Wi Mand e J lamboyance a brief history of the stonewall riots OD and other queer happenings PRIDE is an annual GLBTQ celebration that originated 39 years ago as the Christopher Street Liberation Day on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. This pamphlet was produced to be distributed at Chicago PRIDE 2009, which marks the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall. There is a rich history to celebrate and take pride in—this zine is meant to be a reminder of those moments and individuals that made that history a reality. There is a lot to celebrate, and there is still a lot more to struggle for (and against). Note: throughout this zine we use various terms when discussing the GLBTQ community. ‘We've done our best chaose terms specifically and carefully In choosing difering terminol ‘ogy, we've attempted to re-articulate how specific groups and individuals have chosen to identify themselves throughout history. All these terms have significant histories and no single label can adequately define all the identities and communities that have struggled ‘and continue to struggle for sexual and gender freedom. In the late 1960s and the years prior, say bas served as one of the very few places that gay, lesbian or trans people could ‘gather with one another. However, even these spaces were often unable to provide homosexuals and gender-variant individuals with the opportunity to comfortably and safely gather. Often times, they were owned by straight men and/or connected to the mob and were looking to make money at the expense of ‘the gay community rather than serve it. Gay bars were also regularly subjected to police raids as most states had anti-gay laws, including statues regarding “gender-appropriate” clothing and laws making ita crime to serve alcohol to a homosexual. Along with these laws that were on the books, police forces would find additional excuses to take out their anti-gay hostility. These policies reflected a larger culture of homophobia and anti-gay sentiment. There is along history of anti-gay laws and repression, and there are multiple stories of gay activists ‘through history, but by and large, there had been little public action defending the rights of gay, lesbian or trans people. There were some writers and activists who would speak out in defense of gay issues or publish underground newspa- pers lke Friendship and Freedom, @ paper printed in 1924 by the Society for Hu- man Rights herein Chicago, which led to members being arrested and fired from their jobs or Emma Goldman's adamant defense of Walt Whitman in the 1920s. But the fact remained that for decades, those who spoke out against homophobia were faced with being ostracized and jailed Beginning in 1950, a new wave of activist groups began to form, and became known as the "homophile” (a pre- ‘Stonewall preferred term) movement. ‘The first group that was formed was the Mattachine Society, a gay men’s ‘organization that began to work against the various anti-gay laws along with ‘greater society's anti-gay bias. Taking ‘aim at the law prohibiting the sale of liquor to homosexuals, in 1966, Matta- chine organized “sip-ins” in which they ‘would order drinks at “straight” bars and ‘announce they were gay with intention of ‘exposing and suing the discriminate bars ‘as well as the State Liquor Authority In addition to Mattachine, there were various ‘ther homophile organizations, notably ONE, Inc. and Daughters of Bilts—perhaps the first lesbian activist group. While each group, in their own way, responded to the extreme homophobia that ran deep in the larger culture, the prominent strategy within the homophile movement was an attempt to be accepted by mainstream society. ‘Women involved would always wear skirts = ‘stockings and the men would wear sults. Public displays of affection at homophile actions were typically condemned for “hurting the movement.” This approach to 2 politics of difference often distanced the movement from more radical politics to avoid being further marginalized by the mainstream. This was the prominent, though challenged, climate of the pre-Stonewall activist movement. In discussions of gay history, Stonewall has often been treated as a spontaneous combustion of frustration, anger, and joy with a particularly rebellious attitude. While this is all true, the rebellion at Stonewall was also a development of and reaction to the previous movements for gay rights. Its also important to view ‘Stonewall in the context of the era, as resistance movements were developing internationally and uprisings, rebellions and riots were occurring with regularity So, with allthis talk about Stonewall as a rupture that permanently impacted the struggles around gender and sexual identity, it is important to discuss what actu- ally took place at Stonewall Inn and how it helped to push a movement forward. Stonewall Inn was a sleazy and gritty gay bar on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. It had no running water; they cleaned their glasses by running them through a vat of “sterilized water” behind the bar and served them up again. The bar was established and run by Mobsters who would pay off the cops to keep raids to a minimum, let the management of Stonewall know when they were coming, and raid early in the night when business was slow. During the early morning on June 28, 1969, the cops again raided Stonewall, this time with no prior warning. Usually, the only ones arrested were those without Ds or those dressed in clothes of the “opposite gender” (New York law required three articles of clothing “appropriate to one's gender.”) Not unlike other clashes with the police, a crowd began to form around Stonewall, and at the beginning of the raid, the police began arresting for a variety of usual reasons. When the ‘wagon pulled up, an