Original subtitles

- FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM WAS PROVIDED BY:

AND BY ANNUAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU,

WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:

- SERGEANT MCGEE, AS STAGE MANAGER OF THIS TROOP,

I ORDER YOU TO REPORT TO WARDROBE...

FOR ASSIGNMENT TO LADIES OF THE CHORUS.

- WHAT!

all: * OH

* NOW WE'RE IN THE CHORUS *

* DRESSED UP IN GIRDLES THAT SQUEEZE *

* WE'RE HERE TO ROMANCE WITH *

* TO SING AND TO DANCE WITH

*A BUNCH OF DIRTY GUYS LIKE THESE *

- TEDDY, TELL ME HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT PIONEER SQUARE

TODAY AS COMPARED TO 20 YEARS AGO.

BEING ABLE TO WALK THROUGH IT DRESSED THIS WAY.

- I THINK IT'S A MIRACLE,

BUT PART OF MY MIND DOESN'T BELIEVE IT.

- WHY IS THAT?

- I STILL KEEP EXPECTING THE SHIT TO HIT THE FAN.

- THE BAR PATRONS WHO RIOTED IN GREENWICH VILLAGE

AFTER A ROUTINE POLICE RAID ON A GAY BAR, THE STONEWALL INN,

IN JUNE OF 1969, COULD NOT HAVE KNOWN

THAT THEIR WILD INSURRECTION WOULD ENTER HISTORY

AS THE BIRTHDAY OF THE GAY LIBERATION MOVEMENT.

- GAY IS PROUD.

crowd: GAY IS PROUD!

- TODAY, THE LESBIAN AND GAY COMMUNITY

IS A HIGHLY VISIBLE ASPECT OF AMERICAN SOCIETY.

- GAY IS LOVE.

crowd: GAY IS LOVE!

- HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT?

BY FOCUSING ON THE UNCONVENTIONAL BEHAVIOR

AND THE OFTEN LONELY REBELLION OF THOSE HOMOSEXUALS

WHO LIVED BEFORE STONEWALL,

WE CAN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE GAY COMMUNITY EVOLVED.

- I FELT LIKE I WAS THE ONLY ONE, UNTIL I LEFT HOME.

HOME WAS IN NORTH CAROLINA.

I WAS BROUGHT UP ON A FARM.

I KNEW ENOUGH NOT TO TALK ABOUT IT.

I KNEW ENOUGH TO HIDE.

- WHERE I GREW UP IN IOWA,

NOBODY KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT SEXUALITY,

AND THERE WAS NO SEX EDUCATION IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS,

JUST THE MISINFORMATION THAT KIDS BANDY ABOUT.

THAT'S ALL.

- AND THE ANSWER TO WHAT I KNEW ABOUT SEXUALITY WAS:

NOTHING.

I'D NEVER HEARD THE WORD "LESBIAN."

MY MOTHER WOULD NOT TALK ABOUT IT AT ALL,

NOTHING ABOUT SEXUALITY.

ONE OF MY FRIENDS' FATHER WAS A DOCTOR.

AND SHE USED TO SNEAK HIS MEDICAL BOOKS OUT,

AND WE'D LOOK AT HIS MEDICAL BOOKS AND READ TERMS

AND FIND OUT THINGS THROUGH THOSE.

BUT NONE OF US KNEW VERY MUCH.

- I HELD THE BELIEF THAT YOUNG WOMEN FELL IN LOVE WITH HORSES,

AND MEN FELL IN LOVE WITH ONE ANOTHER.

- "HOMOSEXUALITY" HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DIRTY WORD.

I CANNOT REMEMBER,

IN MY 70-SOME YEARS,

THE TIME WHEN IT WASN'T A DIRTY WORD.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, HOMOSEXUALITY,

THE PRACTICE OF IT, WAS NOT A DIRTY THING.

- I HAD A DECIDED ADVANTAGE WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG,

IN THE FACT THAT I HAD AN AUNT, KATE,

AND AN UNCLE, VINCE, WHO WERE BOTH GAY.

THEY APPROVED OF EVERYTHING I DID AND ENCOURAGED ME.

AND MY FATHER HATED THEM BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET MARRIED.

SEE, EVERYBODY KNEW NOT TOO MUCH ABOUT THE GAY LIFE

BECAUSE OUTSIDE OF THE COWBOYS,

AND THAT WAS NATURAL TO THEM,

IT'S NEVER BEEN BROUGHT OUT.

BUT THEY WERE DEFINITELY GAY,

BECAUSE THEY HAD TO HAVE SEX.

'CAUSE IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE SEX WITH THE OTHERS,

THEY HAD IT WITH ANIMALS.

- *HE WAS ONLY A LAVENDER COWBOY *

* THE HAIRS ON HIS CHEST NUMBERED TWO*

*BUT HE LONGED TO FOLLOW THE HEROES *

* AND FIGHT LIKE THE HE-MEN DO *

* BUT HE WAS INWARDLY TROUBLED

* BY A DREAM THAT GAVE HIM NO REST *

* THAT HE'D GO WITH HIS HEROES IN ACTION *

* WITH ONLY TWO HAIRS ON HIS CHEST *

- FOR MOST PEOPLE WHO WERE ATTRACTED

TO MEMBERS OF THEIR OWN SEX,

DENIAL OF THESE FEELINGS WAS THEIR ONLY CHOICE.

GETTING CAUGHT OFTEN RESULTED IN RUINED LIVES,

IMPRISONMENT, COMMITMENT TO INSTITUTIONS, OR SUICIDE.

- MY MOTHER WAS TOLD

THAT I WAS LIVING A LESBIAN LIFE WITH VALERIE.

ALL SHE HAD TO SAY WAS I WAS LIVING A LESBIAN LIFE,

AND THAT WAS GROUNDS TO HAVE YOU COMMITTED

TO AN INSANE ASYLUM WITHOUT ANY HEARING, ESPECIALLY.

AT LEAST, I WAS PICKED UP OFF OF THE STREET

ON A FRIDAY, THROWN IN THE POLICE CAR.

THEY CAME TO VAL'S-- TO THE APARTMENT HOUSE,

AND VAL KNEW ABOUT IT.

SHE KNEW THEY WERE OUT THERE ON THE STREET LOOKING FOR ME.

SO SHE CAME AND FOUND ME FIRST AND WARNED ME.

BUT I NEVER GOT TO THE APARTMENT.

THEY TOOK ME RIGHT FROM THE STREET

AND PUT ME DOWN INTO THE PSYCHO WARD AT GENERAL HOSPITAL.

- WHEN I COME OUT, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE WORD "GAY."

THE WORD FOR US IS "TEMPERAMENTAL."

SO WE'RE "TEMPERAMENTAL." WE'RE "THAT WAY."

THIS IS ABOUT ALL THEY HAD FOR US.

THIS WAS ABOUT ALL WE HAD FOR OURSELVES.

- WE DIDN'T CALL IT. WE DID IT.

- WHAT YOU CALL NOW IN THE LIFE?

BUT THEN YOU JUST "SWEETHEARTS."

WASN'T NO PARTICULAR NAME.

YOU KNOW YOU LIKED THE WOMAN,

AND YOU JUST LIKED THE WOMAN.

THE FIRST TIME I LIKED A GIRL,

NO MORE THAN ABOUT 14 YEARS OLD.

- SOMETIMES YOU WOULD LOOK INTO A PERSON'S EYES.

HE WOULD LOOK INTO YOUR EYES.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'D KNOW THROUGH THE EYES.

YOU KNEW EACH OTHER BY A RED NECKTIE.

IT WAS VERY DARING TO WEAR A HANKIE THAT MATCHED THE TIE.

AND THE MOMENT THAT YOU SAW THAT,

NO MATTER WHAT THE COLOR WAS,

YOU FIGURED THAT THERE WAS A BROTHER THERE.

AFTER YOU HAD CRUISED EACH OTHER BY CHASING EACH OTHER

BACK AND FORTH FROM LOOKING IN THE SAME WINDOW

AT THE SAME THING FOR QUITE A WHILE,

YOU MIGHT ASK THE PERSON, "DO YOU HAVE A MATCH?"

OR "CAN YOU TELL ME THE TIME?"

THESE WERE THE LITTLE THINGS THAT WE WOULD BE USING

IN THE '20s, AND WE WERE STILL USING THEM IN THE '30s,

I MIGHT ADD.

THAT WHOLE SOCIETY WOULD HAVE BEEN KNOWN

AS THE "GAY SOCIETY" OR THE "GAY WORLD"

OR THE "WORLD OF THE DEMIMONDE"--

THE WORLD OF THE TWILIGHT, THE WORLD OF NIGHT.

AND SO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAD TO DO WITH THAT AREA

WERE ALWAYS CONSIDERED PEOPLE THAT WERE TOTALLY

DISRESPECTABLE AND THEREFORE OF VERY QUESTIONABLE MORALS.

THIS WOULD BE THE WORLD OF DANCE.

THIS WAS THE WORLD OF THE ARTIST.

THESE WERE THE WORLD OF PEOPLE WHO FLITTED AROUND

IN THE PARKS AND FORESTS AT NIGHT,

THE BOIS DE BOULOGNE, FOR EXAMPLE,

OR HYDE PARK IN LONDON, OR ALONG THE RIVERS,

BOTH THE THAMES AND THE SEINE.

THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE OUT AT NIGHT WANDERING AROUND

LOOSE WITHOUT GOING SPECIFICALLY FROM ONE PLACE

TO ANOTHER WERE OBVIOUSLY THERE FOR NO GOOD PURPOSE.

AND SO THIS IS KNOWN AS THE WORLD OF THE DEMIMONDE.

THIS IS THE "TWILIGHT WORLD,"

AS IT WAS KNOWN IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY,

AND IT IS THE WORLD OF THE GAY PEOPLE.

AND THE "GAY" THEREFORE COVERS ALL OF THESE PEOPLE.

IT COVERED PROSTITUTES, COVERS LADIES OF DOUBTFUL VIRTUE,

GENTLEMEN OF DOUBTFUL VIRTUE--

ALL THOSE UNSAVORY CHARACTERS.

- THE 1920s, A TIME OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY,

PROHIBITION, AND SPEAKEASIES,

SAW AN INCREASE IN THE POPULATION OF AMERICA'S CITIES.

WHILE MOST HOMOSEXUALS CONTINUED TO LIVE IN ISOLATION

AND SECRECY, A FEW BEGAN TO GATHER IN BOHEMIAN NEIGHBORHOODS

SUCH AS SAN FRANCISCO'S BARBARY COAST,

NEW ORLEANS'S FRENCH QUARTER,

NEW YORK'S HARLEM AND GREENWICH VILLAGE,

WHERE FREER SOCIAL NORMS ALLOWED THE BEGINNINGS

OF A HOMOSEXUAL UNDERGROUND.

- THE MAIN THOUGHT BEHIND THE THING

WAS TO BREAK THE LAW

AND LIVE AS WILDLY AS YOU COULD.

AND EVERYBODY DID,

BECAUSE THE SPEAKEASIES WERE ALL OVER THE TOWN.

EVEN THE OLD RESIDENCES,

SOME OF THEM HAD SPEAKEASY BASEMENTS.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WRITE ABOUT PROHIBITION,

BUT THEY DON'T BRING OUT THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY

WAS BREAKING THE LAW BECAUSE IT WAS THE THING TO DO.

- RENT PARTIES WERE GIVEN.

YOU WOULD PAY MAYBE 50 CENTS OR A DOLLAR.

THAT ENTITLED YOU TO SALTINE CRACKERS

WITH A PIECE OF SALAMI,

AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE BATHTUB GIN,

WHICH MEANT THAT IN THEIR BATHTUBS THEY PUT A GALLON

OF ALCOHOL, AND IT WAS FRAPPEED WITH A LOT OF ICE

TO PARALYZE YOUR SENSE OF TASTE,

AND IT WAS COLORED WITH GRENADINE TO MAKE IT PINK.

THESE WERE GAY PARTIES THAT WE WENT TO.

OFTEN AFTER THE PARTIES WE WOULD GO HOME WITH PEOPLE

WE CHANCED TO MEET THERE.

- NEW YORK IS A KIND OF A PLACE THAT EVERYBODY COMES TO.

HARLEM WAS A MECCA FOR BLACK PEOPLE.

AND SO BLACKS CAME,

AND SINCE BLACKS COME FROM EVERYWHERE

JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE COMES FROM EVERYWHERE,

THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WAS THAT BLACKS

HAD A SPECIFIC PLACE TO GO TO,

AND THAT WAS HARLEM.

- AND WE HAD LOTS OF CLUBS, LOTS OF BARS.

BUT MY FAVORITE ONE WAS THE GARDEN OF JOY

UP ON THE HILL,

UP THERE ON I THINK 32ND STREET.

IT'S WHERE THE CHURCH IS NOW--

CLAYTON POWELL'S CHURCH.

- ABYSSINIAN?

- ABYSSINIAN, YEAH. THAT WAS THE HILL.

AND YOU HAD A BEAUTIFUL TIME UP THERE.

OH, GIRL, YOU HAD SOME TIME UP THERE.

- YOU SEE, THOSE PLACES WERE NOT GAY, BUT THEY WERE OPEN.

THE WHOLE ATMOSPHERE WAS OPEN.

- IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO KNOW EVERYBODY

THAT HAPPENED TO PASS THROUGH HARLEM AT THAT TIME.

BLACK, WHITE, GRIZZLED, OR GREY,

IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE.

- HARLEM'S MORE EXCLUSIVE CLUBS

FEATURING BLACK PERFORMERS CATERED TO WHITE TOURISTS.

HOWEVER, THE MORE ADVENTUROUS WHITES,

AMONG THEM, MANY HOMOSEXUALS,

WERE WELCOME IN BLACK CLUBS IN THE FREEWHEELING BUFFET FLATS.

