In 1969, it was very, very different for Gay people!
That's what we were known as then, within, Gay people -- one name, one commUNITY, one UNITY!!!
The unexpected and unplanned Stonewall Rebellion of late June 1969 on a hot, very late Summer night began when the New York
City police and other "authorities", once again, raided The
STONEWALL Bar & Dance Club
(no
one called it an 'inn'), a Mafia-owned, two-part drinking
and dance bar on Christopher
Street near Seventh Avenue South in
New York City's Greenwich
Village, New York. Unfortunately for the police, they
thoughtlessly and disrespectfully chose the night of international Gay icon Judy
Garland's
funeral that afternoon -- in the very same town: Manhattan,
NY! "Judy" was the number one topic not only at The
STONEWALL Club and every other Gay bar but virtually at all places
throughout the World! Miss Garland was the top news story and on
the front page of all newspapers all week! Judy was the number
one story on litearlly every television and radio station! At the original STONEWALL Club, it
was extra poignant. Judy had literally previously been there!
On Friday, June 27th,
1969, what
began simply for The STONEWALL's Gay patrons and their
straight friends by the local
police department as another
routine "fag-bar" raid, later involving other law
enforcement agencies such as the New York City Police
Department ("NYCPD"), the First Division Detectives ("FDD") and the Tactical Police Force ("TPF"),
quickly escalated into
five, inconsecutive
nights and early morning hours! Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgender ("G.L.B.T.") people and their non-Gay supporters and straight friends
decided to
stand-up and fight back! As an assembled group we
finally, bravely proudly, harmoniously and Supremes-ly sang out loud and clear: "Stop!"
Why did this Gay civil rights rebellion finally happen?
Over the decades, continuing to the present time, there have been many
instances of the New York City Police Department ("NYCPD") and even elected legislators
abusing the rights of G.L.B.T. people
and their friends and supporters. These abuses continue --
though far less frequently -- not only in New York but... throughout the U.S.A. and the entire
World at large!
Back in 1969, "WE", as an inconsequential, unorganized and
disrespected people, had absolutely no rights
as Gay people. The lack of G.L.B.T. rights spanned not being able
to congregate together in a Gay club to not having the basic civilized
right to marry -- someone of the same gender! The government
should not have been telling US who to love! And, policies were inconsistent. While it
was 'illegal' for boys to dance with boys or men to dance with men,
in contrast, girls
could dance with girls and women could dance with
women!? Thus, there was a double, illogical, discriminatory
standard against all Gay males even within the imaginary walls of the
G.L.B.T. communities and far
beyond! WE as a people
survived by
gathering at diverse and mixed places like The STONEWALL Bar & Dance Club
which,
to many of the teenagers then, was the first place where we
truly felt free. Free to be who we were! Free to dance with
whomever we chose. Free to hear the special music we wanted.
Others better felt the weight of the
invisible shackles that tied us to clandestine, Mafia-owned and
operated Gay bars where the threat of abuse and possible violence was often
present.
But, in the wanning hours of Friday night, June 27th, 1969, it took away
whatever
security we thought we had solidified. It was seemingly time for us to
move on once again...
to another Gay bar or Gay dance club or another dark
street consciously hiding from the society
that gladly took and absorbed from our culture whatever it
could. Only beginning then, WE, as a Gay
people, refused to take
it anymore and spontaneously WE
fought back! The signs --
subsequent to the first ambush night of the Stonewall Rebellion --
read: "Gay People", "Gay Power", "Gay Unity", "Gay
Rights" and "Gay Marriage".
Clearly, the only operative word was what it was: "Gay"!
"STONEWALL" was a catalytic event
for the G.L.B.T. Communities!
"STONEWALL", as it has
condensedly come to be known, was ultimately a
catalytic event for the G.L.B.T. community and eventually the World!