unexpected rebellious opposition began to form, unlike any Of the other raids that had happened at the bar. The crowd usually dispersed ‘cooperatively and went along their way with a somewhat typical night of annoy- ance caused by another police raid on their bar. ‘Some of the arrestees began striking poses as they were being led off by the police while others arrested or confronted were mouthing off, and some threw their coins at the police. Stl the cops continued to shove some arrestees into tthe police wagon. Some consider the most explosive moment to be when a butch lesbian was arrested and thrown in the wagon and began to rock it. Around this point in the night, some accounts speak of several spontaneous flashes of anger, ‘a mass opposition, and militant refusal to accept the police harassment. One queen took off her high heel, smashed a police officer and knocked him down, (grabbed his handcuff keys and freed herself. She then passed along the keys to her comrades, while others started to yell "Pigs!" "Faggot Cops!” and "Gay Power!” All of this led to the crowd transforming and growing into a mob, which began throwing everything possible at the police; bricks, coins, bottles, garbage ‘ans, even dog shit. The police, who seriously underestimated a bunch of cowering “queers” and gays," only sent eight police officers to perform the raid, and when the unex: pected near rit broke out, the police were ordered by their commander to re- treat into the bar. They barricaded themselves in, which of course led to attacks ‘on the bar from the resistance in the street, including people using a parking meter as a battering ram. Eventually the crowd partially breeched the barrier be- tween them and the police, and one rioter successfully tossed a match and some lighter fluid into the bar, starting a fire. The cops, with pistols pulled, were ready for another clash, and one yelled, "We'll shoot the first motherfucker that comes through the door” Finally the riot poice came, armed with clubs, helmets and tear gas. Upon their arrival, the crowd scattered, but did not leave the scene. The mob decentralized, and they began kicking their high heels in the air Rockettes’ style, shouting: "We are the Stonewall Girls We wear our hair in curls We wear no underwear We show our pubic hair. We wear our dungarees Above our nelly knees!” Eventually the cops cleared the streets, The night had resulted in several rioters beaten and injured, four cops injured, and thirteen arrested. The night was violent and surprising and shifted the perspec- tive of possible queer resistance. ‘The following day, word began to spread. Some mainstream media covered the event, but mostly the news spread through word-of-mouth. All day, people ‘were going past the bar to see the damage done, and as night came, the crowds grew. There were people who were there the night before, radicals ‘who were hoping for another confrontation, and onlookers who were curious to see what would hap- pen. The riot police also showed up, determined not to have a repeat of the night before. ‘The police began using clubs to push people back, but the crowd continued to resist. Some of those present were experienced activists (both in gay and straight movements) who came prepared for a clash with the police and began throwing bottles and bricks at officers and marbles under the feet of the police horses. The crowd blocked Christopher Street and refused to allow any traffic through while some militant and flamboyant queens jumped on top of vehicles attempting to drive through the crowd. Meanwhile, other radical queer rioters dropped something onto a police cruiser, smashing its windshield. The skirmishes went until 4 am. ‘The third night a smaller crowd still showed up, as did the police. Tensions were high, and there were some exchanges between radicals and the police, but ‘compared to the two nights prior the situation was subdued. Though the rioting had ended, it was clear that something had changed and that the gay struggle had achieved a new energy and intensity. What happened at Stonewall would ap- pear to be just what activists needed to take their activism in a more militant and radical direction. It was a turning point and a new day in queer activism, visibility ‘and persona. ‘Almost immediately following the Stonewall rebellion, organizations began to develop to fight for gay liberation. Just weeks after the riots, in July 1969, queer activists met in New York City and formed the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), 2 radical organization that connected the struggle against gay oppression to other social movements active at the time. They identified the movement as connected to the women's liberation movement, the anti-war movement, Black Power {groups and stood in solidarity with international resistance movements. ‘A few months later, a group of activists spit off from GLF to form the Gay Activ- ists Alliance (GAA), which was more of a single-issue organization focused on ‘gay and lesbian rights. Although GAA didn’t associate themselves with the radical Politics of the other social movements of the time, they did incorporate many of the direct-action and civil disobedience tactics. They often utilized sit-ins as part Of their campaigns to end anti-gay policies of politicians, government institutions ‘and media outlets. Unfortunately, many of the gay organizations falled to adequately deal with ‘gender issues and individuals founded their own groups to address their specific needs. Radicalesbians was a lesbian caucus of GLF that split off and became its own organization and similarly, female activists left GAA to found Lesbian Feminist Liberation. There was also a group named Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) that was founded to provide necessary services (like