- I THINK ONE OF THE GREAT ATTRACTIONS IN HARLEM

WAS TO GO TO GLADYS BENTLEY'S LITTLE HIDEAWAY

DOWN IN A BASEMENT WHERE SHE PLAYED A PIANO.

GLADYS BENTLEY WAS A VERY OVERT LESBIAN.

- I DON'T THINK I'D EVER SEEN GLADYS IN A SKIRT IN MY LIFE.

SHE ALWAYS WORE PANTS AND TUXEDOS.

DURING HER STINT AT THE CLAMHOUSE,

SHE WENT OFF TO ATLANTIC CITY AND MARRIED HER GIRLFRIEND.

- *WENT OUT LAST NIGHT WITH A CROWD OF MY FRIENDS *

* THEY MUST'VE BEEN WOMEN *

* 'CAUSE I DON'T LIKE NO MEN *

*IT'S TRUE I WEAR A COLLAR AND A TIE *

* MAKES THE WIND BLOW ALL THE WHILE *

* DON'T YOU SAY I DO IT *

* AIN'T NOBODY CAUGHT ME *

* SURE GOT TO PROVE IT ON ME

- WELL I MET QUITE A FEW SINGERS,

MOSTLY ALL OF 'EM,

LIKE ETHEL WATERS AND SMITH AND HUNTER.

- DO YOU KNOW IF ANY OF THEM WERE IN THE LIFE?

- THEY WERE ALL IN THERE.

I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN MEETING THEM

IF THEY HADN'T HAVE BEEN IN THERE,

BECAUSE I WOULDN'T HAVE BOTHERED NOBODY THAT WAS.

I WOULDN'T--I DO MORE BOTHERING WITH STRAIGHT PEOPLE NOW

THAN I EVER DID IN MY LIFE.

I NEVER WENT IN WITH STRAIGHT PEOPLE,

BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO, YOU GET YOURSELF IN TROUBLE.

- WHERE ARE WE GOING?

- WELL, YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO GO SLUMMING.

SO I PICKED A PLACE TO EAT IN THE VILLAGE.

ONLY WILD POETS AND ANARCHISTS EAT THERE.

PRETTY TOUGH.

both: * AND GO DASHING UP AND DOWN THE HALL *

*TRA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA, TRA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA *

* TRA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA

- *IF A FAIRY IN PAJAMAS I SHOULD SEE *

* I KNOW HE'LL SCARE THE LIFE OUT OF ME *

- * AND ON A GREAT BIG BATTLESHIP YOU'D LIKE TO BE *

both: * WORKING AS CHAMBERMAIDS *

- THAT'S THE ANCIENT CULTURE,

THE OLD GNOSTIC BOHEMIAN CULTURE,

WHICH EXISTED IN THE CARNIVAL WORLDS,

IN THE BLACK WORLD, IN HARLEM IN THE '20s.

ON TIMES SQUARE, CERTAINLY,

IN BERLIN, IN THE CABARET BERLIN

THAT WE READ ABOUT IN BOOKS AND SEE IN MOVIES.

THAT OLD CULTURE EXISTS SINCE PRIMORDIAL DAYS.

- THE BOHEMIAN SUBCULTURE WAS A PRESSURE-COOKER

ADVANCING UNCONVENTIONAL IDEAS.

HERE HOMOSEXUALS, CAST OUT OF GENTEEL SOCIETY,

FOUND A COMFORTABLE WORLD IN WHICH TO CREATE.

MANY OF AMERICA'S IMPORTANT THINKERS EMERGED

FROM THIS HOMOSEXUAL UNDERGROUND,

INCLUDING ROMAINE BROOKS AND NATALIE BARNEY,

LANGSTON HUGHES, MARGARET ANDERSON,

TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, AND GERTRUDE STEIN.

- IN THE UNITED STATES BETWEEN 1875 AND 1940,

THERE WERE MORE THAN 500 NOVELS WITH LESBIAN CONTENT PUBLISHED.

AND OF COURSE WITH GAY MALE LITERATURE,

THERE'S FIVE TIMES AS MUCH DURING THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME--

LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF BOOKS.

- OH, I HAD THEM ALL.

AND EVEN TILL THIS DAY, ALL THE BOOKS ARE MINE.

- WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR LESBIAN NOVELS

THAT YOU LIKE?

- OH.

WELL, FIRST I'LL START-- YOU KNOW HOW IT STARTED.

"THE WELL OF LONELINESS."

FROM THAT ON, EVERYTHING THAT CAME PAST, I READ IT.

- THE '20s SAW A WAVE OF LESBIAN-THEMED BOOKS AND PLAYS,

LIKE THE BESTSELLING "THE WELL OF LONELINESS"

AND THE HIT BROADWAY PLAY "THE CAPTIVE."

BOTH WERE DECLARED OBSCENE,

AND THE ENSUING CENSORSHIP STRUGGLES

MADE HOMOSEXUALITY A MAJOR TOPIC OF PUBLIC DISCOURSE.

RADCLYFFE HALL'S APPEAL OVERTURNED THE DECISION

FOR PUBLISHERS, BUT NEW YORK STATE OUTLAWED

OVERT REFERENCES TO HOMOSEXUALITY ON THE STAGE.

CONTROVERSIAL PLAYS LIKE LILLIAN HELLMAN'S

"THE CHILDREN'S HOUR" WERE TOLERATED

AS LONG AS THE WORD "LESBIAN" WAS NOT MENTIONED.

IN HOLLYWOOD, A FILM VERSION OF OSCAR WILDE'S "SALOME"

WAS PRODUCED WITH A PURPORTEDLY ALL-GAY CAST.

- OH, ARE THOSE FAIRIES AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR GARDEN?

YOU CANNOT THINK HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY ARE.

THEY ALL STAND UP AND SING

AND THE FAIRY KING AND QUEEN

COME LIGHTLY FLOATING DOWN UPON THEIR...

- BUT THE CENSORSHIP FORCES EVENTUALLY PREVAILED,

AND BY 1935,

THE MOTION PICTURE CODE BANNED ALL REFERENCES TO HOMOSEXUALITY.

THE HARD TIMES OF THE 1930s LED TO POLITICAL AND SOCIAL UNREST.

RIOTS BROKE OUT IN HARLEM.

UNIONS FOUGHT PITCHED BATTLES FOR RECOGNITION.

FAMILIES DISINTEGRATED AS MEN ABANDONED THEIR WIVES

AND CHILDREN IN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERS.

AND BOTH THE RADICAL LEFT AND RIGHT SWELLED THEIR RANKS.

- THESE WERE TIMES OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION,

AND THERE WAS MUCH DISCRIMINATION,

MUCH SOCIAL DISCONTENT.

IN 1929, WHEN I ARRIVED IN NEW YORK,

I WAS INVITED TO A SMALL DINNER PARTY

WHERE DR. HIRSCHFELD, A SEXOLOGIST,

WAS THE SPEAKER THAT EVENING.

AND AFTER DINNER HE ADDRESSED THE GROUP,

TELLING OF CHANGES THAT WERE BEING BROUGHT ABOUT IN GERMANY.

HE MADE QUITE AN IMPACT.

HE HAD WORKED SO THAT MEN COULD DRESS AS WOMEN

IF THEY WISHED, IF THEY WERE PROPERLY IDENTIFIED.

REGRETTABLY, LATER THAT BOOMERANGED.

ALL THESE REGISTERED MEN

WERE PUT IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS WITH JEWS.

- THE RISE OF THE NAZIS OBLITERATED THE EARLY

HOMOSEXUAL AND FEMINIST MOVEMENTS IN GERMANY,

AND PROPELLED THE UNITED STATES INTO A WAR THAT WOULD

DRAMATICALLY ALTER THE LIVES OF AMERICAN HOMOSEXUALS.

- WELL, IT WAS A WAR ON, AND WE WERE ALL VERY, VERY PATRIOTIC.

- WHEN DECEMBER 7TH CAME,

EVERYBODY WAS EXPECTED TO DO SOMETHING.

SINCE THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE,

I FELT THAT IT WAS MY DUTY TO JOIN THE SERVICE.

AS SOON AS THEY BEGAN TAKING WOMEN INTO THE ARMY,

I JOINED IT.

- I CAN'T SAY THAT I WAS SUCH A PATRIOT

THAT I WAS GLAD TO JOIN.

I DID NOT WANT TO GET IN THERE AND GET SHOT AT.

ON THE OTHER HAND, CERTAINLY WORLD WAR II

WAS SOMETHING THAT REALLY THE COUNTRY WAS BEHIND.

SO YOU HAD, AT LEAST, EVERYBODY BEHIND YOU.

- THEY COME FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE.

BY THE 100,000, THEY ARE ASSEMBLING AT CAMPS

AND NAVAL TRAINING STATIONS.

TO THESE YOUNG MEN COMES A RADICAL CHANGE

IN THEIR WAY OF LIFE, AS HOME TIES ARE BROKEN

AND FAMILIES, FRIENDS, AND SWEETHEARTS ARE LEFT BEHIND.

QUICKLY THEY ADAPT THEMSELVES TO ARMY AND NAVY

ROUTINE, PHYSICAL CONDITIONING, DISCIPLINE,

MILITARY TRAINING, WITH WHOLESOME LEISURE TIME ACTIVITY

BUILD THE HIGH MORALE WHICH IS ESSENTIAL

TO STRONG FIGHTING MEN.

- MY FIRST ASSIGNMENT IN THE ARMY

WAS IN THE INDUCTION STATION IN FORT SNELLING,

WHICH BECAME INSTANTLY CALLED "THE SEDUCTION STATION."

AND I FOUND THAT ALL OF THE PEOPLE I HAD KNOWN

IN THE GAY BARS IN MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL

WERE ALL OFFICERS WHO WERE RUNNING THIS SEDUCTION STATION.

AND WHEN RECRUITS WOULD BE LINED UP BY THE THOUSANDS,

AS THEY WOULD BE EACH MORNING OUTSIDE OUR WINDOWS,

ALL OF US WOULD RUSH TO THE WINDOWS

AND LOOK OUT AND EXPRESS GREAT SORROW

THAT ALL OF THESE BEAUTIFUL BOYS WERE GOING TO BE KILLED

OR MAIMED OR SOMETHING IN THE WAR.

- WELL, ONE OF THE WORST OF THE STEREOTYPES,

THAT'S REALLY A LIE,

IS THAT ALL HOMOSEXUALS ARE EFFEMINATE.

"YOU'RE NOT REALLY A MAN. YOU'RE MORE LIKE A GIRL."

AND SO A LOT OF US AT THAT TIME WHO WERE GAY

HAD TO PROVE OUR MANHOOD.

SO I JOINED THE TOUGHEST,

MOST MASCULINE MILITARY ORGANIZATION IN THE COUNTRY,

AND THAT WAS THE MARINE CORPS.

"THE MARINE CORPS BUILDS MEN."

- I WAS VERY, VERY MUCH AWARE THAT I WAS UN-ATHLETIC.

AS I SAY, I CANNOT THROW A BALL.

I CANNOT CATCH ONE.

BASKETBALL WAS MY COMPLETE UNDOING,

BECAUSE I WOULD KICK IT WHEN I DRIBBLED.

AND IN SUCH THINGS AS, LIKE, TRYING TO THROW GRENADES,

IT BECAME MORE THAN OBVIOUS.

I REMEMBER ONCE IN GRENADE PRACTICE, IT FELL ON MY TOE,

WHICH WAS RATHER EMBARRASSING.

SO I KIND OF REACTED TO THAT

BY BEING THE COMPANY MASCOT OR SOMETHING.

THE ONLY THING I COULD DO WAS LAUGH ABOUT IT,

WHICH I DID, AND I WAS REASONABLY WELL-LIKED.

- I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A TOLERANCE FOR LESBIANISM

IF THEY NEEDED YOU.

IF YOU HAD A JOB TO DO THAT WAS A SPECIALIST KIND OF A JOB,

OR IF YOU WERE IN A THEATER OF OPERATIONS

WHERE YOU WERE-- WHERE BODIES WERE NEEDED,

THEN THEY TOLERATED ANYTHING, JUST ABOUT.

THE BATTALION THAT I WAS IN WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 97% LESBIAN.

WE WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE.

AND ONE DAY I GOT CALLED

INTO MY COMMANDING GENERAL'S OFFICE,

AND IT HAPPENED TO BE EISENHOWER AT THE TIME.

AND HE SAID,

"IT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THERE MAY BE

"SOME LESBIANS IN THE W.A.C. BATTALION.

"I'M GIVING YOU AN ORDER TO FERRET THOSE LESBIANS OUT,

AND WE'RE GONNA GET RID OF 'EM."

AND I LOOKED AT HIM, AND THEN I LOOKED AT HIS SECRETARY

WHO WAS STANDING NEXT TO ME, AND I SAID,

"WELL, SIR, IF THE GENERAL PLEASES,

"SIR,

"I'LL BE HAPPY TO DO THIS INVESTIGATION FOR YOU.

BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT THE FIRST NAME ON THE LIST

WILL BE MINE."

AND HE KIND OF WAS TAKEN ABACK A BIT.

AND THEN THIS WOMAN STANDING NEXT TO ME SAID,

"SIR, IF THE GENERAL PLEASES,

"YOU MUST BE AWARE THAT SERGEANT PHELPS'S NAME MAY BE SECOND,

BUT MINE WILL BE FIRST."

AND THEN I LOOKED AT HIM, AND I SAID,

"SIR, YOU'RE RIGHT.

"THERE ARE LESBIANS IN THE W.A.C. BATTALION.

"AND IF THE GENERAL IS PREPARED

"TO REPLACE ALL THE FILE CLERKS,

"ALL THE SECTION COMMANDERS,

"ALL OF THE DRIVERS,

EVERY WOMAN IN THE WAC DETACHMENT"--

THERE WERE ABOUT 980-SOMETHING OF US--

"THEN I'LL BE HAPPY TO MAKE THAT LIST.

