA RIVERA WAS A LATA-AMERIN DRAG QUEEN WHO BEME ONE OF THE MOST RADIL GAY AND TRANSGENR ACTIVISTS OF THE 1960S AND 70S. AS -FOUNR OF THE GAY LIBERATN FRONT, RIVERA WAS KNOWN FOR PARTICIPATG THE {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}STONEWALL RTS OF 1969 AND TABLISHG THE POLIL ANIZATN STAR (STREET TRANSVTE ACTN REVOLUTNARI) WH FELLOW IEND AND DRAG QUEEN, MARSHA P. JOHNSON. THE SYLVIA RIVERA LAW PROJECTIN HONOR OF RIVERA'S ACTIVISM THE GAY AND TRANS MUNY, THE SYLVIA RIVERA LAW PROJECT (SRLP) WAS FOUND 2002 — THE SAME YEAR OF HER ATH. AS A LEGAL AID ANIZATN, SRLP “WORKS TO GUARANTEE ALL PEOPLE ARE EE TO SELF-TERME GENR INTY AND EXPRSN, REGARDLS OF E AND RACE, AND WHOUT FACG HARASSMENT, DISCRIMATN OR VLENCE” BY GIVG GAY, TRANS AND GENR-FLUID DIVIDUALS ACCS TO LEGAL SERVIC, AS WELL AS TEACHG LEARSHIP AND ADVOCY SKILLS. CHILDHOODBORN ON JULY 2, 1951, THE BRONX, NEW YORK, RIVERA HAD A TROUBLED CHILDHOOD. HAILG OM PUERTO RIN AND VENEZUELAN SCENT, RIVERA WAS ABANDONED BY HER FATHER SHORTLY AFTER BIRTH AND ORPHANED AS A TODDLER WHEN HER MOTHER MTED SUICI. RAISED BY HER GRANDMOTHER, RIVERA WAS REJECTED AND BEATEN FOR HER EFFEMATE BEHAVR. BY AGE 11, SHE RAN AWAY OM HOME AND BEME A CHILD PROSTUTE, WORKG THE TIM SQUARE AREA. WHILE LIVG ON THE STREETS, RIVERA MET A GROUP OF DRAG QUEENS WHO WELED HER TO THEIR FOLD, AND WAS WH THEIR SUPPORT, SHE BEME "SYLVIA" AND INTIFIED AS A DRAG QUEEN. LATER LIFE, SHE WOULD NSIR HERSELF TRANSGENR, ALTHOUGH SHE DISLIKED LABELS. {--DATA-EMBED-DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;CLEAR:BOTH;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;WIDTH:100%;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}} A SPAN{RIGHT:1REM;} IMG{WIDTH:TO;HEIGHT:85VH;} A{DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;POSN:VAR(--POSN, RELATIVE);} IMG:NOT(.EWCW41W1){DISPLAY:BLOCK;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;-WEBK-ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;-MS-FLEX-EM-ALIGN:FLEX-START;ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;}{WIDTH:100%;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;-WEBK-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;-MS-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}{WIDTH:0;M-WIDTH:100%;PADDG-TOP:0.625REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;MARG-BOTTOM:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.4;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTERITALIC,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}SYLVIA RIVERA LEADG AN ACT-UP MARCH NEW YORK CY’S ON JUNE 26, {PADDG-LEFT:0REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;}PHOTO: AP PHOTO/JT SUTCLIFFEACTIVISM & THE STONEWALL RTSWH THE SURGE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, THE WOMEN'S RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE VIETNAM WAR PROTTS OF THE 1960S, RIVERA'S ACTIVISM BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE. IN 1969, AT AGE 17, SHE TOOK PART THE FAMO STONEWALL RTS BY ALLEGEDLY THROWG THE SEND MOLOTOV CKTAIL PROTT TO A POLICE RAID OF THE GAY BAR THE STONEWALL INN MANHATTAN. THE EVENT WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR TALYSTS OF THE GAY LIBERATN MOVEMENT AND TO FURTHER PH THE AGENDA FORWARD, RIVERA -FOUND THE GROUP, THE GAY LIBERATN FRONT.IN LATER TERVIEWS, SHE REMISCED ABOUT HER SPECIAL PLACE HISTORY. “WE WERE THE ONTLERS. WE DIDN’T TAKE NO S**T OM NOBODY... WE HAD NOTHG TO LOSE.”CO-FOUNR OF STAR WH MARSHA P. JOHNSONALONG WH THE