clothing, food and housing) to homeless trans and gender-variant young people living on the street, many of whom were involved in sex work. STAR also pushed ‘existing gay groups to include transvestite and drag issues in their campaigns, {as the gay organizations would often exclude them to appeal to politicians and straight citizens. There were a number of groups active in the 1980's and 1990's that embraced the radical politics and direct action tactics ofthe early gay liberation movement. In 1980, activists founded AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT-UP), an or- ganization that used civil disobedience and large spectacles to fight on behatf of those with AIDS, most of whom were gay men. A few years later, Queer Nation developed which included some former members of ACT-UP and continued ACT- UP legacy of radical street actions. In 1992, the Lesbian Avengers were formed, vith chapters starting across the country. This direct action group dealt with issues specifically of interest to lesbians, while developing a strong analysis of gender, race and class issues. Stonewall Matin Duberman Queer Theory An introduction ~ Anamare Jagose (ut ofthe Cases: Voices of Gay Liberation - Karla lay and Alen Young “Stonewal Was A Rot fom Guide Magazine by Michael Bronsk is oline—jst google it “Out of the Gosets and Into the Libraries” - ne compiled by bangarang collective ne downloadable at: mu geocties comhebangarangcllectve projects htm 1860 1895 1897 1902 1920 1925 1927 1950 1965 Inthe late 1860s, Prussia dats new penal codes civinaizing homosenuaty (later accepted by Germany) known as Paragraph 175. KARL-MARIA BENKERT, Hungarian doctor, dats statement to govertment stating that paragraph 175 olates the “rights of man" and cling upon authors to eect the proposal ‘The codes insted, instigating a new wave of homasevual repression Para ‘gap 175s later adopted by Hitler's Germany and ubized inthe execution of thousands ypon thousands of homosexu. (OSCAR WILDE is ried for his homeseaual tes, or more specifically “acs of (F055 indecency wih men’, Fercing many people to confront wth same-sex Felatios forthe fist time MAGNUS HIRSCHFIELD, a German radical sexlogt stars the SCIENTIFIC HUMANITARIAN CONMITTEE with goals to "win legislation tothe postion of abol- ‘Shing the antigay paragraph 175; enlightening pubic oprion on homosensay and intresting the homosexual hinsel in the struggle for his rights." The SHC becomes most active gay advocate organization in Europe, enduring unt around 1923, JOHN WILLIAM LLOYD pubshes the st issue of The Free Comrade, a pot ‘aly and serualy radical joural dedicated o "creating a word where Sens versity was valued, Inthe ear 1920s, MAGNUS HIRSCHFIELD goes on speaking tour, andthe action ‘committee ofthe SHC issues an appeal tothe homosexuals of Germany "Homo: sevuals, you [| must cary onthe ight yourselves. [..] Juste for you wal be inthe Fut onl of your efforts, Te iberation of homeseuals can enly be the work on homasexalsthemsehes,” Moved after the Hirschfil’s SHC in Germany, acts in Chicago form the ‘SOGETY FOR HUMAN FIGHTS. They would go on to publish to issues of FRIENDSHIP FOR FREEDOM and despite ther defense of “lw and order” and their pledge not o threaten the “pulc welfare.” their identities were exposed bythe media—lading to several arrests and lasses of jobs for members. EMMA GOLDMAN publi defends WALT WHITMAN, Ina eter, she stats: "The foals donot seem to realize that Wa Whitman's greatness asa rebel and poet ‘may have been conditioned in his sexual dferenation, and that he could nat be ctheruise than what he was” and states publicly that T regard it asa tragedy that people af diferng sexual erientaton find themselves poscibed in a world that has so litle understanding of homosexual.” During the rise of Nazism and between the two World Wars, same-sex rights ‘organization begin o fold under political repression and pressure, especially in Europe. Herein the US polis aso shit, stifing most attempts at continuing ‘a movement, This largely due tothe Red Scarehich results in a larger Intolerance fo ference of lfestyle and opinion, The frst re-emergence ofa gay rights group ater the war, MATTACHINE forms ln 1950 a gay men's group, begining what becomes known asthe “homophe” ‘movement. Tey publish the Matahine Review-—a poltcally moderate gay ‘men’s publication. Spltring trom Mattachine, ONE, Inc formed, accepting both women and ‘men an the frst lesbian rights group the DAUGHTERS OF BLITS is formed, In 1965, "Miss Shearer,” a member ofthe Chicago Chapter of DAUGHTERS (OF BILITS, appears ona two-hour teeised debate about homosexuality on (Chicago's WEKB. The program sone ofthe rst times sl identfed homosexu- ‘as appear on television, and "Miss Shearer” sth ony woman featured 1969 1970 1971 1973 1977 1987 1989 1993 In uly 1963, folowing STONEWALL, the GAY LIBERATION FRONT (GLE) is founded. For the fst tine, GLF connects the GLBTQ struggle wih other radical ‘ommuntes,includng the Black Power ovement and connects the struggle to the feminist movement by begining to discuss how sex and homophobia are overlapping forms of oppression. In December 1969, GLF sper, and GAY [ACTIISTS ALLIANCE (GAA) formed. the STREET TRANSVESTITE ACTION REVOLUTIONARIES (STAR is founded in NYC by SYLVA RIVERA and MARSHA P.IOHNSON. They make connections with other radical groups, notably the Young Lords a revotutonary Puerto ican exganzaton wich era (iho sof Pert can 2d Venezia esc) is active wit ‘To commemorate the one-year aniversary ofthe Stonewal rebelin, gay activ 'sts organize CHRISTOPHER STREET LIBERATION DAY ota place on lune 28, 1970 in NIC Events also take place in LA, San Francisco and herein Chicago, where about 200 people march through downtown Crcago. Starting in 1970, gay ibertion acts bein protesting the American Psy