"BUT I THINK THE GENERAL SHOULD BE AWARE

"THAT AMONG THOSE WOMEN

"ARE THE MOST HIGHLY DECORATED WOMEN IN THE WAR.

"THERE HAVE BEEN NO CASES OF ILLEGAL PREGNANCIES.

"THERE HAVE BEEN NO CASES OF AWOL.

"THERE HAVE BEEN NO CASES OF MISCONDUCT.

"AND AS A MATTER OF FACT,

"EVERY SIX MONTHS SINCE WE'VE BEEN HERE, SIR,

"THE GENERAL HAS AWARDED US A COMMENDATION

FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE."

AND HE SAID, "FORGET THE ORDER."

IT WAS A GOOD BATTALION TO BE IN.

- AT THAT TIME, MEN WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SHOW AFFECTION

TO EACH OTHER, AT LEAST NOT TO THE POINT OF TOUCHING,

EXCEPT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THE HAND ON THE SHOULDER

OR THE KIND OF BOISTEROUS EXCESSES

THAT MEN GO INTO WHEN THEY'RE GETTING A LITTLE INTOXICATED.

- I CERTAINLY FELT SOMETHING VERY STRONG.

THERE WAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF AFFECTION.

BUT IT WAS A VERY BUTCH KIND OF AFFECTION.

THERE'S NO WAY IN THE WORLD THAT THEY WOULD'VE DEFINED

THIS AS BEING GAY ACTIVITY, AND I COULDN'T EITHER.

- OF COURSE, WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY IN COMBAT,

THE WHOLE FOCUS IS ON LIVING,

AND THE RAW NERVE EDGE OF EVERYTHING.

MOST OF YOUR LIFE IS REFLEX ACTION.

BUT MORE INTENSE EXPRESSION OF FEELINGS ARE PERMITTED THEN.

- AND I'D GONE OUT WITH TWO RATHER CLOSE FRIENDS.

WE WERE MAYBE THREE MILES FROM THE FRONT LINES,

AND IT WAS A LITTLE TOWN IN GERMANY.

WE'D HAD A LOT OF CASUALTIES.

AND I WENT OUT. WE GOT VERY DRUNK.

AND COMING BACK,

MERTZ AND I STARTED KIND OF PLAYING WITH EACH OTHER.

I REMEMBER IT WAS ON A BRIDGE.

AND WE ACTUALLY KIND OF HAD SEX, I MEAN,

WITH SMITTY THE THIRD PERSON OVER THERE,

"OH, COME ON, GUYS, YOU'RE DRUNK."

YOU KNOW, "STOP IT." ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

BUT THE TRAUMATIC THING ABOUT IT

IS THAT BOTH OF THOSE GUYS WERE DEAD IN THREE DAYS.

SMITTY HAD BEEN HIT WITH A SNIPER IN A FOXHOLE

RIGHT NEXT TO MINE,

AND MERTZ HAD GOTTEN SOME ARTILLERY RIGHT IN HIS STOMACH.

AND ALL OF THIS WITHIN A WEEK

OF HAVING HAD THIS EXPERIENCE.

- WHILE THE WAR RAGED ON,

RADICAL SOCIAL CHANGES WERE SEEN ON THE HOME FRONT.

AS THE WORKFORCE SWELLED WITH WOMEN,

LESBIANS GAINED ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE.

HUNDREDS OF HOMOSEXUAL BARS SPRUNG UP

AS GAY MILITARY PERSONNEL FLOODED THE PORT CITIES.

- DAYTON WOMEN ARE MARCHING TO WAR.

YES, IN EVERY ESSENTIAL WARTIME ACTIVITY,

IN THE FACTORIES, OUT AT THE AIRFIELDS,

DAYTON WOMEN ARE HELPING TO KEEP THE WHEELS OF INDUSTRY TURNING.

- IT WAS WORLD WAR 2,

AND EVERYONE THAT DIDN'T HAVE A PERFORATED EARDRUM

OR FLAT FEET WAS OFF DEFENDING OUR COUNTRY

SOMEPLACE OR ANOTHER.

SO THERE WERE AN AWFUL LOT OF UNMARRIED WOMEN,

ENGAGED WOMEN, SINGLE WOMEN, ALL KINDS OF WOMEN,

AND REMEMBER A LOT OF THEM HAD MOVED TO THE CITIES

BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE ALL THESE JOBS WERE

THAT NEEDED TO BE FILLED.

- WELL, ALL THE WOMEN WERE HIRED IN THE DEFENSE INDUSTRIES,

AND THEY HAD TO WEAR SLACKS AND HAVE SHORT HAIR.

YOU KNOW, SKIRTS, THEY WERE DANGEROUS AROUND MACHINERY.

SO IT BECAME COMMON THAT GOING TO AND FROM WORK,

THEY WERE WEARING SLACKS ON THE STREET.

- BUT NATURALLY, THEY BEGAN TO EARN MONEY,

AND NATURALLY, THEY ACHIEVED SOME DEGREE OF INDEPENDENCE.

THEY LEFT THE HOUSE OR THE HOME.

AND FOR YOUNG WOMEN,

YOU COULD LEAVE HOME WITHOUT BEING PREGNANT.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT ANYBODY COULD

REALLY SUCCESSFULLY DO THAT.

- THE SHEER MATTER OF WHERE TO LIVE

PRESENTS A FORMIDABLE PROBLEM IN DAYTON.

ROOMS, BEDS, WALL SPACE, ALL JAM-PACKED, OVERFLOWING.

- WE WAS ALL BUNCHED UP TOGETHER ALL THE TIME.

MOST OF THE WOMEN THAT I MET HAD HUSBANDS,

BUT THEY WOULD GO WITH WOMEN, JUST THE SAME.

THEY'D JUST COME OUT A LITTLE MORE.

THEY DID THE SAME THING WHEN THE MEN WAS HOME,

BUT THEY WOULDN'T LET NOBODY KNOW IT.

THAT'S WHY I KNOW ONE-HALF OF THE WORLD IS QUEER, GAY.

ONE-HALF OF IT.

AND THOSE THAT'S FIGHTIN' US WHO WILL ADMIT THE TRUTH,

THEY'RE DOING THE SAME THING.

- CERTAINLY, IT BROUGHT A LOT MORE PEOPLE

FROM THE HINTERLANDS OUT INTO CONDITIONS

WHERE THEY WEREN'T LIVING IN SMALL TOWNS,

WHERE THEY WERE FREER, WHERE THEY MET OTHER PEOPLE,

WHERE THEY GOT IN--MALE AND FEMALE-GOT INTO SAME-SEX

CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND DEVELOPED FRIENDSHIPS.

ON THE NIGHTS OUT, GROUPS OF SOLDIERS MAY GO LOOKING

FOR WOMEN AND END UP FINDING ONE ANOTHER.

- * I MISS YOUR VOICE

* AND THE TOUCH OF YOUR HAND

* MY BUDDY

* MY BUDDY

* YOUR BUDDY MISSES YOU

- * I GOT A GAL IN KALAMAZOO

*DON'T WANT TO BOAST, BUT I KNOW SHE'S THE TOAST *

*OF KALAMAZOO-ZOO-ZOO-ZOO-ZOO *

* YEARS HAVE GONE BY

*MY, MY, HOW SHE GREW *

* I LIKED HER LOOKS WHEN I CARRIED HER BOOKS *

*IN KALAMAZOO-ZOO-ZOO-ZOO *

* KALAMAZOO*

- WE MET A LOT OF PEOPLE.

WE BECAME AWARE OF OUR OWN KIND.

OUR OWN SOCIETY CONGREGATED THERE.

AND I THINK THAT HAD A LOT TO DO

WITH THE INCREASE IN POPULATION

FOR THE GAY COMMUNITY IN THOSE METROPOLITAN AREAS.

- CERTAINLY, WHEN I CAME OUT IN SAN FRANCISCO INTO THE BARS,

THERE WERE 20 OR 30 ACTIVE BARS THAT I FOUND AT ANY TIME,

ALTHOUGH MOST OF THEM WERE SHORT-LIVED.

VERY FEW OF THEM WERE GAY-OWNED OR GAY-RUN,

BUT AS LONG AS THEY LASTED, THEY WERE PACKED.

- THE FIRST CLUB I WENT TO WAS THE LAKESHORE CLUB,

WHICH WAS PRIMARILY A LESBIAN CLUB.

IT WAS A PLACE, OF COURSE, TO MEET,

AND IT WAS THE FIRST YEAR I CAME OUT.

AND SO I WAS THERE A LOT.

AND THERE WAS A MAN ON THE DOOR,

AND YOU DIDN'T GET IN UNLESS YOU LOOKED GAY OR THEY KNEW YOU

OR YOU WERE BROUGHT BY SOMEBODY WHO WAS GAY.

- THERE WERE THE GAY GIRLS' CLUBS AND THE GAY BOYS' CLUB,

BUT YOU WERE NEVER KEPT OUT BECAUSE YOU WERE EITHER SEX.

- I GUESS I WENT TO SEE CARROLL AT EVERY PLACE

THAT HE APPEARED.

- WROTE MOST OF MY MATERIAL.

THERE'S NOT ANYBODY IN THIS WORLD COULD GET ME TO SAY

ONE WORD ABOUT HER.

SHE'S WHAT SHE IS, AND OF COURSE SHE'LL NEVER MEND.

SHE'S AN INTRO, ULTRA, EXTROVERT.

BUT SO WHAT?

SHE'S MY MOST INTIMATE FRIEND.

I KNOW SHE'S DISEASED.

I KNOW SHE'S INSANE.

I KNOW SHE CAN ONLY BE APPEASED WITH A LASH AND CHAMPAGNE.

I KNOW THAT MR. WELLESLEY FIRED HER FOR ACTIONS

WITH THE GIRLS, AND I KNOW IT INSPIRED HER

TO POISON HER MOTHER-- SHE WANTED THE PEARLS.

I KNOW ALL ABOUT THE STALLION THAT SHE LEFT TOO WEAK TO WALK,

AND I KNOW ABOUT MISS LEGALLION--

THOUGH THAT WAS ONLY TALK.

IN FACT, I KNOW A LOT OF THINGS THAT I COULD TELL

IF I WOULD, BUT A GOSSIP, I NEVER WILL.

AND WILD HORSES COULDN'T DRAG ONE WORD FROM MY MOUTH.

AFTER ALL, SHE'S MY MOST INTIMATE FRIEND.

- CARROLL DAVIS WAS A VERY IMPORTANT ENTERTAINER.

BUT YOU KNOW, ENTERTAINERS ARE ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT

LIKE GOD, YOU KNOW.

THEY STAND OFF.

A DIFFERENT LIGHT SHINES ON THEM.

- * YOU MUST BE LADIES

all: * DON'T WORRY, MISS COWELL *

* MERRILY WE APPEAR ON THE SCENE *

* HOSTESSES OF THE STAGE DOOR CANTEEN *

*ENTERTAINING SOLDIERS WHO ARE GOING OFF TO WAR *

*GLAD TO BE OF SERVICE *

*BUT WE COULD DO MUCH MORE *

*WE COULD DO MORE FOR THE BOYS *

* AND GREATLY ADD TO THEIR JOYS *

* BUT WE DON'T GET VERY FAR *

*WE TAKE AN OATH WHEN WE ENLIST TO NEVER BE FOUND *

*CANOODLING AROUND WITH A SOLDIER *

- AND OF COURSE THERE WERE ALL THE FAMOUS DRAG QUEENS.

RATHER THAN PUT THEM IN THE REGULAR ARMY,

OUT THERE IN THE TRENCHES OR WHATEVER,

THEY PUT THEM IN THIS DRAG SHOW.

AND THEY TRAVELED ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES,

AND THEN THEY MADE A MOVIE.

AND IT WAS ALL A BIG HIT.

- MISS COWELL, MISS COWELL!

OH, MISS COWELL. OH, MISS COWELL.

- IN THAT SENSE, THEY WERE OUT OF THE CLOSET,

BUT OF COURSE, NOBODY IN THE ARMY OR ANYTHING

WOULD EVER HINT THAT THESE MEN WERE GAY MEN.

OF COURSE NOT.

THEY WERE JUST IN A SHOW, JUST ENTERTAINERS.

- A-BOODLE-EE-BE-BOP, A-BOODLE-EE-BE-BOP

- THE EFFECT OF WORLD WAR II WAS REALLY, TRULY PROFOUND.

OUR COUNTRY WILL NEVER AGAIN BE WHAT IT WAS BEFORE THAT WAR,

BECAUSE GAY PEOPLE BEGAN TO RECOGNIZE

THAT THERE WERE OTHERS LIKE THEMSELVES

FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

EVEN THOUGH WE WERE TOTALLY CLOSETED THEN,

AT LEAST THERE WAS A CERTAIN PERCEPTION THAT WE WEREN'T,

AT LEAST, GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED.

- WASHINGTON IS JUBILANT.

AND IN CHICAGO,

MORE THAN A MILLION SING AND DANCE IN THE STREETS

IN THE BIGGEST CELEBRATION THE WINDY CITY HAS EVER SEEN.

JOY IS UNCONFINED.

- AT THE END OF THE WAR, MANY OF THE LESBIANS AND GAY MEN

WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY SETTLED IN THE PORT CITIES.

THERE THEY COULD BE ANONYMOUS AND DISTANCE

THEMSELVES FROM THEIR CRITICAL FAMILIES.

BUT MOST IMPORTANT WAS THE COMPANIONSHIP THEY SOUGHT

WITHIN AMERICA'S GROWING URBAN GAY POPULATION.

- AND WHAT DOES HE WANT?

MOST OF ALL, HE WANTS A JOB,

A STAKE IN THE AMERICAN FUTURE.

- MALE VETERANS RECLAIMED THEIR JOBS AND RECEIVED

ECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS UNDER THE G.I. BILL.

BUT WOMEN WERE FORCED BACK INTO TRADITIONAL ROLES,

LOSING THE ECONOMIC GAINS MADE DURING THE WAR.

