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STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association ("S.V.A.") members -- a diverse sampling -- after the most significant, post-Stonewall and unique reunion in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender ("G.L.B.T.") history, proudly pictured in the celebrity and press area backstage in Central Park, New York City above are (l-2-r): Queen Allyson Ann Allante, S.V.A. Spokesperson (in from Lido Beach, Long Island via her bright red Cadillac Allante sportscar; Jeremiah Jay Newton, S.V.A. Vice-President (up from Alphabet City in Manhattan, NY - - he lives on Avenue 'C'); Sylvia Rae Rivera, S.V.A. Secretary (in from her recent, temporary home with Gay activist Randy Wicker in New Jersey); Cristina Hayworth, S.V.A. Ambassadress (up from Puerta Rica); Yvonne Ritter, RN, S.V.A. Executive Committee (up from the East Village); Ivana Valentin, S.V.A. Executive Committee (up from the Lower East Side via subway); Danny Garvin, pending S.V.A. member (depending on results of drinking-while-thinking); Ramon F. Bellido (down from Spanish Harlem via MTA bus); Terri Van Dyke, S.V.A. Treasurer (down from Lexington Heights, Manhattan via gypsy cab); Rolando Morales-Torres, SVA-25 Committee (in from Brooklyn, NY, via Puerto Rico); Joani 'J.C.' Sobel (down from the Upper West Side), Antonio 'Tony' Viera (down from The Bronx), Bill Saltzman (in from Williamsburg, Brooklyn), and many other veterans of the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion not shown in this press photo above. The media -- newspapers, television, radio, magazines and newsletters -- all had a huge Gay bonanza with this tremendous one-of-a-kind and, for most, once-in-a-lifetime event especially in the G.L.B.T. community! Except for the SVA's annual conference and reunion, there has never been such a get-together in the G.L.B.T. community of the Stonewall veterans since the Stonewall Rebellion in late June and early July of 1969! Clearly, there will never again be this great a reunion of Stonewall veterans! |
Legendary ~original~ STONEWALL Bar & Dance Club
patrons
and other participants of the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion -- since named by founder Willson L. Henderson and now known as
the "Stonewall Veterans" -- stood up to the New
York City Police
Department ("NYCPD"), the First Division Detectives ("FDD") and the Tactical Patrol Force
("TPF") in late June and early July of 1969 for five evenings and nights and,
ultimately, won an everlasting physical,
emotional, psychological, legal and spiritual victory! The
interested and active "veterans" became members of the National STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association ("S.V.A."). On the SVA's landmark 25th Anniversary in 1994 of the now worldwide historic uprising, which should have demonstrated a real "heritage of pride", the S.V.A. had to almost physically fight the "Stonewall 25 International Committee" -- comprised of many wannabe, corporate, self-serving, egotistical, non-representative, rude G.L.B.T. characters and creeps whose disrespect, greed and financial mismanagement ruined and bankrupted that dishonorable and disrespectful organization. The Stonewall veterans, of course, do not agree on everything -- who does -- however, one of the unanimous opinions is that: The "S/W-25 Committee" was the worst group of assembled GLBT-ers that any of us ever experienced or saw anywhere (to date). Guess what? Despite their despicable discrimination -- the opposite of the spirit of "Stonewall" -- exclusionary tactics, ignoring and various viciousness, the S.V.A. won again! "Stonewall 25 International, Inc." did all their meetings, planning, promoting, scheduling and screaming, arguing, spliting hairs, excluding the alleged 'heroes' of the community, without ever inviting or consulting the people who this event was initially intended to commemorate and honor: the Veterans of the Stonewall Rebellion! The "S/W-25" ad-hoc committee's mostly arrogant, pompous members -- who acted like they created the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender ("G.L.B.T.") community -- negotiated with New York City officials and other government representatives and endless others without ever inviting anyone from the S.V.A. Besides mindlessly and rudely ignoring the S.V.A. -- an act which was a literal "international heritage of shame" -- the "S/W-25" Committee ludicrously also left out the landmark STONEWALL Club from their spineless game plan. Why? Because they were told that they couldn't. They even eliminated the regular and traditional New York City Gay