Nighttime -- with all of my Friends (strait, bi and Gay) and my Boyfriend(s) -- was the real ME, especially "livin' for the weekend".  On Friday evenings, in particular, this (usually) blond, crystal blue-eyed, Gay boy, with a naturally smooth and sexy chest, perfect skin, great teeth, melting smile, seductive walk, 27" waist, pronounced derriere and Hollywood hair (regardless of color), motored out of LONG ISLAND and into "THE BIG APPLE".  Even the name of the 25-cent toll tunnel was/is Gay:  "QUEENS MIDTOWN".  Alllllllright!

A few Gay comrades (very suburban high schoolish) drove with ME in my brand-new 1969 metallic blue CADILLAC convertible with white, leather, power, high-back with head rest seats; wide, whitewall tires; an attention-getter and, of course, the convertible top was "D-O-W-N".  The main idea was to be seen and, trust me, we were!  There is no better American car to catch boys with than a CADDY ragtop -- with the top down!  This classic and dreamboat car since the STONEWALL REBELLION became known as the "STONEWALL CAR" -- and I still have it for that very Gay and historic reason (and 'always will so long as we both shall live').

ZUCKIE (nee ZUCCI), co-owner with MARIO TOMASI and FAT TONY, gladly greeted us -- especially ME -- at the solid, carved wood, castle-like door at THE STONEWALL.  Originally, it was a British, pub-type inn and it still had (and has) that intriguing look.  He really liked ME ("fresh chicken") and he unabashedly loved my CADILLAC which he called "a dreamboat".  EDDIE MURPHY, middle-aged Gay guardian of the gate was too frantic for me and, besides, he pursued the "trashy" and fringe boys.  To ME, he always embarrassingly announced that "You little, under-aged, rich boys are gonna get this place busted one day".  "Rich" meant that we arrived in a car not via subway or bus -- nor on foot.

We also went to other Gay clubs, such as, THRUSH, near the famous Flatiron Building just east of Broadway at 18 East 22nd Street, where I also was earlier the evening of Friday, June 27, 1969, before returning to THE STONEWALL in time for the invasion; DR. FEELGOOD'S on Waverly Place at MacDougal Street in the Gay-ly tricky HOTEL EARLE (and trust me, 'the doctor' did make you feel good); THE HAVEN across the street from The Stonewall at Sheridan Triangle on Grove Street (a little hectic): THE GRAPEVINE (drag queen fun in midtown Westside); NINTH CIRCLE (though it was on West 10 Street and very promiscuous -- too aggressive for me); KOOKY'S (gals from the Isle of Lesbos galore and whose SHELLEY WINTERS/BABY JANE HUDSON-combo owner gave "fruits" (sic) a hard time to get in but not ME because I was "so sweet" and, moreso, was always entering with her dreamgirl, SONIA JANE ATTKISS); and, after hours, THE GOLD BUG (2 late nite and 2 druggy), THE TWELFTH OF ALWAYS (2 ditto) and TELE-STAR (3 ditto), among many others.  I recall rarely visiting WASHINGTON SQUARE -- the club not the arch -- on Broadway and Third Street in the East Village with SONIA and DEE DEE.CROCKETT.  However, THE STONEWALL was always our first stop with the car parked within view of the club on Christopher Street for the entire evening and into the night.  STONEWALL  was typically our loyal, return stop -- as it was on Friday night, June 27, 1969, after midnight.  That night we never got to the 24/7 HOWARD JOHNSON'S RESTAURANT (luved the ice cream) at the corner of Avenue of the Americas and West 8th Street.  Up the street on West 8th was the downstairs Gay nightclub BON SOIR.  Meow, BARBRA (as in "Cry Me A River") STREISAND.