LIBERAL IDEAS IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES BEGAN TO EMERGE

AGAINST THIS BACKDROP OF GROWING SOCIAL CONSERVATISM.

- THERE WAS A PERIOD OF ABOUT TWO YEARS FOLLOWING THE WAR,

THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT I WAS IN COLLEGE,

WHERE THERE WAS A BIG UPSURGE OF LIBERALISM.

NOW, I CAN'T NECESSARILY TIE THIS,

YOU KNOW, WITH THE GAY SCENE.

BUT THERE WERE, OH, THE KIND OF BEGINNINGS

OF CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS.

NOISES WERE BEING MADE.

- IN THE '40s, THE BOMB DROPPED.

IN THE '40s, THE ENTIRE PLANET WAS THREATENED BIOLOGICALLY.

IN THE '40s, THERE WAS A RECOVERY

FROM THE TOTAL BREAKDOWN OF ALL MORALITY

IN THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS.

FOR THOSE OF US WHO WERE HOMOSEXUAL,

IT WAS SUDDENLY THE REALIZATION,

"WHY ARE WE BEING INTIMIDATED BY A BUNCH OF JERKS

"WHO DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT LIFE?

"WHO ARE THEY TO TELL US WHAT WE FEEL

"AND HOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BEHAVE?

"AND WHY TAKE ALL THAT BULLSHIT?

AND WHY NOT JUST SORT OF DISH IT BACK AND START TALKING OPENLY?"

- LATE AT NIGHT,

AT THEATERS THAT WERE OFF THE BEATEN TRACK,

MOST OF THE TIME THE THEATER MARQUEES WERE TURNED OFF

AND IT WAS VERY DARK OUT FRONT,

AND THEY'D SHOW THESE FAIRLY SCRATCHY BLACK-AND-WHITE FILMS

ON THE SCREEN THAT TURNED OUT TO BE KENNETH ANGER FILMS,

THAT DID HAVE GAY OVERTONES, SOMETIMES MORE THAN OVERTONES.

AND I GUESS THEY WERE THE FORERUNNERS

OF WHAT GAY FILMS TURNED OUT TO BE.

- THE OLD BOHEMIAN WIDE-OPEN MIND TRADITION

BURST OUT THROUGH ITS BOUNDS AND WENT OUT INTO MASS CULTURE

SOMETIME IN THE LATE '40s AND EARLY '50s.

LIBERATION OF THE WORD INCLUDED A NUMBER OF BOOKS

THAT MAY NOT BE REMEMBERED NOW THAT WERE INSTRUMENTAL

IN OPENING UP AMERICAN SENSIBILITY.

- AMONG THOSE BOOKS

WERE GORE VIDAL'S "CITY AND THE PILLAR"

AND DONALD CORY'S "THE HOMOSEXUAL IN AMERICA."

- FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS A CULTURAL SCENE,

KEROUAC AND BURROUGHS AND HERBERT HUNCKE,

WHO WAS A FRIEND OF BURROUGHS, NOW A WRITER,

THEN A HUSTLING JUNKIE ON TIMES SQUARE

WHO WAS WORKING WITH DR. KINSEY AS KINSEY'S INFORMANT

FOR THE FLOATING POPULATION OF TIMES SQUARE.

SO THAT BURROUGHS AND KEROUAC AND MYSELF

AND HUNCKE AND MANY FRIENDS ARE INTEGRATED

INTO THE FIRST STATISTICS OF THE KINSEY REPORT.

- HOMOSEXUALITY WAS THOUGHT TO BE

A COMPARATIVELY RARE PHENOMENON

UNTIL KINSEY CAME ALONG

AND PROVIDED VERY GOOD EVIDENCE

THAT ACTUALLY THERE WERE, OF COURSE,

ROUGHLY 20 MILLION GAY MEN AND WOMEN.

AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT.

AND IT WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT GAVE GREAT HOPE

TO GAY PEOPLE AND LESBIANS,

BECAUSE THEY, FOR THE FIRST TIME,

REALIZED THAT THEY WERE NOT A TINY MINORITY,

BUT ACTUALLY A VERY SIZABLE PROPORTION OF THE POPULATION.

- THE FEELING THAT WAS CREATED WAS,

YOU COULD WALK DOWN THE STREET AND, OH, MY HEAVENS,

ONE OUT OF TEN OR ONE OUT OF 20 OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE,

MIGHT BE HAVING THOSE FEELINGS.

MIGHT BE HAVING THOSE EXPERIENCES.

IT REALLY SHOOK PEOPLE UP AND MADE THEM--

IT MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO THINK ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY

IN THE OLD WAYS, THAT IT WAS SOMETHING WAY OVER THERE.

- BUT THEN THERE WAS SUCH A TURNAROUND IN THE COUNTRY,

YOU KNOW, COME SHORTLY AFTER THE '48 ELECTIONS.

AND THEN IN CAME SENATOR MCCARTHY,

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE COUNTRY SLIPPED INTO THE DARK AGES.

- YOU CAN RUN AWAY IF YOU LIKE.

YOU HAVE BEEN HERE TRYING TO SMEAR THE STAFF

OF THIS COMMITTEE.

THE YOUNG MEN WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING

TO UNCOVER COMMUNISTS FOR TOO LONG--

- SENATOR, APPARENTLY EVERY TIME ANYBODY SAYS ANYTHING

AGAINST ANYBODY WORKING FOR SENATOR MCCARTHY,

YOU ARE DECLARING THEM AND YOU ARE ACCUSING THEM OF COMMUNISM.

- JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION.

- PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR ENEMIES OF ALL SORTS EVERYWHERE,

NOT JUST COMMUNISTS, BUT QUEERS,

ANYTHING, ANYBODY WHO'S DEVIANT,

PEOPLE WHO WERE DISSIDENTS OF ANY KIND, SEXUALLY,

SOCIALLY, POLITICALLY, WHAT HAVE YOU.

AND THEY WERE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE LIKE THIS

UNDER EVERY BED AND AROUND EVERY CORNER AND BEHIND EVERY DOOR.

IT WAS A WHOLE DIFFERENT SPIRIT.

- RIGHT AFTER THE BIG BUSINESS ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD TEN,

WE BEGAN TO HEAR IN '48 AND '49 THAT THEY WERE BEGINNING

TO KICK GUYS OUT OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT FOR BEING GAY,

AND THAT THEY WERE KICKING GUYS OUT OF THE ARMY.

THEY WERE KICKING THEM OUT OF THE NAVY.

THEY WERE MAKING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN COMMUNISTS

AND GAY PEOPLE.

AND MAKING THE SUGGESTION THAT THE SOVIET UNION

WAS USING GAY PEOPLE AS SPIES BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID

OF BLACKMAIL AND SO THEY WERE A DANGER

IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT.

- WELL, I CAME TO THE DEPARTMENT IN 1951,

AND I WAS INVOLVED THERE IN CONTINUING INVESTIGATIONS.

THE EASIEST TARGET FOR FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SOURCES

AND FOR FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES, WAS SEX.

- WOMEN AND GIRLS ARE SENT OUT,

ACCORDING TO CAREFULLY LAID PLANS, TO BROTHELS,

TO LOW CAFES AND BARS, AND TO THE STREETS,

WHERE THEY SPREAD VENEREAL DISEASE AND DISORDER

AMONG THOSE UPON WHOM THE DEFENSE OF THE NATION DEPENDS.

AGENTS FAR MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE WOMEN AND GIRLS

THEY EXPLOIT TAKE A LARGE PART OF THE MONEY COLLECTED

IN THIS SADDEST AND MOST DEGRADING ENTERPRISE.

- MCCARTHY MADE ONE FEEL THAT A GAY PERSON

WAS LIKE A MATA HARI.

- DID YOU THINK THIS CAME FROM A PIXIE?

- QUESTION, DID YOU THINK THIS CAME FROM A PIXIE?

- THE COUNSEL MIGHT BENEFIT--

DEFINE--I THINK HE MIGHT BE AN EXPERT ON THAT--

PIXIES.

- YEAH, I SHOULD SAY, I SHOULD SAY, MR. SENATOR,

THAT A PIXIE IS A CLOSE RELATIVE OF A FAIRY.

- HEARINGS WERE HELD WITH RESPECT TO

DEVELOPING AN EXECUTIVE ORDER

SCREENING PERSONNEL COMING IN TO GOVERNMENTS.

AND THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER WAS EXECUTIVE ORDER 10450.

"E.O. 10450"

OUTLINED A FACT THAT A PERSON WHO HAD

A TOP SECRET CLEARANCE COULD NOT CONTINUE AFTER HAVING

ACKNOWLEDGED INVOLVEMENT IN HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVITIES.

- YOUR FIRST YEAR IS A PROBATIONARY YEAR,

AND THERE'S NORMALLY AN INVESTIGATION DURING THAT YEAR.

AND I WAS CALLED IN, AND THEY SAID,

"WE HAVE INFORMATION THAT LEADS US TO BELIEVE

"THAT YOU'RE A HOMOSEXUAL.

DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT?"

AND I SAID, "WHAT'S THE INFORMATION?"

AND THEY SAID, "WE CAN'T TELL YOU.

THAT WOULD REVEAL OUR SOURCES."

- THE SOURCES OF OUR INFORMATION ON THESE PEOPLE

GENERALLY CAME FROM A CO-PARTICIPANT.

AND WE WERE FORTUNATE IN THAT WHEN WE INTERVIEWED

SOME OF THESE PEOPLE, WHICH WE WERE REQUIRED TO DO

BEFORE THEY LEFT THE DEPARTMENT,

THAT THEY FURNISHED US WITH A LONG LIST OF NAMES

OF OTHERS WHO WERE SIMILARLY INVOLVED.

- AND IN THOSE DAYS, HOMOSEXUALITY AS SUCH

WAS, WITH NO FURTHER REASON OR RATIONALE,

WAS A BASIS FOR EXCLUSION FROM THE CIVIL SERVICE.

AND BY THE END OF THE YEAR,

SORT OF AS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT, I WAS OUT.

- WE OFFERED THEM, FIRST OF ALL,

AN OPPORTUNITY OF FACING A BOARD HEARING

WITH THE DEPARTMENT BEFORE THEY WENT.

WE OFFERED THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESIGN.

I DON'T THINK WE HAD TEN HEARINGS,

AND WE SEPARATED 900 TO 1,000 EMPLOYEES

OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

- SO I PROCEEDED TO APPEAL ADMINISTRATIVELY

THROUGH THE FORMAL APPEAL PROCEDURES,

WHICH WENT UP A FEW STEPS.

AND THEN I ALWAYS FOLLOW AVENUES TILL THEIR END,

SO I APPEALED IT ULTIMATELY UP INTO THE WHITE HOUSE.

I GOT NOWHERE THERE.

I ATTEMPTED TO APPEAL IT

TO THE HOUSE AND SENATE CIVIL SERVICE COMMITTEES,

WHICH WERE NOT TERRIBLY SYMPATHETIC.

- DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS, WE HAVE HAD MANY, MANY CASES,

BUT ONLY ONE CASE, TO MY KNOWLEDGE,

WHERE AN INDIVIDUAL, AFTER HIS INTERVIEWS WITH US,

HE WENT OUT AND COMMITTED SUICIDE.

- NOW, MR. ADAMS,

SUBVERSIVES, HOMOSEXUALS,

IN THE AIR FORCE AND IN THE NAVY.

- I WAS IN SERVICE DURING THE MCCARTHY ERA, '51, '52, '53.

THE O.S.A. STARTED AN INVESTIGATION OF ME

BECAUSE SOME OF THE WOMEN I HAD BEEN ASSOCIATING WITH

WERE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR HOMOSEXUALITY.

THERE WAS NO TIME OF THE DAY

WHEN THEY WOULDN'T COME AND GET ME.

IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHERE I WAS.

AND WHEN THEY HAD ME IN THE OFFICE,

THERE WERE ALWAYS THREE MEN THERE.

ONE OF THEM WOULD ASK THE QUESTIONS,

ONE WOULD WATCH MY REACTIONS,

AND THE OTHER ONE WOULD MAKE NOTES.

AND I'M NOT EASILY INTIMIDATED,

BUT I WAS TOTALLY INTIMIDATED BY THESE MEN.

THIS HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT TEN OR 11 MONTHS,

AND I KNEW I WAS AT AN EMOTIONAL, A PHYSICAL,

AND A MENTAL BREAKING POINT.

I KNEW THAT IT WAS EITHER TELL THEM AND GET OUT NOW,

OR SEE MYSELF IN SOME HOSPITAL SOMEPLACE.

IN THE END, WHEN I FINALLY AGREED TO SIGN THE PAPER

THAT THEY WANTED ME TO SIGN AND TOLD MY STORY,

I HAD TO INCRIMINATE THIS WOMAN SEXUALLY WITH MYSELF.

THEIR PROMISES WERE THAT I WOULD GET A GENERAL DISCHARGE

AND THAT THEY WOULD MAKE NO CONTACT AT ALL WITH THIS FAMILY,

BECAUSE IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT HER PARENTS

NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.

WELL, NEEDLESS TO SAY, BOTH OF THESE CONDITIONS WERE VIOLATED.

I GOT NEITHER A GENERAL DISCHARGE NOR DID THEY KEEP

THEIR DISTANCE FROM THAT FAMILY IN TELLING THEM.

AND TO THIS DAY, THAT GIRL WILL NOT TALK TO ME.

I ENTERED THE SERVICE AS AN INTEGRATED PERSONALITY,

TOTALLY ADJUSTED, CONFIDENT, CAPABLE.

AND I CAME OUT OF THE SERVICE DISINTEGRATED,

AND WITH NO SELF-IMAGE, NO PROSPECTS FOR A SECURE

OR A PROFITABLE TOMORROW, AND IN A SORT OF LIMBO.

- TODAY IS A HIGH POINT IN THE ROMANCE OF BOB AND MARY.

FOR THEM, THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT.