TABLISHMENT OF THE GAY LIBERATN FRONT, RIVERA TEAMED UP WH IEND MARSHA P. JOHNSON TO -FOUND STAR (STREET TRANSVTE ACTN REVOLUTNARI), A GROUP THAT HELPED SUPPORT AND EMPOWER GAY, TRANS, AND GENR-FLUID YOUTH, 1970.DEFIANT OF LABELS, RIVERA NFOUND MANY THE MASTREAM GAY LIBERATN MOVEMENT BEE OF HER OWN DIVERSE AND PLEX BACKGROUND: SHE WAS POOR, TRANS, A DRAG QUEEN, A PERSON OF LOR, A FORMER SEX WORKER, AND SOMEONE WHO ALSO EXPERIENCED DG ADDICTN, RCERATN AND HOMELSNS. FOR ALL OF THE REASONS, RIVERA FOUGHT FOR NOT ONLY GAY AND TRANS RIGHTS BUT ALSO RACIAL, ENOMIC AND CRIMAL JTICE ISSU. INIALLY PUBLIC SUPPORT OF THE GAY RIGHTS BILL, RIVERA FELT BETRAYED WHEN THE BILL — WHICH TOOK 17 YEARS TO BEE NEW YORK LAW 1986 — ULTIMATELY EXCLUD THE RIGHTS OF THE TRANSGENR MUNY."THEY HAVE A LTLE BACKROOM AL WHOUT VG MISS SYLVIA AND SOME OF THE OTHER TRANS ACTIVISTS TO THIS BACKROOM AL WH THE POLICIANS. THE AL WAS, 'YOU TAKE THEM OUT, WE’LL PASS THE BILL,'" RIVERA EXPLAED AT AN LGBT TALK 2001.'YA'LL BETTER QUIET DOWN' SPEECHTHE "BACKROOM ALS" RIVERA WAS REFERENCG WERE BEG LED BY GAY MIDDLE-CLASS WHE MEN AS WELL AS LBIAN FEMISTS WHO DIDN'T UNRSTAND NOR SHARED HER PASSN FOR MARGALIZED GROUPS WH THE GAY MUNY. ANGERED BY THEIR LACK OF CLN, RIVERA LIVERED HER FIERY "YA'LL BETTER QUIET DOWN" SPEECH NEW YORK CY AT THE CHRISTOPHER STREET LIBERATN DAY RALLY WASHGTON SQUARE PARK 1973 AMID BOOS OM THE CROWD: “YOU ALL TELL ME, GO AND HI MY TAIL BETWEEN MY LEGS.I WILL NO LONGER PUT UP WH THIS SH.I HAVE BEEN BEATEN.I HAVE HAD MY NOSE BROKEN.I HAVE BEEN THROWN JAIL.I HAVE LOST MY JOB.I HAVE LOST MY APARTMENT.FOR GAY LIBERATN, AND YOU ALL TREAT ME THIS WAY?WHAT THE F**K’S WRONG WH YOU ALL?THK ABOUT THAT!”FEELG BETRAYED BY THE MOVEMENT SHE HAD FOUGHT SO LONG AND HARD FOR, RIVERA LEFT STAR AND DISAPPEARED OM ACTIVISM FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS. SHE RETURNED TO FIGHT FOR TRANS ISSU STARTG THE MID-1990S AMID CULTURAL NVERSATNS AROUND ISSU LIKE GAY MARRIAGE AND THE LGBTQ MUNY SERVG THE ARY.ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STONEWALL RTS, RIVERA PARTICIPATED NEW YORK CY'S PRI PARA AND SHARED A FEW THOUGHTS. “THE MOVEMENT HAD PUT ME ON THE SHELF, BUT THEY TOOK ME DOWN AND DTED ME OFF," SHE SAID. “STILL, WAS BETIFUL. I WALKED DOWN 58TH STREET AND THE YOUNG ON WERE LLG OM THE SIWALK, 'SYLVIA, SYLVIA, THANK YOU, WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID.' AFTER THAT, I WENT BACK ON THE SHELF. IT WOULD BE WONRFUL IF THE MOVEMENT TOOK RE OF S OWN.”DEATHON FEBARY 19, 2002, RIVERA DIED OM LIVER NCER AT SAT VCENT'S CATHOLIC MEDIL CENTER NEW YORK, NY.SHE IS NSIRED ONE OF THE PIVOTAL FIGUR WHO ENSURED THE "T" LGBTQ AND THE ONLY TRANSGENR PERSON CLUD THE NATNAL PORTRA GALLERY AT THE SMHSONIAN. {BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;MARG:0.9375REM 0 0 0.625REM;PADDG:0 0 0 1.25REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:0.9375REM 0;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} LI{PADDG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} LI::MARKER{LOR:#323232;}BIRTH YEAR: 1951BIRTH DATE: JULY 2, 1951BIRTH STATE: NEW YORKBIRTH CY: BRONXBIRTH COUNTRY: UNED STATBT KNOWN FOR: SYLVIA RIVERA WAS A LATA-AMERIN DRAG QUEEN WHO WAS A GAY AND TRANSGENR ACTIVIST THE 1960S AND 70S. SHE'S KNOWN FOR PARTICIPATG THE STONEWALL RTS OF 1969 AND TABLISHG THE POLIL ANIZATN STAR.ASTROLOGIL SIGN: CANCERDEATH YEAR: 2002DEATH DATE: FEBARY 19, 2002DEATH STATE: NEW YORKDEATH CY: NEW YORKDEATH COUNTRY: UNED STATFACT CHECK