Pride Parade route -- Fifth Avenue. Why? Because they were told that they couldn't. And, they didn't know that they needed the S.V.A.? Thus, the "S/W-25" committee committed a shameful "sell-out" of the real G.L.B.T. communities. Most everyone sadly realized this and at too late a date. The favorite word of the "S/W-25" Committee was "no"! It was "no" to this and "no" to that and, most shamefully, "no" to the Stonewall veterans! What?! Nonetheless, several true G.L.B.T. organizations and individuals with the real Stonewall spirit and guts such as ACT-UP, the Imperial QUEENS & Kings of Greater New York, the Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA), the G.L.B.T. Political Coalition, the Stonewall Car Club, the PRIDE Democrats of New York City, the Zappalorti Society, the Stonewall Republicans, et al. and, of course, the S.V.A. said: "Yes, we can!" Yes, we can start the march on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village where it all began! Yes, we can march up Fifth Avenue! Yes, we will lead into Central Park -- and, yes, we will have a huge, staged rally! And, yes, we will be democratic, inclusive, considerate, diverse and friendly to ALL! The Stonewall 25 Committee had a seemingly unlimited budget with endless sponsorships, contributions, donations pouring in from all over the world plus their own endless fund-raisers and money-gathering campaigns. Money was rampant -- for them! Yet, they never gave the STONEWALL Veterans' Association one dollar for any of the SVA's purposes, educational programs or S/W-25 activities or even to arrange for and accommodate any Stonewall vets from out-of-state travel, visitor housing and attending the "STONEWALL 25" commemoration. Not even to have the most famous G.L.B.T. community car garage bill paid for one month ($369) or for the festivities to have the vehicle "detailed" ($169) -- or to fill up its gas tank ($19.69). But the "International S/W-25" clan saved their biggest and rudest insult for the actual event day.... The Stonewall 25 Committee psychotically and shamefully excluded the STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association ("S.V.A.") representing the Stonewall veterans, as one of the original "100" speakers, organizations, acts, groups, individuals, singers, dancers, comedians, comediennes, poets, proselitizers, self-promoters, etc., etc., etc. as part of the Stonewall Celebration Rally on The Great Lawn in Central Park. Yeah, like we were going to tolerate that. "Knock! Knock!" "Who's there?" S-T-O-N-E... Stone Who? S-T-O-N-E-W-A-L-L! Guess who ultimately won? Common sense and common decency: You don't "stonewall" the "Stonewallers"! We did our 'reaching out', too! Most S.V.A. members coordinated writing and/or calling all the Stonewall Veterans ("S/W-Vetz") that we knew in about two dozen different states! For those S/W-Vetz who were totally missing on the scene or not in touch lately or in years but where the S.V.A. had some 411, we searched for and usually located the SVA-ers. In many instances, it was like a detective game. We had Stonewall veterans come to New York City -- and in many cases made housing arrangements with other Stonewallers -- from all over the United States! Meanwhile, the S/W-25 Committee obviously was not concerned about contacting any Stonewall veterans aka the alleged G.L.B.T. heroes -- nor was the selfish committee interested in arranging for any S/W Vetz coming to New York City much less having any S/W-Vetz speak on stage at the huge event. The rally was a tribute to what WE did! The S/W-25 Committee shamefully did not donate one dollar to the S.V.A. in any of our efforts or programs. Yet, without the S.V.A., they would not have had any actual veterans of the historic 1969 Stonewall Rebellion. In reality, there would not be any celebration! The S.V.A. can never reiterate enough how absolutely disingenuous, obnoxious and rude the behavior was by the International S/W-25 Committee, which included several in-kind, hate-filled, clanish members of Heritage of Pride aka H.O.P. The newly-empowered STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association ("S.V.A.") collaborated on the alternative "Spirit of Stonewall March". The main organizers did not want the 'alternative march' to have the real "Stonewall" authenticity. For that, you had to have the Stonewall Veterans! The alternative march got a majority of the S/W Vetz -- and the now famous blue 1969 convertible! As a matter of fact, it was proudly decided by the inclusive 'alternate march' organizers that the S.V.A. rightfully lead that march. Among many well-known Gay leaders over the decades were Harry