- I ASSUMED, OF COURSE, I HAD TO GET MARRIED.

IT WAS JUST SO PERVASIVE.

YOU KNOW, THE ENTIRE ECONOMY WAS GEARED TO THIS.

THIS WAS THE BIG PERIOD OF GROWTH.

WE WERE GETTING--THE EICHLER HOMES WERE ALL GOING UP

AROUND PALO ALTO, WHERE I WAS AT THE TIME.

IT WAS BURGEONING INTO GREATER SUBURBIA.

THREE-BEDROOM HOMES WERE THE THING,

AND YOU WONDERED HOW YOU WERE GOING TO GET

YOUR FOUR CHILDREN INTO THREE-BEDROOM HOMES.

AND IT WAS JUST SO ACCEPTED,

THAT ALMOST EVERYBODY THAT I KNEW BOUGHT INTO THIS.

- * LITTLE BOXES ON THE HILLSIDE *

* LITTLE BOXES MADE OF TICKY-TACKY *

* LITTLE BOXES ON THE HILLSIDE *

*LITTLE BOXES ALL THE SAME *

*THERE'S A PINK ONE AND A GREEN ONE *

* AND A BLUE ONE AND A YELLOW ONE *

*AND THEY'RE ALL MADE OUT OF TICKY-TACKY *

*AND THEY ALL LOOK JUST THE SAME *

- I TRIED MARRIAGE.

I TRIED TO ACT LIKE I SAW ALL OTHER WOMEN ACTING.

- THE HAND WITH THE SOFT TOUCH

HOLDS HER MAN IN THE PALM OF HER HAND,

'CAUSE A MAN IS A SOFT TOUCH

FOR THAT SOFT TOUCH.

- ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE GAY PEOPLE MARRY--

BECAUSE THERE IS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SOCIAL PRESSURE

TO DO THAT.

NOW, THAT SOCIAL PRESSURE WAS A LOT STRONGER

20 OR 30 YEARS AGO THAN IT IS NOW,

AND 100 YEARS AGO IT WAS VIRTUALLY MANDATORY.

YOU WERE EXPECTED--

YOU WERE EITHER A CHARITY CASE IN YOUR OWN FAMILY,

OR YOU MARRIED,

BECAUSE THERE WERE VERY FEW THINGS YOU COULD DO--

THIS IS FOR WOMEN.

- IN RETROSPECT, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY

THAT IT'S HOMOSEXUAL PANIC.

BUT I'D CERTAINLY MANAGED TO CONVINCE MYSELF AT THE TIME,

ANYWAY, THAT I WAS DOING IT FOR ALL THE APPROPRIATE REASONS.

I WAS IN LOVE. I WANTED A FAMILY.

THIS SEEMED TO BE THE THING TO DO.

- THERE WAS NO ACCEPTANCE.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF THE SECURITY OF BEING MARRIED,

NO FAMILY ACCEPTANCE.

YOU COULDN'T GO HOME AND SAY, "MOM, MEET MY WIFE"

OR "MY HUSBAND" OR WHOEVER.

- IN 1950, A TIME OF SEVERE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL REPRESSION,

AMERICA'S FIRST ORGANIZATION OF HOMOSEXUALS,

THE MATTACHINE SOCIETY,

WAS FOUNDED BY A SMALL GROUP OF MEN

INCLUDING HARRY HAY AND CHUCK ROWLAND.

- WE DIDN'T KNOW AT THAT POINT, NONE OF US KNEW,

THAT THERE HAD EVER BEEN A GAY ORGANIZATION OF ANY SORT,

ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD BEFORE.

- NO, WE DID NOT.

- ABSOLUTELY NO KNOWLEDGE OF THAT AT ALL.

SO HE FELT THAT WE HAD TO BE VERY,

VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DID,

AND THINK ABOUT IT VERY CAREFULLY,

OR WE COULD MAKE A MISTAKE.

AND IF WE MADE A MISTAKE

AND GOT INTO THE PAPERS THE WRONG WAY,

WE COULD HURT THE IDEA OF A MOVEMENT FOR YEARS TO COME.

AND WE WERE TERRIFIED OF DOING THAT.

- THE VERY FIRST GAY MEETING THAT GREW INTO THE MOVEMENT

AS WE KNOW IT TODAY TOOK PLACE IN SOMEONE'S APARTMENT

IN LOS ANGELES.

AND I'M TOLD THEY HAD THE DOOR LOCKED

AND THE BLINDS DRAWN AND A LOOKOUT POSTED FOR THE POLICE,

BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY BELIEVED THEY COULD BE ARRESTED

JUST FOR TALKING ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY.

- "GAY" WAS SUPPOSEDLY SOMETHING YOU WERE ASHAMED OF.

AND IT WAS "OH, THAT PERSON IS A QUEER"--

OR EVEN WORSE, YOU WOULDN'T EVEN VERBALIZE IT.

IT WOULDN'T BE TALKED ABOUT.

SO FOR THE IDEA OF, TO THINK IN TERMS OF HAVING RIGHTS

OR SOME KIND OF--YOU JUST DIDN'T PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW, YOU JUST SLID BY.

- I FOUND THAT THERE WERE ONLY A FEW

WHO WERE THINKING BEYOND

JUST HAVING A GOOD TIME OR FINDING THAT PERSONAL LOVER.

I HAD AN AUTOMATIC REACTION,

AND HARRY HAY AND OTHERS SEEMED TO HAVE AN AUTOMATIC REACTION,

THAT THIS IS A SOCIAL PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH.

- AND I'M THINKING OF THIS IN '48.

AND I WRITE ALL THIS DOWN.

THEN I START LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO WILL JOIN ME.

AND I TALK TO HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AT THIS POINT.

AND IT'S NOT UNTIL JULY OF 1950 THAT I MEET RUDY.

AND HE TAKES ONE LOOK AT IT AND SAYS, "WOW, ME TOO."

- I LOOKED AT IT WITH DELIGHT AND SAID,

"MY GOD, I COULD HAVE WRITTEN THIS MYSELF."

AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF IT.

- MM-HMM.

- IN ADDITION TO SPONSORING DISCUSSION GROUPS

AND FIGHTING POLICE ENTRAPMENT, SOME MEMBERS BEGAN AMERICA'S

FIRST HOMOSEXUAL MAGAZINES, "MATTACHINE REVIEW" AND "ONE."

- "ONE" AND "MATTACHINE REVIEW" WERE GREAT,

AND I READ THEM ALL THE TIME.

SEE, THE WHOLE THING IS, THEY CAME LITERARILY

OUT OF THE CLOSET AND SOCIALLY OUT OF THE CLOSET AND SAID,

"WE ARE WRITING A MAGAZINE FOR GAY PEOPLE"

OR FOR HOMOSEXUAL PEOPLE.

THEY WERE THE ONLY PLACE IN PUBLIC WHERE YOU COULD

TALK ABOUT IT-- ABOUT BEING GAY.

- "MATTACHINE" WAS INSTRUMENTAL

IN HELPING PSYCHOLOGIST EVELYN HOOKER FIND WELL-ADJUSTED

HOMOSEXUAL MEN FOR HER GROUNDBREAKING STUDIES.

- THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN THE PSYCHIATRIC

OR PSYCHOLOGICAL LITERATURE WHICH CONCERNED

WELL-FUNCTIONING GAY MALES.

I SET OUT TO COLLECT A GROUP OF GAY MALES

WHO WERE FUNCTIONING COMPARATIVELY WELL,

WHO WERE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED,

WERE NOT IN PSYCHIATRIC OR PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT,

AND TO COMPARE THEM WITH HETEROSEXUAL MALES.

THE RESULT WERE FANTASTIC.

NAMELY, THAT THERE WERE ALMOST NO NUMERICAL DIFFERENCES

IN THE PERCENTAGES OF MEN IN EITHER GROUP

WHO HAD SUPERIOR ADJUSTMENT, ACCORDING TO MY EXPERT JUDGES.

- A HANDFUL OF WOMEN, INCLUDING DEL MARTIN

AND PHYLLIS LYON, BEGAN THE "DAUGHTERS OF BILITIS" IN 1955.

IT WAS A WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION

THAT OFFERED A SUPPORTIVE ATMOSPHERE FOR LESBIANS.

EDUCATION ON THE SUBJECT OF LESBIANS FOR ITS MEMBERS

AS WELL AS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC WAS ITS PRIMARY GOAL.

- THE FIRST ORGANIZATION IN THE MOVEMENT THAT I JOINED

WAS THE DAUGHTERS OF BILITIS.

AND I FIRST RAN INTO THEM IN 1956 IN SAN FRANCISCO.

I HAD BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE GROUP BY MEMBERS OF "ONE"

AND "MATTACHINE," AND I CALLED UP WHEN I ARRIVED

IN SAN FRANCISCO AND THEY INVITED ME TO A MEETING

WHICH WAS BEING HELD THE FOLLOWING NIGHT.

AND THAT NEXT NIGHT, I WAS IN A ROOM

WITH 12 OTHER LESBIANS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE,

AND OH, WHAT A THRILL THAT WAS.

- AT GREAT PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL RISK

TO ITS PUBLISHERS AND OFTEN TO ITS READERS,

"THE LADDER, A LESBIAN PUBLICATION," WAS BORN.

ALL TOO OFTEN, THE JOURNAL WAS THE ONLY LINK WOMEN HAD

TO OTHERS LIKE THEMSELVES.

- THEY SOMEHOW GOT PASSED AROUND FROM HAND TO HAND.

AND THEY GOT MAILED FROM ONE SUBSCRIBER TO ANOTHER

IN SOME OTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY

WHO THEN SENT IT ON TO SOMEONE ELSE.

AND THE ORGANIZATION'S LITTLE OFFICES,

THEY'D HAVE LETTERS AND PHONE CALLS FROM ISOLATED GAY PEOPLE,

SOMETIMES TOO AFRAID EVEN TO GIVE A NAME ON THE TELEPHONE,

WHO WOULD SAY THINGS LIKE,

"I'M JUST GRATEFUL FOR YOUR EXISTENCE,

"FOR THE SHEER EXISTENCE OF GROUPS OF MY OWN KIND

THAT I CAN TURN TO."

- IT TOOK AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF COURAGE IN THE '50s

TO OPENLY DECLARE ONESELF TO BE A LESBIAN OR A GAY MALE.

AND THESE PEOPLE DID SO.

- IN THE '50s, HOW WERE YOU?

- I WAS MYSELF.

IT MEANT A HELL OF A STRUGGLE.

IT MEANT HAVING TO USE VIOLENCE AND DEFEND MY OWN BELIEFS.

MEN WERE JUST HORRIBLE.

IT CAME TO THE POINT WHERE

YOU COULDN'T EVEN TAP SOMEBODY ON THE BACK

WITHOUT THEM SAYING "QUEER" AND THIS AND THAT.

AND THIS ONE PARTICULAR WOMAN DECIDED TO RIDE WITH ME.

AND WE WERE JUST HAVING JUST A LOT OF FUN

UNTIL FINALLY THERE WAS MENTION OF QUEER.

YOU HAVE TO DEVELOP A TOUGH HIDE

TO TAKE CARE OF THE SOFT INTERIOR.

- WE FIGURED OUT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE US,

AND WE HAD TO PROTECT OURSELVES.

SO WE GOT TOGETHER, AND WE FORMED THE "LEE GIRLS."

I CAN'T REMEMBER IF WE NAMED OURSELVES AFTER--

I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS LORELEI LEE OR ROBERT E. LEE,

OR MAYBE BOTH.

WE GOT TOGETHER BECAUSE WE WEREN'T GONNA PUT UP WITH

BEING PUSHED AROUND.

AND IF SOMEBODY PUSHED ONE OF US AROUND,

WE WOULD GET 'EM.

- YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS THOUGHT I WAS DIFFERENT,

AND I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS ANYBODY ELSE.

AND THEN I WENT TO REFORM SCHOOL,

AND PSHEW, THERE THEY WERE.

I MEAN, THAT WAS BULLDAGGER'S HEAVEN TO ME, SHIT.

I WAS RIGHT AT HOME.

BUT SEE, YOU DIDN'T CALL ME QUEER, NOT TO MY FACE.

YOU'D DO IT IN A MOVING AUTOMOBILE,

'CAUSE I'D KICK ASS.

I WAS YOUNG, DUMB, AND FULL OF IT.

- I WENT IN THIS BAR WITH A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE,

AND THEY HASSLED MY FRIEND FOR BEING WITH ME

'CAUSE I WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS, YOU KNOW?

AND THIS BASTARD COME OVER,

AND HE WAS GONNA TAKE A SWING AT MY FRIEND.

SO I PICKED UP THIS BIG GLASS ASHTRAY,

AND I HIT HIM ON THE HEAD, YOU KNOW, POW.

AND IT SHATTERED.

COULDN'T EVEN FIND THE PIECES.

SPLINTERED IT.

AND BLOOD FLEW LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW.

AND HE STOOD THERE FOR A SECOND,

AND I PUT MY BIG BOOT RIGHT IN HIS GUT,

AND I WENT "GAH!"

AND SLAMMED HIM ACROSS THE ROOM.

AND HE FELL IN A CHAIR.

AND THE REST OF THOSE HETEROSEXUALS,

THEY CAME OVER TO HIS RESCUE,

TOWELS AND BLOOD ALL OVER.

AND I SAID TO MY FRIEND,

"LET'S GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE."

- THE WOMEN I RAN WITH, WE KNEW WE WERE OUTSIDERS.

WE KNEW WE WERE OUTSIDE THE PALE.

WE LIVED IN THE VILLAGE. WE WERE OUTSIDERS.

WE WERE DYKES, RIGHT?

A LOT OF US WERE ARTISTS.

WE HATED TYPING, RIGHT?

WE DIDN'T WANT STRAIGHT JOBS.

WHATEVER WE DID, WE WERE THE FRINGE.

NOW, THIS OF COURSE WAS THE '50s.