This was the historical turning point for ALL of us who were leading
suppressed
lives (to one degree or another) in 1969 and for future
generations of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and
Transgenders ("G.L.B.T."). We were tired of and angry at being
'victims' and no one was going to succeed in abusing US as a group
or a people ever again! At last, we demanded our
independence and
freedom! As of June 27th, 1969,
our G.L.B.T. independence ignited and after the last night of the Stonewall Rebellion on Thursday, July 3rd, 1969,
the following day became known as "Gay Independence Day"!
The clever term was creatively coined by the SVA's founder, director and
wordsmith, Willson Lee Henderson. As a minority group, WE, as a community immediately achieved the former!
For several decades since, it has been an uphill struggle
spiritually,
politically, economically, legally and in every other
sense. Our
lives are still very much in danger and whatever liberty and freedom we
have achieved is somehow still at risk. Before the Stonewall Uprising,
there were other concerned G.L.B.T. folks who attempted to fight the system making minor in-roads, here and
there. However, the across-the-board, effective 1969 Stonewall Rebellion
made the public, the media and, most importantly, "US",
realize that: We are a people and we demand our full rights
generally as human beings and, particularly, as American citizens! In
fact, at long last -- and only through the
revolutionizing Stonewall Rebellion -- we symbolically achieved
"minority" status.
"The STONEWALL Inn" bar and dance club depicted in 1969
Question: Do you know what the top word in
the STONEWALL sign says?
We do! You may email your guess
to the S.V.A. at:
SVA@StonewallVets.org
*
Purposes of the
STONEWALL Veterans' Association
Even though the Stonewall Rebellion
took place in 1969 --
not 1869 -- the rebellion was not photographed or filmed by the media
because they deemed it "unimportant". Likewise, they were
not allowed (as in 'keep away')! Picture-taking was
forbidden! Unless a treasure trove of
forgotten images is one day unearthed, there will be endless
speculation of what exactly occurred during those five, inconsecutive,
steamy nights and early morning hours. We
must preserve the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender ("G.L.B.T.")
heritage we
have before it is significantly and irrevocably lost!
The National STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association
("S.V.A.")
positively and proudly represents Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
and Transgender
("G.L.B.T.") history, education and culture. The Executive
Committee of the
S.V.A. consists exclusively of real patrons of the ~original~ STONEWALL Club police raids from 1966 through 1969 and/or participants in the five-night,
historic 1969 Stonewall
Rebellion on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York.
The S.V.A. focuses our multi-dimensional and diverse
organization as a viable group of
Gay men, Lesbian women, Bisexual folks and Transgender
people! We strive for the facts and challenge the inaccuracies.
The S.V.A. delivers the following: (1) education, (2)
community-building,
(3) support, (4) communication and (5) outreach as our primary
purposes. Therefore, to educate, for example, we provide, on
a
regular and reliable basis, unquestionably unique, invaluable
and factual information to individuals, groups, public
officials, organizations and institutions via various means
including mailings, phone calls, promotions and guest
speakers. An
expanded purpose under our rainbow umbrella of support consisits
of homecare assistance, legal advice and
financial support to help keep all of the actual Stonewall veterans
active,
healthy and united.
*
STONEWALL Veterans' Association's Goals Include:
- Ensure that the STONEWALL Rebellion
Veterans Association continues to be a
significant, visible and activist force in the New York City area and
far beyond.
- Allocate funds to assist Veterans of the Stonewall
Rebellion who are indigent and need financial assistance with
shelter, medical care, utilities, food, transportation, etc.
-
- Creation of a free or low-cost food/clothing
collective for the needy in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
and Transgender ("G.L.B.T.") communities.
-
- Preserve our colorful and varied history by
updating our archives consisting of videos and audio tapes and, of
course, photographs and images of Stonewall
Veterans and other notables of the G.L.B.T. communities.
-
- Maintain a consistent, strong, persistent and
unified voice in politics and the media.
-
- Actively search and create a visual archive of
biographies and images relating to G.L.B.T. movements
throughout American history.
