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====Stonewall 27====

New York City
Gay
, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender
Pride Parade

 
Sunday, June 30th
=always the last Sunday in June=
1996

 
STONEWALL
Rebellion Veterans Association

Stonewall 27
 
Select S.V.A. Officials at the Washington Square Arch
[Photo by Patti Rene Stone]

New York, New York, Sunday, June 30, 1996 -- "Stonewall 27" is the "27th Annual Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender ("G.L.B.T.") Pride Parade" in Manhattan.  Traditionally leading the parade is the STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association ("S.V.A.") with the famous 1969 convertible "Stonewall Car".  The day started out with drizzling, a rarity for the blessed New York City Gay Pride Parade, however, thirteen minutes after the huge parade kicked-off on Fifth Avenue at noon, the rain almost miraculously stopped!  The white canvas convertible top on the blue 1969  "Stonewall Car" came down.  The crowds cheered!  Gay guys in blue parading with the S.V.A. wiped down the wet blue car with dry blue towels.  The crowds roared!  Walking ahead of the car (its front left fender partially visible in the lower right corner of the photo above) are (l-2-r):  S.V.A. Spokesperson Queen Allyson Allante, the big S.V.A. President Jeremiah Jay Newton, the little S.V.A. Secretary Rusty B. Rose and the tough S.V.A. Ambassador Stormé DeLarverie.  Not shown above but walking behind the car, framing the S.V.A. contingency, were SVA-ers Leigh McManus, Wayne Herndon, Rose Giordano, Dave West, Shelli Vannelli, Ramon Bellido, Jack Rojas and many Friends-of-SVA.  Riding in the open convertible car (see other pix) were Patti Rene Stone (up from Florida) and the S.V.A. Treasurer Terri Van Dyke (down from The Bronx) and some special supportive performance guests from the Imperial QUEENS & Kings of Greater New York ("IQKNY").  All of the arrangements and accomodations for the entire S.V.A. in the parade and the downtown dinner afterwards were incredibly and selflessly peformed by the SVA's founder Willson L. Henderson!  Many Stonewall veterans did not attend this year -- 1996 -- due to the widespread predictions of rain and the light rain when they woke up  Remember, even the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion was postponed two nights because of rain!  

The huge "We Remember" banner at Washington Square Park refers to all of those lost to the A.I.D.S. War, which includes endless veterans of the now historic 5-night 1969 Stonewall Rebellion.  They include, but are not limited to:  Steven Konigsberg, Eddie H. Wright, Aubrey Drummond, Arthur Fubler, Leroi Carr, Richard Strahan, Vaughn Fubler, Stanley Dunne and the greatly talented Ross Holloway!  The New York City Police Department (NYCPD) horse (pictured on the right in the photo above) with the armed, helmeted and mounted policeman conjured up ambivalent memories for the Stonewall Veterans:  "We Remember The Stonewall Rebellion".  Ironically, many 'men-in-blue' of the NYCPD had their own cameras and were quickly taking their own pictures of the very familiar blue 1969 "Stonewall Car".




 



This is NOT the S.V.A. and this is NOT the "Stonewall Car"
[Photo by Timothy Zimmer]
   
    







Unmistakable sea-worthy "Stonewall Car" navigates down the Parade Route
[Photo by Leigh P. McManus]

Shown above cruising down the avenue in the STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association's 1969 "Stonewall Car" is Stonewall veteran and S.V.A. Executive Committeemember Jeremiah Newton (riding 'shotgun'), Stonewall veteran and S.V.A. Executive Committeemember Rusty Rose (from Amityville, LI, wearing shades and black cap), S.V.A. "Showtyme" performer Venice Charlotte of the Imperial QUEENS & Kings of New York (wearing black gown sitting leftside on rearseat and waving), Stonewall vet Patti Rene Stone (partially blocked, sitting center atop backseat) and S.V.A. show performer Christy Lynne Bellink of IQKNY (in blue gown sitting rightside atop rearseat and waving).  FYI, Miss Bellink's brother Alan Bellink, co-authored the wonderful book "Classic Diners of the Northeast".  Miss Bellink gave a signed copy to Queen Allyson Allante, president of the IQKNY!  Driving the most famous Gay vehicle in the world is leather man Sam Propper, an officer of the Lambda Car Club.  This year, the S.V.A. again had double-duty vehicle signage with the permanent white vinyl lettering on both sides of the blue car which reads:  "STONEWALL Vets' Ass'n".  The matching portable "S/W-Car" signs read:  "The 1969 STONEWALL Car".  

The classic and famous vehicle known as the "Stonewall Car" (as shown above) was originally purchased in very early 1969 pre-Stonewall Rebellion and many years later generously donated -- because of its historic G.L.B.T.  relevance -- to the non-profit S.V.A. by Willson Lee Henderson.

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Bonus Feature:  Christy Lynne's brother Alan Bellink's book "Diners of the Northeast":
https://DinerHotline.Wordpress.com/tag/Diners-of-the-Northeast

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   27th July  
 2021 
52nd Anniversary of the
S.R.V.A. 

https://www.StonewallVets.org/upcomingevents.htm

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=====2021:  52nd Anniversary of the Gay Stonewall Rebellion=====
[Friday night, June 27 ~through~ Thursday evening, July 3, 1969, Manhattan, New York City]
 
 

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