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Loading ...The Stonewall generation looks back
It’s been a grueling journey from the deep closet to the equal-marriage battles of today. But it’s also remarkable that that journey has taken place within the space of typical American’s lifetime.
Older LGBT people have seen—and created—enormous changes in our society. A timeline produced by SAGE for the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion points out that a lesbian who is 75 years old today “would have been 39 before the American Psychiatric Association finally removed homosexuality from its list of psychiatric disorders,” and an 80-year-old transgender woman would have been 23 the year the Daily News reported on Christine Jorgensen’s successful sex-reassignment surgery with a headline that read ‘Ex-GI Becomes Blond Beauty.”This June, SAGE is sponsoring a reunion of Stonewall-era activists who are continuing the struggle for LGBT rights, giving them an opportunity to reflect not just on how far we’ve come as a community but the critical roles they played in the struggle.
As anyone who has ever been involved in a political movement can guess, there are some friendly—and not so friendly—disagreements about what happened in the past: whether to call what happened at the Stonewall Inn a “riot” or a “rebellion;” whether enough was done to integrate the needs and leadership of women and people of color; who was being too accommodating to the expectations of the straight world.
But when talking with these activists about what they want the next generation of LGBT activists to understand, one quickly begins to hear agreement on common themes: Don’t forget what—and who—it took to get here. Don’t let the politicians define what’s possible. Celebrate the victories and demand more. And if you’re still in the closet, by all means, come out.
Another universal theme is the sense of amazement that within the course of their lifetimes the LGBT community has made such enormous strides toward equality.
As Martha Shelley, one of the central figures in the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), a seminal group that emerged in New York in the aftermath of Stonewall, notes, “I really didn’t expect gay marriage to become legal—when I was younger I didn’t even dare to dream of it.” Everyday acceptance is just as surprising: “I can walk down the streets of Portland holding my partner’s hand and nobody even looks at us,” Shelley says.
The younger generation amazes them, too.
“They expect everything,” laughs Mark Segal, one of the youngest members of this elite group who in the early 1970s was a member of the Gay Youth wing of GLF.
Among those expectations is the right to define one’s sexual orientation and gender early. “So many young people assume sexual and gender fluidity,” observes Ellen Shumsky, a founding member of Radicalesbians and a photographer who helped document the early gay rights movement. Adds Perry Brass, founding editor of GLF’s first newspaper, Come Out: “Real gay kids are now coming out in their early teens—some as young as 12!”
NEXT PAGE: Struggles of the past.
I was 12 in ‘69. A suburb kid struggling with the usual and saw the coverage of the riots on the news.
I was on Long Island…just a short train ride from the city.
Those brave and wonderful people who finally had had enough–through that grand display of pride and anger helped this lonely kid no end.
I attended just three of the subsequent demonstrations. Hung around in the back of the room during some meetings. At 12, I was very tall/big for my age and thankfully no one questioned my being there.
Just another small voice in the throng, but grateful to this day that those heroes gave me and all of us the chance to add our voices to the demand.
I too have benefitted greatly from those heroes and that day.
Today, I and my partner of 12 years have a nice home in Maine and are happy.
We’re out and virtually no one even seems to care!
Isn’t it odd that in the end that is what we have all been fighting for all these years?
We’ve been fighting for the right to not be the focus of violence from otherwise average, every-day fellow citizens.
I don’t know, but fighting for being left alone to pursue our lives like anyone else seems an odd battle.
The LGBT movement has a lot more to do besides achieving equality. That is simply the start. Our experiences being denied the typical ways of living have produced their own rainbow of choices. Besides assimilating entirely into straight society, as we seem on track to do in the next decade, we have other things to offer, and we need to ensure those aren’t left in the dust.
Yes, imagine we gays and lesbians who never wanted to trust the thirtysomethings, are now collecting Social Security and Medicare.
We are single, widowed, and fathers and grandfathers. We are individuals with memories and fights that we never thought would morph into today’s gains and yes, defeats.
Albert and I are celebrating our 33rd year together. We miraculously adopted our son from Southeast Asia nearly a decade ago. We are blessed beyond belief.
Often the word hero gets thrown around without merit. The people involved in Stonewall and other rebellions are truly heroes. I think it is our duty to inform younger generations of what was sacrificed and fought for back when homosexuality was not accepted at all. A special thank you to all of those who were involved in starting the fight for equality. We love you.
Finally an article which acknowledges the hard work and sacrifice that led up to Stonewall. While Stonewall was an important milestone, it was not the beginning of the gay equal rights movement in the U.S.