IT WAS LIKE THE GAY GIRLS' VERSION OF THE BEATNIKS.

- WHEN I WAS GROWING UP,

AND ANYONE ELSE IN MY AGE BRACKET WERE GROWING UP,

MOST OF OUR PARENTS, WHEN THEY FOUND OUT WE WERE GAY,

WE WERE EXCOMMUNICATED FROM THE FAMILY,

OR WE WERE JUST TOTALLY DROPPED.

WE WEREN'T INVITED TO A LOT OF FAMILY AFFAIRS.

MY MOTHER, HMM, TORE UP MY BROTHER'S WEDDING INVITATION

TO ME BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANT THE QUEER COMING TO THE WEDDING.

AND THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED LIKE THAT

TO GAY KIDS GROWING UP IN THE '50s AND THE '60s.

- ABOUT THIS TIME, MARY DEVELOPED A SUDDEN

STRONG FRIENDSHIP WITH LUCILLE WILLIAMS.

IT SEEMED THAT MARY COULD TALK BETTER WITH LUCILLE

THAN WITH ANYBODY.

THEY HAD ABSOLUTELY NO SECRETS FROM EACH OTHER.

THEY WERE INSEPARABLE.

TO MARY'S MOTHER, IT SEEMED UNNATURAL,

THIS CONTINUAL INTIMACY, THIS CONCENTRATION

OF AFFECTION ON ONE NOT-VERY-UNUSUAL GIRL.

- OH, LUCILLE, WAIT A MINUTE.

- WHAT?

- ETHEL. WE FORGOT ABOUT ETHEL.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BRING ETHEL.

- OH, WE DON'T HAVE TO BRING HER.

YOU KNOW WHAT SHE'S LIKE WITH BOYS AND EVERYTHING.

- MARY, DARLING, YOU'RE KEEPING LUCILLE FROM HER DINNER.

- OH, I WAS JUST LEAVING, MRS. GIBBS.

- BYE-BYE. I'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW.

- OKAY, THEN. BYE.

- NEXT THERE WAS A CRUSH ON ETHEL HAMPTON,

SENIOR GIRLS' TENNIS CHAMPION.

MARY SEEMED TO HAVE A REAL NEED TO BE STIRRED UP ABOUT SOMEONE.

- *THE GIRL I MARRY WILL PROBABLY BE *

* AS BUTCH AS A HUNK OF MACHINERY *

* THE GIRL I IDOLIZE

*WILL WEAR SLACKS WITH FLY-FRONTS *

* TAILORED SHIRTS AND BOWTIES

* SHE'LL WALK WITH A SWAGGER AND WEAR SHORT HAIR *

*AND KEEP ME ENTRANCED WITH HER TOMBOY AIR *

* 'STEAD OF CRUISIN' *

*I'LL BE USIN' *

* HER SHOULDER TO LEAN ON WHILE SNOOZIN' *

* A FAINT-HEARTED FAIRY

* THE GIRL THAT I MARRY WON'T BE *

- IN THOSE DAYS, YOU WERE EITHER A BUTCH OR A FEMME,

BECAUSE THEY WERE, I GUESS, EMULATING STRAIGHT SOCIETY.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE THINGS THAT GO ALONG,

THAT EITHER YOU'RE THE AGGRESSIVE

OR YOU'RE PASSIVE OR WHATEVER.

SO OF COURSE, I CHOSE BUTCH--

BECAUSE I'D ALREADY BEEN A TOMBOY,

ALREADY WAS DRESSING PRETTY MASCULINE.

SO THEN I WENT EVEN FURTHER.

ACTUALLY, I WAS A PISS-POOR BUTCH IN CHICAGO.

THE OTHER BUTCHES USED TO CRITICIZE ME

'CAUSE I WASN'T BUTCH ENOUGH, YOU KNOW,

'CAUSE I DIDN'T ACT LIKE A MAN.

ACTUALLY, I WOULD DRESS KIND OF MASCULINE,

BUT I DIDN'T REALLY ACT THAT MUCH LIKE A MAN.

AND THAT WAS THE THING, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO ACT LIKE A MAN,

OR, YOU KNOW, BE THE SUPER-LADY, ONE OR THE OTHER.

- A LOT OF TIMES IF YOU WANTED TO GO TAKE A GIRL OUT

TO A REAL NICE INTIMATE DINNER OR WHATEVER,

OR GO INTO A STRAIGHT CLUB TO SEE A SHOW BUT GO IN AS, LIKE,

DATES, OR GO TO A DRIVE-IN, IT ALWAYS WORKED MUCH BETTER

IF ONE LOOKED MORE LIKE THE MAN AND COULD PASS AS A MAN.

AND CHANCES ARE YOU WOULDN'T FIND A CARLOAD OF STRAIGHT GUYS

PULLING UP NEXT TO YOU AND SAYING, "QUEER! QUEER!"

AND THEN BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU.

SO IF YOU LOOKED LIKE A MAN AND TRIED TO PASS AS A MAN,

YOU WERE SAFER.

- YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THE LESBIAN--"GAY GIRLS,"

'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE WERE CALLED--

THE GAY GIRLS' POPULATION WAS A REFLECTION

OF WHAT ELSE WAS GOING ON, RIGHT, AROUND US.

AND THAT WAS THE ERA OF,

"LET'S PRETEND THIS IS THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS,

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE CHOOSE, RIGHT, AND THIS IS IT."

SO, LIKE, NOBODY TALKED ABOUT RACISM.

- RIGHT.

SO IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME IN A BAR,

I COULDN'T COUNT ON ANYBODY

STANDING UP AND COVERING MY BACK.

A WHITE LESBIAN WOULD NOT STAND UP TO COVER MY BACK.

THEY MIGHT SAY, PERSONALLY,

"OH, ISN'T THAT TOO BAD THAT HAPPENED TO YOU,"

BUT NOT "HEY, THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN, PERIOD."

- * SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

- IN THE '50s, HOMOSEXUAL MEN EXHIBITED A GREAT RANGE

OF SELF-EXPRESSION, FROM THE MOST MASCULINE,

WHO PASSED AS STRAIGHT, TO THE MORE FLAMBOYANT DRAG QUEENS

WHO LIVED ON THE FRINGES OF SOCIETY.

BUT FOR ALL GAY MEN, CAMPING IT UP,

THE SELF-CONSCIOUS PARODY OF HETEROSEXUAL BEHAVIOR

AND ATTITUDES, PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE.

- * WHY, OH, WHY CAN'T I *

- THOSE THAT WERE THE SISSIES,

THOSE THAT WERE VERY OPEN WITH BEING GAY,

GENERALLY WERE THE ONES WHO ACCEPTED THE FEMININE ROLE.

AND THE BOYFRIENDS AND THE LOVERS AND THINGS

WERE USUALLY VERY MASCULINE AND USUALLY VERY CLOSETED.

WELL, I'D SAY, WHAT A SISSY I WAS.

- AND OF COURSE, THERE WAS BLATANT CAMPING,

BECAUSE WE WERE UNDER SO MUCH PRESSURE.

YOU DON'T SEE THAT KIND OF CAMPING AT GAY BARS NOW.

I DO IT BECAUSE IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD.

I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD EXPRESS WHAT YOU ARE

ANY WAY YOU WANT TO.

I DO IT BECAUSE I LIKE WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS,

"OH, GOD, YOU'RE GORGEOUS. OH, GOD, YOU'RE GORGEOUS."

I LOVE THAT! WHO WOULDN'T?

- *THE GAY YOUNG LAD FROM TRINIDAD *

* OH, WHAT A TIME I ALMOST HAD

* HE WAS AS GAY AS HE COULD BE

* BUT HE WAS MUCH TOO GAY FOR ME *

* I ALWAYS KNEW THEY GREW PALM TREES *

* BANANAS THEY ALWAYS HAD

*BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE MY SURPRISE *

* I FOUND A PANSY IN TRINIDAD

* THE GAY YOUNG LAD FROM TRINIDAD *

*OH, WHAT A TIME I ALMOST HAD *

*I MIGHT HAVE SOWED A FEW WILD OATS *

* BUT HE PREFERRED BANANA BOATS *

- IT'S NOT AS IF THE '50s

WERE A TIME OF SIMPLY TOTAL DESPERATION.

IT DEPENDS WHO YOU WERE, WHERE YOU WERE,

HOW LUCKY YOU WERE-- WHETHER YOU WERE LUCKY ENOUGH,

FOR EXAMPLE, TO MEET A SET OF FRIENDS

WHO WERE TRULY SUPPORTIVE.

- AND THEY JUST TOOK ME TO THEIR COLLECTIVE BOSOM,

SO TO SPEAK, AND BOY, WAS THAT FUN.

AND THEY TOOK ME TO A GIRLS' SOFTBALL GAME,

AND OF COURSE I DIDN'T CARE ANYTHING ABOUT SOFTBALL,

BUT I SURE LIKED WATCHING ALL THE GIRLS RUN AROUND THERE

IN THOSE SHORTS.

- YOU COULD JUST GO TO ANY SMALL TOWN SOFTBALL FIELD

AND JUST WAIT.

SOONER OR LATER, THAT'S WHERE THEY WOULD ALL COME.

WHAT WE'D DO IF WE WERE IN A STRANGE PLACE

OR WE WERE LONELY AND WE WANTED TO MAKE FRIENDS OR SOMETHING,

WE WOULD JUST PICK THE LIKELIEST-LOOKING PEOPLE

AND FOLLOW THEM.

AND THEN WE WOULD START LAUGHING AND GIGGLING

AND FOLLOWING THEM IN THE CAR,

AND EVENTUALLY THEY WOULD NOTICE.

AND THEY WOULD EITHER JOIN IN THE FUN AND LET US FOLLOW THEM,

AND WE'D END UP IN A BAR OR WHEREVER THEY HUNG OUT

AND GET TO TALKING,

OR THEY WOULD PANIC AND TAKE OFF,

AND THAT WOULD BE THE END OF THAT,

AND WE'D BE STUCK UNTIL THE NEXT SATURDAY.

- WE LOVED EACH OTHER VERY MUCH.

WE HAD A CIRCLE OF SUPPORTIVE FRIENDS.

THERE WERE SOME BARS THAT WE COULD GO TO.

- THE BAR SCENE WAS MISERABLE.

IT WAS JUST NOTHING LIKE IT IS TODAY.

AND WHEN YOU SAY, "DID YOU FIND A BAR TO GO TO?"

IT WASN'T THAT EASY AT ALL, BACK THEN.

- BACK IN THE '50s AND '60s,

THEY WOULD BACK A PADDY WAGON UP TO THE DOOR.

AND EVERYBODY, REGARDLESS OF WHO THEY WERE--

MY MOTHER AND FATHER ALMOST GOT CAUGHT.

- THEY WOULD USE ANY EXCUSE TO ARREST YOU,

AS LONG AS THEY KNEW YOU WERE GAY.

I MEAN, IT WAS LIKE THEY HARASSED THE WOMEN

BY THEIR DRESS OUTFITS.

THEY HARASSED THE MEN IF THEY LOOKED A LITTLE NELLY

ON THE STREET, AND THEY'D JUST PUSH THEM,

JUST TO GET THEM TO EITHER MOUTH OFF OR SAY,

"HEY, LEAVE ME ALONE."

THE POLICE WOULD SAY, "OKAY, YOU'RE RESISTING ARREST.

NOW YOU GO TO JAIL." WHATEVER.

SO THERE WAS ALWAYS A CONSTANT PRESSURE BEING PUT ON US.

- IT'S ALMOST VIGILANTE MENTALITY IS WHAT IT WAS.

I MEAN, JUST THIS BUSINESS OF BACKING A PADDY WAGON UP--

NOT ONE, BUT HAVING TWO OR THREE OUT THERE

AND SCOOPING EVERYBODY UP.

TAKING THEM DOWN, BOOKING THEM,

AND THEN THE NEXT DAY IN AT LEAST ONE OF THE NEWSPAPERS,

ALL OF THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE BOOKED

AT THIS GAY BAR OR THAT GAY BAR WOULD BE PUBLISHED,

AND PEOPLE LOST THEIR JOBS.

- THEY WERE TRAINING REALLY GOOD-LOOKING AND YOUNG

OFFICERS, YOU KNOW, HOW TO BE GAY, HOW TO APPEAR GAY.

YOU WOULD EVEN BE APPROACHED WITH, YOU KNOW,

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?"

HOPING YOU WOULD SAY ANYTHING TO THEM SEXUAL OR EVEN HINTING.

YOU KNOW, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO-- JUST HINTING TO THAT FACT,

AND YOU'D FIND YOURSELF UNDER ARREST.

- *SO WATCH OUT FOR THE VICE SQUAD *

* BREAKING UP THAT GANG OF MINE *

- ANY PERSONAL EXPRESSION,

PARTICULARLY RELATING TO GENITALS AND EROS AND HEART

THAT WOULD THREATEN THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE

WAS ILLEGAL IN LITERATURE AND ART.

"PORN," AS THEY CALLED IT.

THERE WERE A SERIES OF TRIALS IN THE LATE '50s

THAT LIBERATED THE WORD.

AND THAT MEANT A WHOLE SPIRITUAL LIBERATION AFTER THAT.

ONE OF THE EARLY TRIALS WAS THE "HOWL" TRIAL IN '56.

- ALLEN GINSBERG'S "HOWL," A BOOK OF POETRY

WITH GRAPHIC HOMOSEXUAL IMAGES, WAS SEIZED BY THE POLICE.

THE ACLU,

WITH THE HELP OF LITERARY FIGURES

INCLUDING LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI, WON THIS PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE.

- SO THEY LOST.

SO WE GOT A LOT OF PUBLICITY.

SO THE BOOK SOLD LIKE HOTCAKES,

AND THE CENSORS ACTED AS PUBLICISTS

FOR A NEW SENSIBILITY.

- "HOWL" EVENTUALLY BECAME

AMERICA'S BESTSELLING BOOK OF POETRY.