Everyone at THE STONEWALL was so Gay-ly alive.  It was fascinating, real, living Gay theatre.  A documentary, ensemble play, docudrama, musical or film could have been staged there any night of the week -- and without a script!  Every time I went to THE STONEWALL, once inside, I instantly had the simultaneous triple feeling of happy, safe and fun (about to begin).  At "THE WALL", we had our own cast of inimitable characters (and support players) with a Gay variety of attire.  THE STONEWALL, like most Gay clubs, had its individual atmosphere and its own feeling.  It was a full-people mixture of Gay, bisexual, straight and closet-case; white, beige, brown and black; Christian, Protestant, Jewish and atheist; male, female, D/Qs and D/Ks; teens, 20s, some 30s, few 40s plus; all classes (lower, all levels of middle and I suppose some undercover upper class) and pot luck stew of every role imaginable.  Besides my blue CADILLAC convertible, I was also known to arrive in bad boy BRIAN MOLESE's canary yellow 1966 IMPERIAL Crown convertible or PATTI STONE's bright red 1967 CORVETTE Stingray convertible (that her father IRVING bought for her).  From Memorial Day weekend forward, FIRE ISLAND was a frequent destination.  I know that JOHN WATTS, LEIGH McMANUS, STANLEY DUNNE, PATTI, a black college girl named DYANE and I were there in 1969!  We all have wonderful pix from F.I.  In the "Hot Fun In The Summertime", the I-won't-take-no for an answer BRIAN sometimes snatched me in LONG BEACH at my MOTHER's ocean-front home (his parents live on Guy Lombardo Boulevard -- kinda I-talian -- in FREEPORT, also in LONG ISLAND) and he'd speed-drive us out to the Gay resort of CHERRY GROVE.  He thrived on isolating me from all of my friends.  Nonetheless, whenever possible, ELECTRA O'MARA from the city and I from the suburbs would rendezvous out on "THE ISLAND", as it is Gay-ly and inanely called, actually referring to (Gay) FIRE ISLAND.

I made many friends at THE STONEWALL with all types of interesting people, including "fag hags" (though I usually brought my own from high school with me).  In fact, it was a combination of suburban/urban friends that loosely created the IMPERIAL QUEENS OF NEW YORK (& LONG ISLAND) circa Halloween 1968 and officially on New Year's Day 1969.  Its seven charter founders included Blond, Irish, Italian, Christian, Jewish, Hispanic and, of course, Black.  It was a multi-faceted group integrated literally via THE STONEWALL.

I met several celebrities there, too, or should I say, they made sure to meet ME.  There was a popular New York City local soul group, TOP SHELF, who matchmaker SONIA introduced to me (at his request) the hot lead singer, REGGIE McCOY, who was a 10%-er (bi), good-looking and very sexy (our special fire was star-crossed and burnin' like a "HEAT WAVE" yet very short-lived as we were both already 'married'); a start-up rags designer (I don't have a 'type' but he's not my 'type' yet his un-shy, polite, complimentary opening sentences such as "You are very cute!  "Do you wanna dance?" caught my Gay ego attention) named RON C., who apparently became a men's clothing designer (with an Iranian-type last name ending in "ian" or "kin") and was Gay-ly referred to as (I guess because of where he shopped) "MISS BLOOMINGDALE" (only one half-date or less with that too boring 4 me); an exciting -- and excitable -- entertainment field Mafia guy who had even been singing group JAY & THE AMERICANS' "manager", BRIAN MOLESE (the first really wild guy that I went with but definitely not the last, oh, no), called "MR. IMPERIAL" as he owned an IMPERIAL convertible (I was the last to find out that he was mob-connected and all the "GALZ" gasped that I got him without even trying and that I could handle HIM -- last I heard, he and a new Gay lover were shot but not to death by an ex-cellmate of his); a very tall (as I recall), older (much 2 old 4 me), wealthy, Jewish, hot-shot entertainment lawyer (introduced to me by my best gay friend STEVEN "KAYE") with definite business ties to THE BEATLES and CILLA BLACK, et al. and rumored to have other 'ties'... NAT WEISS, who had a big, luxurious UPPER EAST SIDE apartment (East 77th?) who held lavish, all-boy, fascinating parties which included, among other name names, the entire singing group THE CYRKLE -- but, for MOI, he was another "right track, wrong train"; an Irish cop "KEVIN" from DA BRONX who to me was drop-dead gorgeous, "straight" (that's exactly my 'type'), flawless looks and nice appointments (dieingly dumped by me after I was bluely informed that he was married -- with a 3 a.m. call from his wife cryin' and beggin' and my MOTHER HELEN asking, "Why is a woman calling you at this hour?"); the very Gay half of HINES & HINES dance duo, MAURICE (his celebrity brother is the supposedly un-Gay GREGORY, who I'd get to know years later via the S.V.A.); and my favorite STONEWALL celebrity, unquestionably the best-built with the biggest... (trust me, I know) and the best... (trust me, I know) EMILE A. GRIFFITH, JR., a middle-weight and welter-weight boxing "Champion-of-the-World", as we dated heavy post-STONEWALL and I attended with special attention his big MADISON SQUARE GARDEN boxing matches, restaurants, family events, car rides, clubs, bars, etc. and we are still in contact to this day!  In fact, recent NEW YORK DAILY NEWS boxer ratings placed EMILE a notch above heavyweight boxing champion MUHAMMED ALI!  The most famous celebrity to go to THE STONEWALL (who I personally never happened to have the thrill to witness) was confirmed by TERRI VAN DYKE, JEREMIAH NEWTON, et al.  She arrived very late at night and in disguise with a guy's poor-boy hat and Carnaby clothes and granny boi glasses: the inimitable JUDY GARLAND!  Remember the #1 pop music hit and unique STONEWALL song: "JUDY IN DISGUISE (WITH GLASSES)"?  Hello!  