-
- Provide promotional
information pertaining to the history of the Stonewall legacy to Gay
and non-Gay media, public officials, other G.L.B.T. organizations and
non-G.L.B.T. groups.
- Implement strategic initiatives to engage the G.L.B.T. communities
viz-a-viz the SVA's private "Stonewall" foundation.
-
- Issue press releases on current issues, matters and concerns
of the GLBT communities as well as meetings, events and other
activities of the S.V.A.
- Create a permanent Stonewall Veterans'
Memorial Park
at the current Sheridan Triangle in New York
City's Greenwich Village. This idea was launched after the
"STONEWALL 25" anniversary at the first new season S.V.A. monthly
meeting in July of 1994. The
S.V.A. has formally presented this project to New York City public
officials, the New York City
Parks Department and subsequently held meetings with them, various
public officials and other G.L.B.T. groups on that
SVA-sponsored plan. The artistic rendering of the Stonewall Memorial Park has been on display at many public events.
-
- Proudly lead, in the historic and famous blue
1969 convertible known as the "Stonewall Car", all New York
metropolitan-area
.G.LB.T. parades, marches and other public displays, exhibitions and
rallies.
-
- Another
responsibility of the S.V.A. is to garage, maintain, protect and
insure the aforementioned SVA-owned "Stonewall Car" -- a
visible, moving and valuable symbol of actual Gay history and real
pride.
-
- Allocate funds to assist or, if needed, pay
for funerals and burial expenses for Stonewall veterans and establish a
central burial place at a local cemetery for Stonewall Veterans where
their memory will be collectively honored by future generations.
At this time, we have one limited plot accommodating four more in
Westbury,
Long Island.
-
- Maintain and promote the legacy of the real "Stonewall"!
The STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association
("S.V.A.") is a
not-for-profit, volunteer membership organization primarily for G.L.B.T.
people and their non-G.L.B.T. friends, colleagues, relatives and
supporters. The S.V.A. is registered with the New York State Charities Bureau since the Summer of 1969. Said registration is renewed annually with the Charities Bureau. The
S.V.A. regularly publishes a newsletter entitled "STONEWALL Newzletta".
The on-line edition is updated daily. There is an
expanded
print edition which is published quarterly. Press releases
and other media communications by the S.V.A. are generated as
warranted. The S.V.A. focuses on the
continuing struggles of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and
Transgenderists. The S.V.A. is a historical, cultural,
educational,
advocacy and politically-aware group with a long reach, great
visibility and tremendous staying power.
"No two
eyewitnesses
ever
agree on every detail!"
(Line from the movie "Courage Under
Fire" (1996)
investigating whether they should give the Medal
of Honor to a fallen, female, wartime officer
*
The STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association presents the history
of the word "Stonewall", the Stonewall Era (1966 to 1969), the G.L.B.T.
Stonewallpeople, the original STONEWALL Club, the 1969 Stonewall
Uprising, and photographs of many Stonewall veterans over the decades!
www.StonewallVets.org/Stonewall_Era People_Club_Rebellion.htm
*
The S.V.A. is registered with the State of New York Charities Bureau.
www.CharitiesNYS.com
"Search" enter: STONEWALL
Veterans' Association or S.V.A.
Most recent N.Y.S. Charities
Bureau renewal: August 2021
The S.V.A.
is registered
with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
The S.V.A. is a non-profit,
historical,
educational, civil rights
and community organization since 1969 in its proud 52nd year!
It is now the 52nd anniversary of the
1969 Stonewall Rebellion, the 52nd
year of the famous convertible 1969 "Stonewall Car" (which the S.V.A.
owns), and the 52nd year of the STONEWALL
Veterans' Association!
The S.V.A. may be
referred to in its expanded name version as the
National STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans
Association.
*
5th August
2021
52nd Anniversary of the S.R.V.A.
*
=====2021:
52nd Anniversary of G.L.B.T. Stonewall Rebellion=====
[Friday night, June 27 ~through~ Thursday evening,
July 3, 1969, Manhattan, New York City]
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