IN 1958,

ONE MAGAZINE WON A CASE AGAINST THE POSTAL SERVICE,

WHICH ALLOWED ALL GAY PUBLICATIONS

USE OF THE U.S. MAIL.

- FOLLOWING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, REALLY,

THE ENTIRE PUBLISHING HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES CHANGED.

PAPERBACK NOVELS BECAME VERY POPULAR.

AND ALONG WITH THE RISE OF THE PAPERBACK NOVELS IN GENERAL,

LESBIAN PAPERBACK ORIGINALS BEGAN TO BE PUBLISHED

IN ENORMOUS QUANTITIES.

THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF THEM BETWEEN ABOUT 1950 AND 1965.

AND THEY RANGE FROM JUST INCREDIBLE TRASH,

BOOKS WITH TITLES LIKE, "THE TWISTED ONES"--

IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, A REALLY TRIFE-Y NOVEL.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, THOUGH, AMONG THOSE,

THERE WERE PERHAPS 100-- OUT OF ALL THE THOUSANDS,

ABOUT 100--

THAT WERE WRITTEN BY WOMEN FOR WOMEN.

AND BOOKS LIKE "ODD GIRL OUT"

BY ANN BANNON THAT FIRST APPEARED IN 1957.

IT'S NOW REALLY A CLASSIC NOVEL

IN WHAT THEY CALL THE PAPERBACK GENRE.

- MY INITIAL ACQUAINTANCE

WITH ANY KIND OF LESBIAN LITERATURE

CAME THROUGH A PAPERBACK REISSUE

OF RADCLYFFE HALL'S "WELL OF LONELINESS."

I SUPPOSE THAT'S TRUE FOR LOTS OF US.

I HAVE A FRIEND WHO SAID, "I USED TO STAND IN THE STACKS

"AT THE LIBRARY 'CAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE COURAGE

"TO GO UP TO THE LIBRARIAN AND CHECK IT OUT.

AND I'D STAND THERE AND I'D CRY AND I'D READ RADCLYFFE HALL."

SO I KIND OF DID THE SAME THING.

AND THEN I FOUND A NOVEL CALLED "SPRING FIRE,"

WRITTEN BY A WRITER NAMED VIN PACKER.

AND SHE WAS CONTEMPORARY, AND THIS WAS IN THE MID-'50s,

AND I WROTE HER A LETTER, AND SHE SAID,

"WHY DON'T YOU COME UP TO NEW YORK,

AND I'LL INTRODUCE YOU TO MY PUBLISHER."

AND I GOT MYSELF TO NEW YORK AS FAST AS I COULD,

WITH MY MANUSCRIPT IN HAND.

"ODD GIRL OUT" WAS THE RESULT.

- IN 1957, "ODD GIRL OUT" WAS FAWCETT GOLD MEDAL'S

SECOND BESTSELLING PAPERBACK ORIGINAL TITLE OF THE YEAR.

- I GUESS I WAS BROUGHT OUT,

YOU MIGHT SAY, BY AN OLDER WOMAN,

WHICH WAS IN THE FORM OF ONE OF ANN BANNON'S BOOKS

I PICKED UP IN A DRUGSTORE COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL ONE DAY.

AND I PICKED UP THIS PAPERBACK,

AND I OPENED IT UP.

AND IT SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE YOUNG GIRL

AND THE OLDER WOMAN, AND THE--

TOUCHED HER LEG OR HER BREAST OR SOMETHING

AS SHE WAS DANCING, AND OH, MY GOD.

IT SENT A SHIVER OF WHOO!

EXCITEMENT IN MY WHOLE BODY THAT I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE.

- SHE PUT AN ARM AROUND LAURA AND SQUEEZED HER A LITTLE.

LAURA WAS EMBARRASSED AND GRATEFUL AT THE SAME TIME.

IT WAS SO GOOD.

- AFTER I READ THAT BOOK, I KNEW THAT'S WHAT I WANTED.

I DESIRED A WOMAN.

I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED. WHAT ELSE WAS THERE?

- AND I CAN REMEMBER SOMEBODY SAYING

THAT ALL THE QUEERS LIVED

IN GREENWICH VILLAGE IN NEW YORK CITY.

THAT WAS THE IMAGE, "WHERE ALL THE QUEERS LIVED."

AS SOON AS I HEARD THAT, I KNEW THAT'S WHERE I WANTED TO LIVE.

AND A FEW MONTHS OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS HERE.

- THE LESBIANS AND GAY PEOPLE WERE COMING FROM PHILADELPHIA,

JERSEY CITY-- THIS WAS DURING THE SUMMER.

THEY WERE JUST COMING FROM ALL OVER TO BE IN NEW YORK CITY

AND CRUISE GREENWICH VILLAGE.

- *ONCE I HAD SECRET LOVE *

* THAT LIVED WITHIN THE HEART OF ME *

- WELL, HONEY, WHEN I WENT THERE,

THERE WAS LESBIANS IN THE STREETS IN DROVES.

WOMEN THAT LOOKED LIKE MEN, MEN THAT LOOKED LIKE WOMEN.

WOMEN WITH THEIR HAIR SLICKED BACK,

DOING THE TRIP, THE FEMMES WITH THE BEEHIVES.

I FOUND MYSELF A GIRLFRIEND.

YOU KNOW, SHE WAS LIKE, THE FEMME TYPE.

AND I LOVED IT.

AND I REALLY FELT AT PEACE, AND I STARTED HAVING LOVERS EASILY,

'CAUSE THEY WERE THERE TO PICK AND CHOOSE FROM.

AND SEE, IN CHICAGO THERE WAS NOT THAT.

- * NOW I SHOUT IT

* FROM THE HIGHEST HILL

- GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

AND ONCE AGAIN,

I WELCOME YOU ON BEHALF OF THE WORKING STAFF OF THE BLACK CAT,

THE MOST FAMOUS BOHEMIAN BAR IN THE WORLD.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM, SIR?

- ASHTABULA, OHIO.

- THERE MUST BE AT LEAST ONE QUEEN IN ASHTABULA, OHIO.

THAT'S ALL I GOT TO SAY.

AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM, SIR?

LOOK GORGEOUS. MOTHER'S HERE.

- IT WAS A BOHEMIAN BAR,

WHICH HAD THE REPUTATION OF ALSO BEING A GAY BAR.

AND THERE WAS A PIANIST WHO WOULD PLAY GAY SONGS

AND THERE WAS A COUPLE OF FLOUNCY BARTENDERS.

BUT BASICALLY IT WAS WIDE OPEN FOR EVERYBODY.

ANYTHING GOES.

IT WAS TOTAL HUMAN TOLERANCE.

- MY GOD, IT'S JOSE.

- THE BLACK CAT WAS NOT A BAR.

IT WAS A FAMILY.

IT WAS-- THOSE WERE MY FRIENDS.

AND THEY TOOK ME IN, AND THEY TOOK CARE OF ME.

THEY FED ME WHEN I WAS UNEMPLOYED.

THEY PATTED MY HAND WHEN I WAS HURTING FROM A LOVE AFFAIR.

- AND WILL YOU EVER FORGET THAT HANDSOME BLACK MAN WHO,

WHEN I WOULD COME TO WORK EARLY TO SEE HIM GET READY,

HE WAS TALL AND THIN--

- WOMEN WOULD COME AND SIT AT ONE END OF THE BAR,

AND THE MEN WOULD SIT AT THE OTHER, AND THIS ONE,

WITH HIS APRON, NOT DOWN TO HERE BUT JUST DOWN TO HERE,

WALK AND SERVE LIKE THIS.

WALK AND SERVE LIKE THIS.

OH, SHE WAS A GAY GIRL.

- THE BLACK CAT HELPED TO MAKE HOMOSEXUALS

MORE VISIBLE IN SAN FRANCISCO,

SO MUCH SO THAT IN THE 1959 RACE FOR MAYOR,

CHALLENGER RUSSELL WOLDEN ATTACKED MAYOR CHRISTOPHER

FOR ALLOWING THE CITY TO BECOME A HOMOSEXUAL HAVEN.

WOLDEN'S STRATEGY BACKFIRED,

AND CHRISTOPHER WAS REELECTED BY A LANDSLIDE.

BUT ONCE ELECTED, CHRISTOPHER DECLARED WAR

ON THE BLACK CAT AND OTHER GAY BARS.

THE BAR OWNERS ORGANIZED THEMSELVES INTO A TAVERN GUILD

AND BEGAN TO FIGHT BACK,

CHARGING THE POLICE WITH EXTORTION.

- WELL, THE TAVERN GUILD, THEY HAD AN EFFECT.

BECAUSE POLITICIANS IN THE CITY BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT

THERE WAS A GAY VOTING BLOCK,

THOUGH IT DIDN'T DEVELOP AS SUCH DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME.

- THEY LOST IN COURT AND TURNED TO THE BALLOT BOX.

THEY RAN THE BLACK CAT'S STAR ATTRACTION,

THE NIGHTINGALE OF MONTGOMERY STREET,

JOSE SARRIA, FOR CITY SUPERVISOR.

- WE HAD A CAMPAIGN. "VOTE FOR JOSE."

AND I THINK HE GOT SOMETHING LIKE 8,000 VOTES.

WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO WAS TO SHOW THE GAY STRENGTH.

AND IT REALLY DIDN'T WORK BECAUSE EVEN THEN,

AND A SECRET BALLOT AND EVERYTHING,

PEOPLE WERE AFRAID TO VOTE FOR JOSE

BECAUSE IT WAS A GAY CANDIDATE.

- I'VE ALWAYS TOLD PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY YOUNG ONES,

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG IN BEING GAY.

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

GETTING CAUGHT IS WHERE YOU PAY THE PRICE.

- THE FANTASTIC EFFORT THAT WENT ON,

THAT DID THE GROUNDWORK FOR A LOT OF THE GAY FREEDOMS,

WE HAVE IN OUR CITY TODAY,

IN OUR COUNTRY, AND IN OUR CULTURE,

AND A LOT OF IT DID GET GOING BEFORE STONEWALL.

BUT IT WAS GROUNDWORK.

- LET US ALL STAND

AND, FOR ONE MORE TIME,

GIVE THANKS FOR WHAT WE ARE.

all: * GOD SAVE US NELLY QUEENS *

* GOD SAVE US NELLY QUEENS

* GOD SAVE US QUEENS

* FROM EVERY MOUNTAINSIDE

* LORD MAY WE LIVE OR DIE

* GOD SAVE US NELLY QUEENS

* GOD SAVE US QUEENS

all: * FOR DEEP IN MY HEART

* I DO BELIEVE

* WE SHALL OVERCOME SOMEDAY

- THE BLACK POWER AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

OF THE LATE '50s AND THE '60s

WAS THE PROTOTYPE OF EVERY SINGLE LIBERATION MOVEMENT

IN THIS COUNTRY THAT WE ARE STILL DEALING WITH.

- THE CROWD OCCUPIES EVERY INCH ON THE LAWNS

AND UNDER THE TREES,

AND THERE'S A GREAT SWELL OF CHEERS

TO WELCOME MARTIN LUTHER KING TO THE SPEAKER'S PODIUM,

THE MAN WHO STANDS AS A SYMBOL OF ALL THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR.

- I HAVE A DREAM

THAT ONE DAY THIS NATION WILL RISE UP,

LIVE OUT THE TRUE MEANING OF ITS CREED.

- AFRICAN AMERICANS SAID, "NO MORE."

THEY REFUSED TO HIDE BEHIND THE STEREOTYPES

THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE.

WE SAID, "NO GOOD. NO GOOD." YOU KNOW?

AND THEN EVERYBODY GOT TO FEELING,

WHATEVER THEIR OPPRESSION WAS,

"WELL, MAYBE I DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THIS EITHER."

- I THINK THAT THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN BLACK LIBERATION

AND WOMEN'S LIBERATION AND GAY LIBERATION ARE VERY DEEP.

MANY OF US WHO WENT SOUTH TO WORK WITH DR. KING

IN THE '60s WERE GAY.

I REMEMBER A PLANE GOING DOWN TO CHICAGO.

THERE WERE SIX PRIESTS, AND THREE OF US WERE GAY.

A LOT OF GAY PEOPLE

WHO COULD NOT COME OUT FOR THEIR OWN LIBERATION

COULD INVEST THOSE SAME ENERGIES

IN THE LIBERATION OF BLACK PEOPLE.

- YOU NEED TO BEGIN WITH A MOVEMENT,

WHICH IS WHAT BLACK POWER AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT WAS.

THEN, IMMEDIATELY WITHIN IT, YOU ARE GOING TO GET THOSE

PEOPLE WHOSE DIFFERENCES ARE NOT BEING ARTICULATED,

WHICH IS, RIGHT, US.

SO THEN THERE IS IMMEDIATELY ANOTHER STEP.

- IN THE '60s, THERE WAS A DISTINCT CHANGE

IN THE TEMPER AND THE TEMPO OF THE GAY MOVEMENT.

PARTLY AS A RESULT OF THE BLACK CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT MILITANCY,

WE BEGAN TO GET MORE MILITANT IN THE GAY MOVEMENT.

WE BEGAN TO SEE THAT THE PROBLEM OF HOMOSEXUALITY

IS NOT REALLY GAY PEOPLE'S PROBLEM.

IT'S A PROBLEM OF THE SOCIAL ATTITUDES

OF THE PEOPLE AROUND US.

AND WE HAD TO CHANGE THEIR ATTITUDES,

AND THAT IN TURN WOULD HELP US WITH OUR SELF-IMAGE.

- AND THE WHITE GAY PEOPLE WHO HAD AN INVESTMENT

IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT HAD THE EXPERIENCE, BY THEN,

OF LIBERATION MOVEMENT, OF CONFRONTATIONAL TECHNIQUES,

OF NON-VIOLENT STRUGGLE,

AND BEGAN TO USE THESE SAME TECHNIQUES

ON BEHALF OF THEIR OWN MOVEMENT.