After JUDY GARLAND's funeral that Friday, June 27, 1969, right here in MANHATTAN, NEW YORK, at FRANK E. CAMPBELL'S "CHAPEL", there was a tremendous outpouring of sympathy, a lot of strong and sad emotion and a deep frustration in the warm air.  A legend, a talent and, to us GAYS, a friend and inspiration was lost.  Plus, school was out!  ALL schools were "OUT"!  People, especially Gays at this time in history with all of the civil rights movements, were feeling our oats.  "Coming out" and "standing up" were growing.  One #1 song was literally named "STAND!", by the mixed gender and multi-racial SLY & THE FAMILY STONE.  

Raid rumblings rumored that infamous hot, hot summer night when THE  STONEWALL club quietly spread word to a select some that "there might be a quick raid but no problems".  The detectives, the vice squad, the liquor authority, the state fuzz, the local cops, ultimately the tactical patrol forces and whoever else the authorities had that night picked the wrong time (1 a.m. Gay time) and the wrong place (Gay club) and, for sure, in the wrong section (Gay GREENWICH VILLAGE) of the wrong city (Gay MANHATTAN of N.Y.C.) for any further Gay oppression.  A cop named "KEVIN" who had "nabbed" me before in and out of THE STONEWALL zoomed right to me inside the club and I knew that I would be held -- he told me!  Yet, I felt comforted thinking that I'd be protected by him.  My scuffle occurred outside the club once I scented an opportunity to break away and escape.  After a little scuffle, I momentarily broke loose but with "nowhere to run, nowhere to hide" (a prior #1 song by MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS) was surrounded by 3 cops: an un-uniformed big brute who tackled and pulled me down, a neutral, dumbfounded, uniformed "dick" and, of course, the sympathetic NYCPD cop.  "Everybody knows" STORME DeLARVERIE was right there!  He was watching my scene and yelled for the cops to "Leave that young boy alone!"  STORME had to soon respond to his own self-defense scene with a cop.  The cop lost!  With things quickly escalating, I finally revealed that the blue 1969 CADDY convertible was mine.  My car (my baby) was therefore then illegally "impounded" by the NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEP'T.  It was driven to the 6th PRECINCT by guess who -- no, not ME.  I was first taken to the emergency ward of ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITAL on Seventh Avenue and West 11th Street with a shoulder injury, 'escorted' by, not one but, two cops!!  Then to the old 6th PRECINCT police stationhouse on Charles Street early the next morning, where I was somewhat intimidated and insulted.  That's the place where the desk sergeant sarcastically querried, referring to me, "Is IT a him or is IT a her"!  Trust me, he should have known that I wasn't interested in anything that looked like him -- or "IT"!  Of course, I was also finger-printed and mug-shotted.  I was also "interrogated" there like I had orchestrated some big 'riot' (which it wasn't) at some freak sexual snakepit (none of that) or was involved in some conspiratorial "Revolution", a popular song by THE BEATLES at THE STONEWALL.  Those are just some of the scarey impressions that I got from some of the NYCPD COPS.  Ultimately, I was driven downtown with two other cops in a bubbletop police car to THE TOMBS (jail), where I was held until late that Saturday evening for night court.  Guess which gal (mentioned somewhere above) -- and her parents MAX and HELENE -- I had meet me there?