The first public gay rights organization in the U.S. was the Society for Human Rights (SHR) in 1924, organized by Henry Gerber, who was soon arrested. Organization attempts continued and the Mattachine Society emerged in 1950, followed by Daughters of Bilitis organized by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon (the first couple married in California) and others, in San Francisco in 1955. In August of 1966, the Compton Cafeteria riot in San Francisco, helped set the precedent for Stonewall. By 1969 gay and lesbian organizations existed all over the country. The hard work and sacrifice of those who preceded Stonewall should not be forgotten.
WHERE IS THE TIMELINE? I cannot find it on SAGE.
Jim Angone’s comment “Last I am hoping that there will be a million Gay American March on Washington in the fall. We ned to demonstrate our demands that the above legislation be passed”.
Should be modified to read “There MUST be a march!”
As Gay americans, we can only express our appreciation to the Stonewall generation, by being politically active and involved today in the continuing struggle to gain our civil rights, especially our Federal civil rights.
The article’s second from last paragraph says it best “should we just leave everything to the courts from here on out? From the elder activists comes a resounding no. “Leaving everything to the lawyers is like leaving running the country to the politicians,” Shelley asserts. “Their business is to cut deals with the powers that be, to do what they consider possible. The public’s business is to push for what we really want, so that what the lawyers consider impossible becomes tomorrow’s reality.”
What most of the public doesnt realize is that being Gay is not a choice it is our natural definition in life and the discrimination, intimidation, suppressive actions of society play themselves out on a daily basis. We have as much right to our full American freedom as any other citizen. The gay community is now energized and we will never go back in the closet. Instead we must be active in securing our Federal civil rights.
There is much work yet to be done and we must each be active and vocal in applying the pressure to the US Congress and the President. I for one, have leaned too much on President Obama and not enogh on the US Congress. Please dont let a week go by without writing an email to your US Representative and your US Senators, as well as Nancy Pelosi (Speaker of the House) and Harry reid (Majority Leader of the Senate), letting them know we need
1) repeal of DOMA
2) repeal of DADT
3) Full access to all federal benefits for all legally civil-maried, civil union couples.
The US Congress needs to initiate the above legislation and see that it gets to the Presdient, who we must insist, not only sign the Legislation into law but also fiercely advocate to the Congrtess the need to pass this legislation.
Last I am hoping that there will be a million Gay American March on Washington in the fall. We ned to demonstrate our demands that the above legislation be passed.
Indeed God has taken the things which were hated,scorned,and despised using these self same things(persons) to confuse and confound the so called wisdom of the world. So much for our being called”sick,sinful,and illegal. Press on children Press on. God loves us and we must remember to love ourselves and one another. Baruch
I was only 2 years old in 1969. Many thanks and much love to the brave, inspired (and inspiring) folks who had the guts to stand up to those damn cops at the Stonewall Inn forty years ago, and the strength to continue onward from there. They’d be no gay pride without you. You’ve made the world a better place for millions of people.
Celebrate our Pride! Then pay the best tribute you can to the men and women of the Stonewall Rebellion. DO SOMETHING FOR THE CAUSE. “The Liberation of homosexuals is the work of homosexuals themselves.” –Harvey Milk
Vermont Steve,
You are a racist fool. Enjoy your lonely life.
James
We are still fighting today in 2009 believe it or not to implement anti-discrimination laws, implement hate crime legislation and fully repeal both DOMA and DADT!!!!!
I just figered out why he is anti-gay HE IS A MUSLIM and his middle name is “Hussian”!!!
I have 4 things to say to anti-gay Obama:
* “OBAMA YOU HAVE FAILED US”
* “NO HAPPY OBAMA”
* “FUCK OFF BACK TO AFRICA OBAMA”
* “OBAMA WE ALL KNOW YOU ARE A MUSLIM”
With a middle name of “Hussian” – come on he must be a Muslim!!!!
Thanks for mentioning that, Jessi. Even with all several really good compilations of our lgbt history, there still isn’t a comprehensive collection, and that’s what we need. Every extra bit of information puts our story together and helps give us the direction we need to go forward. I was in 10th grade during Stonewall, and we didn’t hear a whole lot about it in Philadelphia at the time. It is really important to reach across generations to share our experiences and they include history, culture, and everything else each generation thinks is just their own. When I moved to NY in the early eighties I worked with Sage for several years and learned a LOT. I recently finished 8 years with Pride For Youth on Long Island and I learned a lot from that generation as well. I hope I was able to teach some things along the way.
I thank those who were there.
but we also need to remember The Historic 1966 transgender riot that took place at Compton’s Cafeteria ,it predated the famous uprising at New York’s Stonewall Inn by three years.
that riot is rarely mentioned.