Sylvia Rae Rivera had her Gay wish come
true: get out of the institutional facility and lead the
"Stonewall 25 Anniversary March" with her long ago Stonewall
associates. "So Emotional", as the Gay-favorite song
bi Whitney
Houston
goes, describes this triumphant and reunited moment shown above in the
picture with two of the
legendary "Queens of Stonewall": Queen Allyson Allante and Sylvia
Rae Rivera. That's why they are together!
Both are members of the legendary STONEWALL Veterans'
Association
("S.V.A."); Allyson the elected S.V.A. Spokesperson and Sylvia the
newly-appointed S.V.A. Secretary. Just before the above photo was
taken,
both Stonewall legends had just given a very comprehensive, emotional
interview to two of The New
York Times
reporters,
among many other journalists from around the World. Allyson was holding back tears (thus without
her expected charismatic smile) and Sylvia clearly just released an emotional
moment and slightly opened her mouth simply to exhale. Shown in
the photo above, Queen Allyson Allante, who
contributed, continued and greatly expanded the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
and Transgender ("GLBT") movement for a quarter-of-a-century at this
point in 1994, is joined, since the outset of the "Spirit of
Stonewall March" down at The Stonewall, by Sylvia Rae Rivera, who had
been out of New York
City for about 20 or 21 years! Clearly, she didn't get
anything done then. Sylvia was quick to tell you that she was
"tripping" for a lot of years. During the same period of her
absence is when the GLBT
community really got built on top of the foundation established as of
the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion. As shown in the photo, both
Allyson and Sylvia are sitting atop the back seat of the blue historic
1969
Cadillac "Stonewall Car" -- which led the entire historic march and
right into historic Central Park.
Sylvia was very calm and appreciative
this day as, having just being released from a controlled physical and mental situation
institution, St. Joseph's in Westchester. She was now "clean" -- free of
alcohol and drugs. She
was only released from a
treatment hospital days before "SW-25" thanks to the perservering and
successful efforts of
Randy Wicker and Williamson Henderson. And,
thanks to Randy and Williamson, everything was taken care of
for Sylvia --
including a temporary home (inconveniently in New Jersey by Randy) and
a part-time job (conveniently in Greenwich Village by Williamson).
Since the Stonewall veterans chose Allyson to speak on stage,
Sylvia did not even have to worry about public speaking -- much
less
ranting or raving! Further, Randy gave Sylvia the money to buy a
dress, lingerie, pumps, a wig, lashes and cosmetics whereas
Williamson gave her a hundred dollar bill to have as her own
spending
money inclkuding for a manicure and a pedicure. Plus, via Williamson, he treated her, and many other
Stonewall Vetz, to a five-course dinner after the march and rally and reunion.
By the way, unlike Allyson, Sylvia, Beverly and Electra, all of
the other "Queens of Stonewall" made the big and disloyal mistake of
marching in the 'official' bureaucratic march starting at the
closed United Nations building. Most of them were duped into
actually
believing that the alternative "Spirit of Stonewall March" would not occur.
Many telephoned the S.V.A. whining that they didn't want to be left in the
dust. Too bad for them that, in the 'official' march, the
legendary girls literally had to march in pump heels on the
"Shoe
Leather Expressway" not ride with grandeur and ease on "Gay Pride
Boulevard" in an eye-catching classic Cadillac convertible!
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