Hay, John Burnside, Jim Kepner, Jack Nichols and David Thorstad marching in the "Spirit of Stonewall March". In fact, the march was led by the S.V.A. with the Stonewall Rebellion-impounded blue 1969 classic convertible a.k.a. the "Stonewall Car". In a reversal in direction for this special occasion, the march went up(not down) Fifth Avenue -- as it used to be the route through 1979. FYI, Gay Mayor Ed Koch enabled our S.V.A. demand that the parade go down the Fifth! Meanwhile, fastforwading fifteen years, the "Spirit of Stonewall March" amassed over 15,000 participants, according to the minimizing NYCPD reports, and more than twenty times that amount in cheering, colorfully-dressed, rainbow flag-waving spectators! The only public officials who joined us in the historic "Spirit of Stonewall March" were U.S. Congressman Jerrold L. Nadler, Gay N.Y.C. Judge and NYS Attorney General candidate Karen S. Burstein and openly-Gay N.Y.C. Councilman Thomas K. "Duanda" Duane. What a glorious day! And ours for the Stonewall veterans all started where it all began in front of The STONEWALL Club on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village! At the Gay Pride "Stonewall 25" Rally, many SVA-ers confronted some of the "Big Wigs" (literally) and demanded that the Stonewall veterans be presented on stage or... there would be a real "riot", not the hyperbolic 'riot' to which they wrongly and constantly refer. Most realized the obvious gross mistake, outrageous exclusion and extreme rudeness. The S.V.A., alas, was introduced on stage! However, instead of being introduced promptly, first the Stonewall veterans had to wait over an hour for a few dozen mostly boring speakers and second-rate "acts". Once the veterans of the Stonewall Rebellion were 'fi-nal-ly' brought on stage, it was with minimal introduction: "Here are the Stonewall survivors"! "Survivors"? Survivors of what? We didn't 'survive'; we created! It was like the S/W veterans were being dismissed as the haphazard survivors of some sunken ship. So, we incredibly had to introduce our own S.V.A. STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association organization! We broadsided the huge stage to tremendous and thunderous applause and ovations!! |
Incredible Backstage View of
some Stonewall Veterans at "SW-25" The very well-organized STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association ("S.V.A."), which had just led the "Spirit of Stonewall March" with the iconic blue 1969 classic convertible "Stonewall Car" up from Greenwich Village, and, now, finally, after waiting over an hour, broadsided the very high and very wide stage. Only one-third of the S/W-Vetz on stage are shown in this incredible photo. The approximate one million (1,000,000)-plus attendees from all over the world responded with a great, sound-breaking, five-minute chant of: "Thank you... Thank you... Thank you... Thank you... Thank you..."! Every Stonewall Veteran -- except one -- was overcome with emotion, lightly crying with pride or just having a few tears of joy or sadness stream from their eyes. Queen Allyson Ann, the President of the Imperial QUEENS of Greater New York and the S.V.A. elected Spokesperson, was not having her professionally-done make-up ruined. Anxious to begin her planned speech, Allyson finally said to the huge millionish crowd (a la Barbra Streisand and invoking a Brooklyn accent): "Alright already... enough already. Oy! Thank you! Already enough, thanks! We thank you, too -- for being here! Enough now! Wow! Enough already! Thanks!" What's a queen supposed to do already? Convincing one million people to "Stop!" is not easy. "Thank you. We love you, too!" However, the enthusiastic crowd continued their chant: "Thank you... Thank you... Thank you... Thank you... Thank you.... Thank you!" Highlights of the entire Stonewall 25 event, including the S.V.A. segment is/was available on the video, "The Future is Ours" -- a queerly inane title for the hugest to date Gay event in world history. Celebrities included openly-Gay actor/entertainer Harvey Fierstein who stated that none of us would be here today on this stage if not for the Stonewall Veterans. For your info, Harvey is a longtime supporter of the S.V.A. And, another Gay favorite, Liza Minnelli, who reminded everyone that "It is the 25th anniversary of Stonewall.... and it is also the 25th Anniversary of Mama" -- referring to, of course, her mother and the legendary Gay icon Judy Garland, whose funeral was the first day of the rebellion that night Friday, June 27th. Coincidence? No! Let's toast to "St. Judy"! |
Gay History Month
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