"Rebellion, Riots and Ruins" (the name of a political book) are not, however, the main ingredients of what is uppermost on my mind and memories when I think of "THE STONEWALL".  It was the place itself, the location, the music, the ambiance, the dances, the clothes, of course, the Gay-ety, and, mostly, the people.  ROBERT J. ALBANO, SONIA J. ATTKISS, LEROI N. CARR, STANLEY M. DUNNE, CHRISTOPHER B. FALCO, DREW A. HOLBROOK, MARSHA P. JOHNSON, STEVEN M. KONIGSBERG, BRIAN M. MOLESE, ELECTRA J. O'MARA, TERRI J. VAN DYKE, DAVE F. WEST and EDDIE J. WRIGHT would be hurt if I did not miss them and mention them herein.

"Proudly Yours", forever,

WILLIAMSON L. HENDERSON
STONEWALL Veterans' Association
("REFLECTIONS of... THE STONEWALL ERA", 
originally written in 1974, 5th Anniversary Stonewall,
for The Village Voice)

Endnotes:  The original article ended in the middle of the tenth (last) paragraph with the word "people" (as in Barbra).  In 1979, the Stonewall Rebellion's 10th anniversary, after founding Proofreaders Unlimited, Ltd., later that year, Williamson Henderson finally 'proofed' his own article; thus some minor revisions and additions.  The "Names Tribute to Personal Stonewall Friends Lost" was added in 1984 (after three had died), when the article was re-published on the 15th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion and again (after the loss of a few more to AIDS) in 1989 on the 20th "Stonewall" anniversary, when it was submitted to be excerpted in the New York (Gay) Native newspaper in the "Stonewalled" feature column.  In 1994, on the international 25th "Stonewall" anniversary, the tribute was updated again.  And, so it will go....  A New York City newspaper is still interested in the "Reflections of... the Stonewall Era" article by Williamson Henderson expanded for a feature "Gay History & Pride" story.  This might happen provided that a sponsorship is bestowed upon the worthy, non-profit STONEWALL Veterans' Association ("S.V.A.").  Otherwise, "fahgedaboudit"!

                                                                          
                                                                 
Williamson's "Sweet 16" Gay Fave Movies (as of Stonewall 1969):