After the Stonewall Rts a group of gay men and lbians fed up wh beg abed and the slowns and excln of the Mattache Society' * gay liberation front 1969 *

But gay men don’t need to opprs women orr to fulfil their own psycho-sexual needs, and gay women don’t have to relate sexually to the male opprsor, so that at this moment time, the et and most equal relatnships are most likely to be between homosexuals.

In all about a hundred gay men and lbians were active the var GLF Groups, while by mid-January, ’71 there were up to five hundred people a week attendg the General Meetg, which suggts that many thoands of gay men and lbians passed through the doors. David Rben’s book, “Everythg you wanted to know about sex – but were aaid to ask”, which claimed to tell ndid facts whilst avoidg moral judgement and the sectns on gays and lbians ntaed referenc to light bulbs, cucumbers, and the e of wire at hangers for abortns. At the end of ’71 ser spls were occurrg between the men who saw ‘g out’ as only the first step the transformatn of gay men and the send the nontatn wh the social ials of masculy, and sexism, whilst followg the Manifto aim of movg toward munal livg.

Opposg them were the men who ignored the Manifto, refed to acknowledge their heterosexist quali, were learng to mpaign on sgle issu, but need, as straight men do, an anised stcture which to operate, one that gay lib was liberately signed not to provi.

GAY HISTORY – SEPTEMBER 12, 1969: GAY LIBERATN FRONT PROTTS THE VILLAGE VOICE OVER HOMOPHOBIC ADVERTISG POLICY

The gay rights movement the Uned Stat began the 1920s and saw huge progrs the 2000s, wh laws prohibg homosexual activy stck down and a Supreme Court lg legalizg same-sex marriage. * gay liberation front 1969 *

In June me the first issue of ‘Gay News’ published by a group ntag many 'straight gays' om the GLF Actn Group, and immediately laid down a format for savg the natn om the screamg red queens and faggots of gay lib. One of the great legaci of GLF was that when HIV/Aids was intified there already existed groups, and works of dividuals who had been part of, or been touched by, the forever ongog sexual revolutn begun by the Gay Liberatn Front.

By the example of GLF the new activists HIV/Aids were able to immediately challenge the attus towards gays of the medil orthodoxy and quickly took over the entire culture surroundg the panmic. While the old learship wanted to portray the muny as women drs and men sus and ti, those at Stonewall and the founrs of Gay Liberatn Front drsed jeans and t-shirts and drag or what soon would be nsired “genrf*ck. The first Gay Youth anizatn, GYNY; the first trans anizatn, STAR (Street Transvte Actn Revolutnari); the first LGBT Communy Center on Wt 3rd Street; the first monstratns agast media and police; and a ntual public prence as we took back our streets.

There were people at Stonewall who passed by, people who crang their necks om around the rner watchg, people who tossed a stone and ran sce the police chased people up and down the street, but the spir of ristance that gave birth to the new movement was all the Gay Liberatn ont.

GAY HISTORY – JULY 24, 1969: THE GAY LIBERATN FRONT IS FOUND.

They created a staable anizatn where there had been none before, the worlds first trans anizatn, Street Transvte Actn Revolutnari, which was a mtee of the Gay Liberatn Front, formed durg the GLF occupatn of NYU’s Weste Hall. Infightg the anizatn ed a spl and created the Gay Activists Alliance, which beme popular wh historians sce went back to those rpectable lookg homosexuals that they preferred reprent our muny and which were overwhelmgly whe men. The Gay Liberatn Front is a ant aln of radil and revolutnary homosexual men and women mted to fight the opprsn of the homosexual as a mory group and to mand the right to the self-termatn of our own bodi.

GAY RIGHTS

Gay Flam (issue 4, 1970), a GLF newsletter, observed that “Gay Liberatn is tryg to build an alternative to the bars/baths/cisg scene which has bee a way of life for so many homosexuals, particularly homosexual mal. As -founr of the Gay Liberatn Front, Rivera was known for participatg the Stonewall Rts of 1969 and tablishg the polil anizatn STAR (Street Transvte Actn Revolutnari) wh fellow iend and drag queen, Marsha P.

As a legal aid anizatn, SRLP “works to guarantee all people are ee to self-terme genr inty and exprsn, regardls of e and race, and whout facg harassment, discrimatn or vlence” by givg gay, trans and genr-fluid dividuals accs to legal servic, as well as teachg learship and advocy skills.

