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She sat there with her legs crossed, the lashes of her mascara-coated eyes beating like the wings of a hummingbird. She was angry. She was so upset she hadn't bothered to shave. A day old stubble was beginning to push through the pancake makeup. She was a he. A queen of Christopher Street.
Last weekend the queens had turned commandos and stood bra strap to bra strap against an invasion of the helmeted Tactical Patrol Force. The elite police squad had shut down one of their private gay clubs, the Stonewall Inn at 57 Christopher St., in the heart of a three-block homosexual community in Greenwich Village. Queen Power reared its bleached blonde head in revolt. New York City experienced its first homosexual riot. "We may have lost the battle, sweets, but the war is far from over," lisped an unofficial lady-in-waiting from the court of the Queens.
"We've had all we can take from the Gestapo," the spokesman, or spokeswoman, continued. "We're putting our foot down once and for all. "The foot wore a spiked heel. According to reports, the Stonewall Inn, a two-story structure with a sand pained brick and opaque glass facade, was a mecca for the homosexual element in the village who wanted nothing but a private little place where they could congregate, drink, dance and do whatever little girls do when they get together.
The thick glass shut out the outside world of the street. Inside, the Stonewall bathed in wild, bright psychedelic lights, while the patrons writhed to the sounds of a juke box on a square dance floor surrounded by booths and table. The bar did a good business and the waiters, or waitresses, were always kept busy, as they snaked their way around the dancing customers to the booths and tables. For nearly two years, peace and tranquility reigned supreme for the Alice in Wonderland clientele.
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This is how the riot at Stonewall was relayed to the public. This is how GLBT people were seen. This is the history of the GLBT movement.
Things have changed, with many things becoming much better, but there is a long way to go. Homophobia is still active in our society. Heterosexism is more prevalent than many are will to admit, including our community and those claiming to be allies.
Today, 50 years ago, Queer people said "NO MORE!" People took notice. The road has been long, but the journey is not complete.
GAY RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS!
HOMOPHOBIA IS DEADLY!
SILENCE = DEATH!
Behind the Aegis
(53,919 posts)Hekate
(90,550 posts)Have we all made progress since then? Yes we have. Just look at the Democratic debates lineup. Do we have a long way to go? Yes we do. Just look at who was selected to be potus.
Hekate
(90,550 posts)Last edited Fri Jun 28, 2019, 10:14 PM - Edit history (1)
fishwax
(29,148 posts)yardwork
(61,538 posts)CaliforniaPeggy
(149,517 posts)SMC22307
(8,090 posts)Riveting television:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/stonewall-queen-bees/
Behind the Aegis
(53,919 posts)Thanks for the link though.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Just the other day I saw a post saying Buttigieg didnt dress like a gay man.
SMC22307
(8,090 posts)dsc
(52,152 posts)Several gay and lesbian choruses performed this piece in various places. New York and LA did it on Thursday. Philly did it last Saturday which is the night we performed it as well. It is an amazing piece, and we sold out the Carolina Theater in Durham when we did it. So many gays have no real idea of this history. It isn't taught in most schools. At 51, I have no real memory obviously of Stonewall, but I have seen movies and the like about it. But singing this piece solidified my knowledge of Stonewall. Honestly it was so amazing. If you get a chance you need to go see it.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Thanks for posting this!
Behind the Aegis
(53,919 posts)As evidenced by another post, we have a long way to go, especially when we can't even convince members of our own side to stop with the "he's so gay"/"he's a fag" "jokes" in regards to a certain squatter in the WH.
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,307 posts)MineralMan
(146,254 posts)What an awful use of language by a "journalist!"