Ruthybird Campbell Marmelstein
National STONEWALL Veterans'
Association
Re-tired and Re-tried and Retired S.V.A. Scheduler
Up-Close with Miss Ruthybird Marmelstein
[Photograph by Eileen "Lezbean" Levy]
Willson Henderson with his water-color portrait and an admiring Ruthybird at
Chelsea Art Show
[Photograph by artist Anthony Zito]
Ruthybird -is- Turkeybird
[Collage by Roy's Artwork]
Ruth Mermin Feinsilver, affectionately known
as "Ruthybird", had a zest for
anyone as outrageous as
she was at the time of the late 1960s, especially with flambouyancy and
overdone make-up. That answer was some of the femme Gay boys
of Greenwich Village, particularly the 'flame queens' along Christopher
Street.
Ruthybird was especially compassionate and helpful to many of the
homeless Gay youth. She gave them small amounts of money, bought
them food and, in some cases, did their make-up. They called her
"La Bird". Remember, until January 20, 1969, in the
White House with President Lyndon B. Johnson ("LBJ") was the First
Lady named Lady
Bird and their two White House daughters Lynda Bird and Lucie Bird!
The Gay
Birdcage, if you will, was inside the black wrought iron fencing and on
the benches of the quaint Sheridan Triangle Park, now known as
Christopher Park, located
diagonally across the street from The Stonewall Club.
Most of the Gay nightlife activity centered on Greenwich
Avenue and Christopher
Street in near proximity to the now famous Stonewall Club.
Although the flame queens
were basically not permitted in The Stonewall Club (besides, hardly any
of them had the admission fee), Ruthybird helped many of them
with
their hair and fashion tips for their attire besides their make-up!
Ruthybird S. Marmelstein already with her three favoirtes altready:
Director Willson Henderson and Manager AnDre Christie plus King Storme DeLarverie
[Photo by her fourth fave Rogers 'Ro-Ro' Huntana]
Note: This photo was used for
inside C/D cover of "Songs of The Stonewall 40"
and it also appeared in Newsweek magazine in 2011 for a story on Gay couples!
Ruthybird in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, NYC --
with the Birds!
[Photo by Elizabeth "Lizbit" Smith]
Ruthybird C. Marmelstein, on
behalf of the STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans'
Association
("S.R.V.A.") was in regular communication with
several New York public
officials
such as U.S. Congressmembers Anthony D. Weiner (Queens), Carolyn
J. Maloney (Manhattan East Side), Joseph F. Crowley (Queens/East Bronx), Yvette
D. Clarke (Brooklyn), Hakeem S. Jeffries (Brooklyn) and Kathleen M. Rice (Nassau County, Long Island), Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, and NYC
Councilwomen Melisssa 'Meli-Mar' Viverito, Rosie Mendez, Jessica
Lappin, Carlina Rivera and Lil' Margaret Chin -- plus former Councilmen James E. "Jed" Davis, Bill de
Blasio, John C. Liu, Adolfo Carrion, David Weprin, James Sanders and David Yassky, the guys who all
moved on to bigger and better positions!
Along with other SRVA-ers,
Ruthybird formerly represented
the
S.R.V.A.
at conferences, streetfairs, meetings, forums and dinners.
With the
milestone of "Stonewall 40" in 2009, Ruthybird did several
interviews with newspapers
and magazines besides television locally, such as New York 1
Television News, and,
nationally, about the Stonewall Era and the S.R.V.A. Ruthybird is
also the S.R.V.A. co-liaison to the Heritage of Pride ("HOP") parade
organizers. In the Summer of 2009, Ruthybird
joined the SRVA-er concert outings to see Miss Connie Francis sing all of her hit songs including "Where The Boys Are" at New
York City's Seaside Concert Series and Frankie Valli & His
Jersey
Boys, outdoors, in good old Brooklyn! Later in the Summer of
2009 it was to see, at the same great scenic outdoor location, the
"Queen of Disco" Donna Summer! In 2010, it was to see The
Beach Boys
and The Monkeys and The Turtles and Paul Revere & The Raiders!
In 2011, besides Gracie Mansion in Manhattan with NYC Mayor
Michael R. Bloomberg, among others, it was musically to see Bettye &
The Bristol
Stompers! In 2011, Ruthybird's favorite event of the year was the
"S.R.V.A. 42nd Annual Conference & Stonewall Veterans Reunion".
It was held at The Greenwich Village Auditorium at which "La
Bird" spoke from the podium! And, musically, it was to see
Mary Wilson of The Supremes and Motown's The Spinners in July at
Brooklyn-by-the-Sea Concerts and in August of 2011, it was the "Queen of Soul"
Aretha Franklin! "What's not to like already?"
Willson Henderson, NYC Public Advocate-Elect Bill
De Blasio
and Ruthybird
[Photo by BDB's assistant Phil Micah Jones]
The Flying Byrd!
*
Ruthybird, Willson Henderson, Harriette Rose, Andrew Coren and
Rogers Hunt
at NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Pride Party at Gracie Mansion
[Photograph by Hally Weiner]
*
Ruthybird's favourite song of the ~original~ STONEWALL Club Jukebox:
"A Bird In The Hand (Is Worth Two In The Bush)"
by The Velvelettes
(Motown girl group)
29 July
2023
Summer of Miss Marmelstein!
*
=====2023:
54th Anniversary of the NYC Stonewall Rebellion=====
[Friday night, June 27
~through~ Thursday evening, July 3, 1969, Manhattan, New York City]
*
1 January
2016
"The Last Non-Supper" at Ruthybird's
Rattery bi Brooklyn
Attended by two Gay couples: Willson & AnDre Christie and Mendy Seltza
& Sanjay
Petersen
*
S.V.A.
45th Conference & Stonewall Reunion at GLBT Center
21 June
2014
*
S.V.A. Social Committee Dinner
Meeting at Morandi Italian Restaurant in Greenwich Village, NYC...
with famed movie producer and director Roland "STONEWALL!" Emmerich in
arrangement for Stonewall Rebellion veteran interviews in
preparation for the film!
12 May
2014
*