GAY LIBERATN NEW YORK CY, 1969-1973, BY LDSAY BRANSON

The event was one of the major talysts of the gay liberatn movement and to further ph the agenda forward, Rivera -found the group, the Gay Liberatn later terviews, she remisced about her special place history.

Defiant of labels, Rivera nfound many the mastream gay liberatn movement bee of her own diverse and plex background: She was poor, trans, a drag queen, a person of lor, a former sex worker, and someone who also experienced dg addictn, rceratn and homelsns. 'Ya'll Better Quiet Down' SpeechThe "backroom als" Rivera was referencg were beg led by gay middle-class whe men as well as lbian femists who didn't unrstand nor shared her passn for margalized groups wh the gay muny. She returned to fight for trans issu startg the mid-1990s amid cultural nversatns around issu like gay marriage and the LGBTQ muny servg the the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Rts, Rivera participated New York Cy's pri para and shared a few thoughts.

GAY LIBERATN FRONT

QUICK FACTSBirth Year: 1951Birth date: July 2, 1951Birth State: New YorkBirth Cy: BronxBirth Country: Uned StatBt Known For: Sylvia Rivera was a Lata-Amerin drag queen who was a gay and transgenr activist the 1960s and 70s. Edn featured two ont page stori about the rt: “Gay Power Com to Sheridan Square” by Lucian Tstt IV, and Howard Smh’s experience of that night strapped the Stonewall Inn wh the NYPD “From the Insi: Full Moon Over The Stonewall. The ad was accepted, but the person who placed the ad received a phone ll om someone at the Voice the next day to say that was Voice policy to refe to prt obscene words classified ads and that the g the the word “gay”was obscene — even though the Voice routely accepted, whout qutn, ads for apartments om landlords specifyg “no gays.

The suggtn was ma that we negotiate the three pots dispute I)changg classified ads whout knowledge or nsent of purchaser, 2) e of the words “Gay” and “homosexual” classifieds, and 3) the ntemptuo attu of the Village Voice toward the Gay Communy.

As the flier shows below, this gural gatherg was lled Liberatn Day and featured a “Gay-In” Central Park, nscns-raisg groups, danc, and women-only potluck dners makg the first pri not only a prott but also a muny event. Groups such as the Red Butterfly Cell, the 28th of June Cell, the Planned Non-Parenthood Cell, the Gay Commando, and the Aquari Cell each pursued a specialized agenda, ee om the mands of tablishg an overall GLF nsens. Army service World War I, Gerber was spired to create his anizatn by the Scientific-Humanarian Commtee, a “homosexual emancipatn” group ’s small group published a few issu of s newsletter “Friendship and Freedom, ” the untry’s first gay-tert newsletter.

GAY LIBERATN FRONT MARCH ON TIM SQUARE, NEW YORK CY, 1969

Ernment signated Gerber’s Chigo hoe a Natnal Historic Pk TriangleCorbis/Getty ImagHomosexual prisoners at the ncentratn mp at Sachsenhsen, Germany, wearg pk triangl on their uniforms on December 19, gay rights movement stagnated for the next few s, though LGBT dividuals around the world did e to the spotlight a few example, English poet and thor Radclyffe Hall stirred up ntroversy 1928 when she published her lbian-themed novel, The Well of Lonels. Addnally, 1948, his book Sexual Behavr the Human Male, Aled Ksey proposed that male sexual orientatn li on a ntuum between exclively homosexual to exclively Homophile Years In 1950, Harry Hay found the Mattache Foundatn, one of the natn’s first gay rights group. ”Though started off small, the foundatn, which sought to improve the liv of gay men through discsn groups and related activi, expand after foundg member Dale Jenngs was arrted 1952 for solicatn and then later set ee due to a adlocked the end of the year, Jenngs formed another anizatn lled One, Inc., which weled women and published ONE, the untry’s first pro-gay magaze.

Post Office, which 1954 clared the magaze “obscene” and refed to liver Mattache Society Mattache Foundatn members rtctured the anizatn to form the Mattache Society, which had lol chapters other parts of the untry and 1955 began publishg the untry’s send gay publitn, The Mattache Review. That same year, four lbian upl San Francis found an anizatn lled the Dghters of Bilis, which soon began publishg a newsletter lled The Ladr, the first lbian publitn of any early years of the movement also faced some notable setbacks: the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn listed homosexualy as a form of mental disorr followg year, Print Dwight D. In 1961, Illois beme the first state to do away wh s anti-sodomy laws, effectively crimalizg homosexualy, and a lol TV statn California aired the first documentary about homosexualy, lled The 1965, Dr.

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Freakg Fag Revolutnari: New York's Gay Liberatn Front, 1969–1971 | Radil History Review | De Universy Prs.

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