Friday, June 26, 2009
EYEWITNESS
Here is an eyewitness account of the Stonewall Riots.
As usual, Lucian K. Truscott the Fourth puts himself front and center but it is still a compelling read.
He refers to the "famous" Fred McDarrah photo of participants outside which he says he organized.
More veterans. Young club kids who, on the first night, refused to be pushed around.
Truscott also points out a fact that I have know from previous histories. The bar sting was by the vice squad for the purpose of uncovering payoffs to the local precinct and also to unmask the real ownership which, as most gay bars were at the time, mafia connected. A blackmail ring was said to be in operation.
Here is the photo. All kids. God bless 'em. Their older peers stood on the sidewalk and worried about the poor image the kids were creating. Closet cases.
Thank god that over the years the closet cases came out as a result of these kids' rebellion. Of course, you know my dear, they were all at Stonewall.
We used to have this in Boston in the old days.
It was not "Pride" then. It was a gay rights march and we were in it. No floats. Lots and lots of signs. And, again, a lot of young people.
On the sidewalks? A lot of queers that we knew from the bars or the neighborhood. A lot, indeed, from City Hall where John worked. WATCHING!
So, the chant. "Off the sidewalks and into the streets". We embarrassed some of them to make the leap. One small step for man and, what is it? A great leap for mankind? Or something. The gay equivalent.
Another, different, eyewitness account. The second night.
This is more about the surrounding issues. This guy is not a bystander like Truscott IV.
Labels: gay history, gay military, gay rights