1.		"All About Eve" (1950)
		.......starring Academy Award-winning actress Bette Davis in a tour-de-force as the inimitable Margo Channing who is an aging yet powerful, effective and glamorous stage actress (those facts already makes this film a Gay teaser) opposite a sneaky snake, envious bitch, congenital liar, back-stabbing, trouble-making, double-dealing, acting-wanna-bee Eve "Evil" Harrington in the most Oscar-nominated movie ever!
2.		"Mildred Pierce" (1945)
		.......starring the definitive Joan Crawford in her unforgettable Academy Award-winning role with a memorable ultra-dishy supporting role by Eve Arden.
3.		"Madame X" (1966)
		.......starring beautiful and riches-to-rags Lana Turner in a riveting, victimized, tragic performance which didn't leave a dry eye in the entire theatre.
4.		"A Star Is Born" (1954)
		.......starring the Oscar-nominated, incomparable acting and passionate singing Judy Garland in a monumental showcase vehicle for Judy's great multi-talents in a tailor-made role as an aspiring talented showgirl en route to movie actress #1 Esther Blodgett (oy, what a name!) while she is bittersweetly married to an alcoholic, paranoid, increasingly problematic, desperately depressed fading movie star (James Mason) and she performs such unforgettable musical numbers as "The Man That Got Away" all the while as the film powerfully indicts the entire entertainment industry for callousness and, in the end, star Judy professionally, emotionally and socially triumphing with her Academy Award statue-of-strength held high declaring:  "I... am... Mrs.... Norman... Maine!"
5.		"Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962)
		.......starring the ultimate female film duo of way-over-the-top, Academy Award-nominated Bette ("Baby Jane") Davis and bed-ridden Joan ("Blanche Hudson") Crawford as the notorious -- then and now -- Hollywood Hudson Sisters.
6.		"The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946)
		.......starring the very hot, fiery, sexy duo of Lana Turner, who is the stunning, femme fatale, blonde bombshell Cora, and John Garfield, who is the handsome, strong and brooding drifter Frank -- who meet when she deliberately drops her tube of lipstick which seductively rolls his way -- and the instantly subsequent and compelling intrigue of lust and deceit and romance and schemes and adultery and crime and obsession and murder and car crashes (planned and accidental) and double-dealing and trust-too-late -- all with the erotic movie tag line: "Their love was a flame that destroyed!"
7.		"Gone with The Wind" (1939)
		.......starring the brilliant, determined, beautiful, talented and Academy-Award-winning 'Best Actress' Vivien Leigh as the dexterous, willful and gorgeous Scarlett O'Hara (originally named Pansy) and ruggedly handsome Clark Gable as the ruggedly handsome and take-no-prisoners Rhett Butler in the film based on the literally best-selling (second only to the Bible), Pulitzer Prize-winning book "GWTW" by reverently-acclaimed Margaret Mitchell in the longest, most commercially-successful and greatest-awarded movie in American history.
8.		"Homicidal" (1961)
		.......starring the strangely unknown and gender-questionable 'Jean' Arliss in the produced and directed by William ("House On A Haunted Hill" and "Strait-Jacket") Castle's unpredictable, psychological mystery thriller starting with the opening scene of an in-your-face brutal murder in a most unsuspecting setting, long-ago family secrets, deep deception, confusing sexual identities, unforgettable characters, unique murders (such as the beheading of a physically disabled and mute woman while she is helplessly sitting in a moving stairway wheelchair and told that she "talks too much", before her severed head rolls down the rest of the long flight of stairs), and an attractive blonde yet dangerous, psychopathic transgender personna back-dropped with an urgently-needed investigation which reveals a totally twisted triangle -- all of which combined have guaranteed surreal fascination with this suspense film since its release with a "fright break" in movie theaters!
9.		"Imitation of Life" (1959)
		.......starring a beautiful, captivating and Academy Award-nominated Lana Turner as a motivated-for success actress named Lora Meredith missing a man but with a teenage down-to-earth daughter perfectly portrayed by Sandra Dee and their refined, religious Negro housekeeper and overly self-sacrificing mother Annie Johnson whose racey daughter (in all ways) Sara Jane insists on passing for white -- all of this and much more in one of the ultimate women's movies, in fact, with four diverse women here comprising of two widows and two daughters living together!! Brooklyn Note:  The film starts on a busy, sunny, fun-filled beach in Coney Island when worried Lana on the Boardwalk momentarily loses sight of her 7-year-old blonde daughter who she relievingly spots playing on the beach with a similiar-aged girl but whose mother turns out to be black!  That's when Lora and Annie -- the two mothers -- meet and remain friends for life. Stonewall Note:  This film incredibly inspired a hit song for Diana Ross & The Supremes in 1969 entitled "I'm Living In Shame".  The powerful and kicky song was fiercely popular especially in the Gay community and particularly at The Stonewall.
