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In 2005, there was
another
major
accolade in
Storme's Gay life. The Equality Forum of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania,
created a special, major history tribute celebrating Gay
pioneers entitled "40 Years for 40 Heroes". They, of course,
contacted the STONEWALL Veterans' Association to gather
information, coordinate Storme's
participation and accommodate his presence at the event. Storme was chosen as one
of the "40 Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender
Heroes". The Equality Forum requested
that S.V.A. President Williamson Henderson, Storme's longtime pal and
fellow S.V.A. officer, be the presenter of the prestigious award to
Storme on stage. The show,
celebrating the 40th anniversary of the GLBT rights movement, was
presented on a big outdoor stage on Sunday, May 1st, 2005,
appropriately in front of
historic Independence Hall in Philadelphia. As such and with
coordinated
promotion from the S.V.A., the STONEWALL Veterans' Association was
profiled and listed in the Equality Forum brochure and program and on
their website as a contributing and participating, national,
non-profit GLBT organization. At the end of 2005, at the S.V.A.
election meeting held at the New York City GLBT Center, nominated by
Williamson, the venerable King Storme was unanimously re-elected as the
S.V.A. Ambassador for 2006. In late December, we celebrated
Storme's 85th birthday!
In January 2006, Storme and most of the
other S.V.A. officers went to see the new landmark movie --
about two closeted, bisexual, mid-West cowboy lovers -- "Brokeback
Mountain". In June, Storme led the Gay Pride Parade as ever
with most (not all) of the S.V.A. -- in the rain! On Xmas
Eve, besides Christmas, we celebrated Storme's
birthday years of 86!!!!!! At the last S.V.A. meeting of the
year on December 30th, Storme was re-elected unanimously as Ambassador
for 2007.
On January 21, 2007, Storme and Williamson rendezvoued at the
New York City Gay Center for a special sample showing of a documentary
project, "My Mother Told Me I Was Different". It consists
of interviews of Stonewall veterans featuring both of them
and many other SW-Vetz.
In late February, Storme with Williamson and other SVA-ers
welcomed the new owners of
the landmark Stonewall Inn at the S.V.A. monthly meeting at the GLBT
Center. Afterward, Williamson and Storme and a staff member
from the new
Governor's office (who was also at the S.V.A. meeting) went out to eat in Storme's
home turf of
Chelsea. Storme is on the "June 27th Committee" which plans for
the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion and the annual
S.V.A. fund-raiser party at The Stonewall
Inn on June 27th. With the S.V.A. and the 1969 "Stonewall
Car", Storme again led the annual New York City Gay Pride
Parade. In fact, Storme walked the entire route!
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