10.		"Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff?" (1966)
		.......starring fierce Elizabeth Taylor and her real-life, co-boozing husband Richard Burton and the ultra, non-stop dish session seasoned with booze galore.
11.		"The Wizard of Oz" (1939)
		....starring teenage Judy Garland as wholesome, imaginative and vulnerable Dorothy Gale (as in storm) and co-starring Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, the Wizard, the Lion, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda (the Good Witch of the North), the Munchkins, the Mayor of Munchkinville, the Winged Monkeys, Nikko and, of course, Toto -- plus incredibly inspiring songs such as "We're Off to See the Wizard", "Ding! Dong! The Witch is Dead!" and the Academy Award-winning, timeless, classic "Over the Rainbow" -- a worldwide Gay community theme song long before there was a Gay "community" and it was even featured in The Stonewall jukebox!
12.		"Peyton Place" (1957)
		....starring beautiful, superb, Academy Award-nominated best actress, Golden Laurel winner Lana Turner as an attractive, popular, assumedly widowed (later revealed never wed) mother with a challenging daughter (Diane Varsi) in the #1 film based on the #1 talk-of-the-world, steamy, controversial (Gays love controversy; we invented it) novel set in a behind-the-scenes of scandalous events, endless dark secrets (including gushing gossip, destructive slander, languishing libel, teen sex, back-stabbing, sexual looseness, double standards, sexual aggression, promiscuity, sexual repression, indifference, sexual assault, opportunism, adultery, illegitimacy, rape, pre-marital pregnancy, intolerance, incest, triple standards, nervous breakdowns, suicide, murder, classism, prejudice, war and more -- all the taboo-on-film subjects of the 1950s except Gay!) -- in a small New Hampshire town and Lana's famous, emotional, mother-love, riveting, past transgressions confessed courtroom scene on the witness stand in a homicide trial (no, not hers)... plus the memorable, fulcrum-pointed, picture postcard, white picket-fenced New England colonial house. Stonewall Note:  In reference to Lana's "Peyton Place", I humorously used to refer to The Stonewall Club as "Gayton Place", though it had far fewer sins than its heterosexual namesake.  In The Stonewall's "Private Club Guest Book", although there were always a dozen "Judy Garlands", a half-dozen "Marlene Dietrichs" and a few "Mae Wests", I loyally signed-in as the one-and-only "Lana Turner".  Many people knew not to dare use "my" name!  FYI, only someone new to town, very naive or an imbecile would use their real name signing-in at a 1960s, police-watched, Mafia-run Gay club.
13.		"Hello, Dolly!" (1969)
		....starring Brooklyn-born Barbra Streisand in a musical song and dance and dishy tour de force as "Dolly Levy" the nosy and ultra dishy matchmaker and her ultra beat-the-band down main street showstopper "Before The Parade Passes By" and the knock-out title performance including a huge descending, grand entrance staircase, dancing (Gay) waiters and a partial duet with jazzy legend Louis Armstong in the unforgettable climatic number "Hello, Dolly!"
14.		"Harriet Craig" (1950)
		....starring the ultimate, demanding homemaker and suburban control master Joan Crawford in the title role, who holds high regard for her physicaal possessions and little regard for her human husband, friends, cousin, servants, et al. -- thus, what a bytch!
15.		"Psycho" (1960)
		....starring the very convincing (and Gay) obsessed mama's boy (and Gay) Anthony Perkins and co-starring perfect Janet Leigh as the doomed pretty victim in this multiple-murder, scarey suspense film -- plus the infamous, off-the-main-road, check-in/don't check-out Bates Motel, the bloody shower scene and let's not ever forget anorexic "Mother" Bates and that frightful hair and those cemetery teeth in her rocking chair in the stank fruity fruit cellar!
16.		"Funny Girl" (1968)
		....starring Brooklyn-born and now Academy Award-winner Barbra Streisand as unique comedienne Fanny Brice in a totally entertaining tour-de-force and co-starring Omar ("Hello, Gorgeous") Sharif -- plus #1 songs like (People who see "Funny Girl" are the luckiest...) "People", (the signature taxi/train/tugboat travel and Gay independence anthem) "Don't Rain On My Parade" and (the torchy, emotionally-driven, fabulously over-the-top finale) "My Man"!

 

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