- 1965 WAS OUR BIG PICKETING YEAR.

WE HAD MARCHED ACROSS THE STREET

AND PROCEEDED TO PICKET RIGHT OVER THERE FOR TWO HOURS.

WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE POLICE WOULD DO

OR HOW THEY WOULD BEHAVE, SO WE SCHEDULED THE WHOLE THING

WITHOUT ANY NOTICE TO ANYBODY, AND NOTHING HAPPENED.

NOBODY THREW ROCKS AT US.

IT WAS MAGNIFICENTLY SUCCESSFUL.

AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT, OF COURSE,

HAD BEEN REALLY ZEROED IN ON BY MCCARTHY A GOOD 12,

15 YEARS BEFORE, AND THAT'S WHERE MORE FIRINGS, I THINK,

HAD OCCURRED THAN ANY OTHER ONE SINGLE AGENCY.

AND SO WE FELT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO PICKET.

BY THAT TIME, WE HAD OUR PROCEDURES DOWN PAT.

WE WOULD SEND OUT A NEWS RELEASE A WEEK OR SO IN ADVANCE,

AND BY SHEER GOOD LUCK,

SECRETARY OF STATE RUSK WAS HAVING A NEWS CONFERENCE

THE NIGHT BEFORE.

- WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE BEING PICKETED

BY A GROUP OF HOMOSEXUALS.

THE POLICY OF THE DEPARTMENT IS

THAT WE DO NOT EMPLOY HOMOSEXUALS KNOWINGLY,

AND THAT IF WE DISCOVER HOMOSEXUALS IN OUR DEPARTMENT,

WE DISCHARGE THEM.

- ONE OF THE MAJOR SUCCESSES OF THE GAY MOVEMENT

IN THE 1960s WAS OUR BREAKTHROUGH

INTO MAINSTREAM PUBLICITY.

- ACCORDING TO KINSEY'S ESTIMATE,

THERE ARE ABOUT 200,000 HOMOSEXUALS

IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA.

WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE TONIGHT,

AND ABOUT THE PROBLEM THEY PRESENT

TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

YOU'LL HEAR FROM A PSYCHIATRIST,

A POLICE OFFICIAL, AND A HOMOSEXUAL.

NAME, PLEASE.

- CURTIS WHITE.

- YOUR OCCUPATION? - I'M AN OFFICE WORKER.

- ARE YOU A HOMOSEXUAL, MR. WHITE?

- YES.

- I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU,

DOES YOUR FAMILY KNOW THAT YOU'RE A HOMOSEXUAL?

- THEY DIDN'T UNTIL TONIGHT.

- DO YOU THINK THEY'RE LIKELY TO LEARN

ABOUT YOUR HOMOSEXUALITY AS A RESULT OF THIS PROGRAM?

- I'M ALMOST CERTAIN THEY WILL.

AND I'M QUITE CERTAIN THAT I WILL PROBABLY LOSE MY JOB

AS A RESULT OF THE PROGRAM TOO.

- WELL, THEN, MAY I ASK WHY YOU AGREED

TO APPEAR ON THIS PROGRAM?

- I HOPE THAT THROUGH THIS MEANS I CAN BE OF SOME USE

TO SOMEONE ELSE OTHER THAN MYSELF.

- AS MUCH PUBLICITY AS POSSIBLE WAS THE WHOLE IDEA,

TO CRACK THAT SHIELD OF INVISIBILITY THAT HAD ALWAYS

MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR US TO GET OUR MESSAGE ACROSS.

- THE MAJORITY OF GAY PEOPLE IN THE '60s

WERE TERRIBLY CONCERNED WITH THE IMAGE OF THE HOMOSEXUAL.

- THE MEN HAD TO WEAR SUITS AND TIES,

AND THE WOMEN ALL HAD TO WEAR DRESSES AND HEELS.

I THINK NYLONS, EVEN.

THE MORE CONSERVATIVE ELEMENTS,

THEIR BASIC FEELING WAS,

"WELL, WE'RE FIGHTING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR JOBS.

"THEREFORE WE HAVE TO LOOK EMPLOYABLE

BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT."

- MANY OF US ACCEPTED THE IDEA THAT IF WE DRESSED PROPERLY,

IF WE BEHAVED PROPERLY,

IF WE DIDN'T MAKE WAVES,

IF WE DIDN'T DRAW ATTENTION TO OURSELVES,

PEOPLE WOULD ACCEPT US-- BUT NOT KNOWING WHO WE WERE,

AND WE GRADUALLY, SOME OF US,

BEGAN TO TAKE THE POSITION THAT WE HAD TO ASSERT OURSELVES.

- ONE OF THE MORE MILITANT ASSERTIONS PUT FORWARD

BY FRANK KAMENY AND OTHER HOMOSEXUAL LEADERS

WAS THE IDEA THAT GAY PEOPLE WERE NOT MENTALLY ILL.

EVEN WITHIN THE MOVEMENT,

THIS CONCEPT PROVOKED INTENSE DEBATE.

- THEY CREATED QUITE A STIR.

IT'S HARD FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY TO IMAGINE,

AS LITTLE AS 20 YEARS AGO,

100 GAY PEOPLE SITTING AROUND

AND ARGUING OVER WHETHER OR NOT

THEY SHOULD SAY THAT THEY WEREN'T MENTALLY ILL.

- WELL, WE CAN DEBATE WHAT IS AN ILLNESS

OR WHETHER IT IS AN ILLNESS OR NOT.

I HAPPEN TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE BELIEF

THAT IT IS A TRAGIC ILLNESS,

A NEUROSIS THE SAME AS MANY OTHER NEUROSES.

- EVERY PSYCHIATRIC VIEWPOINT TREATED HOMOSEXUALITY

AS PSYCHOLOGICALLY PATHOLOGICAL.

I TAUGHT THAT VIEWPOINT UNTIL I LEARNED BETTER.

- HOMOSEXUALITY,

AS IT WAS STILL CALLED BY THE THERAPISTS,

WAS A CHARACTER DISORDER.

MY ONLY HOPE OF ACHIEVING "HEALTH,"

AND MY ONLY HOPE OF HAVING A HAPPY LIFE,

WAS TO CHANGE MY SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

AND FOR, AS I REMEMBER IT, NEARLY TWO YEARS,

I NOT ONLY WENT WITHOUT SEX, BUT I GAVE UP A LOVER,

A MAN I HAD BEEN SEEING AT THE TIME,

UNDER THE PRESSURE OF THE GROUP.

- AND SEE, THIS PROCESS THAT YOU GO THROUGH

AS A YOUNG LESBIAN,

OF FINDING EVERYTHING IN SOCIETY NOT FITTING YOU,

YOU HAVE A CHOICE TO BECOME SICK AND MENTALLY ILL,

OR TO TRUST YOURSELF AND FLY WITH THAT.

WELL, I DECIDED TO TRUST MYSELF AND FLY WITH THAT.

- THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT WOMEN SHOULDN'T LIKE MATH.

THEY SHOULDN'T LIKE SCIENCE.

THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LIKE ONLY HOME ECONOMICS,

WHEN THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF WOMEN

ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY AND ALL OVER THE WORLD

WHO HAPPEN TO LIKE THINGS THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LIKE.

AND THE DAY HAS COME WHEN WE, YOU KNOW,

WE'RE GONNA LIKE 'EM, WE'RE GONNA DO 'EM.

WE'RE GONNA TAKE OUR FREEDOM BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

- I THINK THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT PROVIDED A SAFE HAVEN

FOR A LOT OF WOMEN WHO WERE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR SEXUALITY

AND MIGHT NOT HAVE EVEN KNOWN THEY WERE

STRUGGLING WITH THEIR SEXUALITY.

- I DIDN'T STAY HOME AND COOK AND HAVE BABIES

AND MARRY A MAN,

AND DIDN'T IDENTIFY IN PARTICULAR WITH PEOPLE WHO DID.

- THEY KNEW THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THEM,

AND THEY DIDN'T QUITE FIT OUT THERE

IN THAT HETEROSEXUAL WORLD.

AND SO THEY CAME IN-- LIKE I DID,

CAME INTO THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT.

PART OF ME CAME BECAUSE THE POLITICS SOUNDED RIGHT,

BUT THERE WAS A SECRET LITTLE PART THAT SAID,

"MAYBE I'LL FIND A WOMAN TO LOVE."

AND I THINK THAT HAPPENED FOR A LOT OF WOMEN.

I KNOW THAT MANY LESBIANS WERE THE EARLY BEGINNINGS OF N.O.W.

AND N.O.W. WAS THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT THEN.

I MEAN, THAT WAS IT. THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE.

AND YES, THE LESBIANS WERE IN THE FOREFRONT

OF THE VERY BEGINNING OF N.O.W.

AND STILL ARE, EXCEPT NOBODY KNOWS IT.

- WHEN THE HIPPIES CAME ALONG, IT WAS A REAL LIBERATING THING.

'CAUSE THEY STARTED WEARING WHATEVER THEY WANTED TO,

AND THEN THAT MADE GAY PEOPLE FEEL FREER TO DO LIKEWISE.

- THE FLOWER CHILDREN CAME ALONG IN 1967

AND TURNED INTO THE HIPPIE MOVEMENT.

AND IN ONE GIVEN DAY, BOUFFANT HAIRSTYLES WENT OUT

AND EVERYONE WAS IRONING THEIR HAIR.

I MEAN, IT WAS BOOM, BOOM.

- ROLE-PLAYING WAS NOT AS OBVIOUS.

IT WASN'T IMPORTANT.

EVERYBODY WAS JUST SORT OF TURNING INTO BEING A GUY.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I REALIZED,

IN ORDER FOR ME TO BE A HOMOSEXUAL,

IT DIDN'T MEAN THAT I WAS WOMAN'S REPLACEMENT.

IT DIDN'T MEAN THAT I HAD TO BE FEMME.

IT JUST MEANT THAT I WAS A GUY WHO LIKED GUYS.

- THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN,

"TIME" MAGAZINE COMES OUT WITH THIS ARTICLE.

"SAN FRANCISCO, THE CITY OF LOVE.

THERE'S FREE LOVE ON THE STREETS."

- * DON'T YOU WANT SOMEBODY TO LOVE *

* DON'T YOU NEED SOMEBODY TO LOVE *

* WON'T YOU LOVE SOMEBODY TO LOVE *

* YOU BETTER FIND SOMEBODY TO LOVE *

- YEAH, IT WAS A FASCINATING PERIOD, ACTUALLY.

THERE WAS AN ORGANIZATION

CALLED THE "PSYCHEDELIC VENUS CHURCH" IN BERKELEY,

WHICH WAS A GAY CHURCH.

AND THAT ORGANIZATION USED TO CO-SPONSOR PARTIES IN THE CITY.

AND THEY WERE ORGIES, BASICALLY.

YOU WOULD WALK IN, AND YOU COULD TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF,

KIND OF PUT THEM IN A BAG.

THERE'D BE WINE.

PEOPLE WOULD BRING THEIR GRASS IN AND WHAT HAVE YOU.

VERY, VERY NEW SCENE.

CERTAINLY NEW TO ME, AND QUITE FASCINATING.

- THE REVOLUTION IN THIS COUNTRY

IS IN FACT PEOPLE COMING FORTH TO DEMAND FREEDOM.

- THE LATTER PART OF THE '60s,

IN GRADUALLY ESCALATING FASHION,

WERE A PERIOD OF ENORMOUS FERMENT.

all: * ALL WE ARE SAYING

* DROOL ON THE WAR

NOW!

- IT WAS A PERIOD OF ENORMOUS SOCIAL TURMOIL,

WHICH HAD ITS IMPACT, OF COURSE, ON GAYS AS WELL.

WE WERE LIVING IN THE LARGER SOCIETY.

all: * ALL WE ARE SAYING

- IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, IT WAS REALLY BAD,

BECAUSE ALMOST EVERY TIME YOU WOULD WALK OUT OF THE HOUSE,

YOU WERE BEING STOPPED.

I REALLY THINK THAT IT WAS THE YOUNG GAYS

THAT WERE PUTTING UP THE BIGGEST FIGHT.

AND IT WAS SORT OF LIKE, "WELL, I GUESS IT'S OKAY TO FIGHT."

- * WE'RE ALL OUTLAWS IN THE EYES OF AMERICA *

* IN ORDER TO SURVIVE, WE STEAL AND CHEAT *

* LIE, FORGE, FUCK, HIDE AND DEAL *

* WE ARE OBSCENE, LAWLESS, HIDEOUS *

* DANGEROUS, DIRTY, VIOLENT

* AND YOUNG

* WE SHOULD BE TOGETHER

* COME ON, ALL YOU PEOPLE STANDING AROUND *

- THERE WAS A VERY VOLATILE, ACTIVE POLITICAL FEELING,

ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE.

AND OF COURSE WHEN THE NIGHT OF THE STONEWALL RIOTS CAME ALONG,

JUST EVERYTHING CAME TOGETHER AT THAT ONE MOMENT.

PEOPLE QUITE OFTEN ASK, "WELL, WHAT WAS SPECIAL

ABOUT THAT NIGHT, FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 1969?"

THERE WAS NO ONE THING THAT WAS SPECIAL ABOUT IT.

IT WAS JUST EVERYTHING COMING TOGETHER.

ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS IN HISTORY WHERE,

IF YOU WERE THERE, YOU JUST KNEW, THIS IS IT.

THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.

- THEY DECIDED, YOU KNOW,

"WE'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS KIND OF THING.

WE'RE GONNA FIGHT BACK."

THE PATRONS, INSTEAD OF TIMIDLY TAKING IT,

THEY ACTUALLY HURLED ROCKS AND BOTTLES

RIGHT BACK AT THE POLICE.

AND THE RIOTING WENT ON FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.

- IT SAID "STONEWALL,"

COMING ALL THE WAY UP AND DOWN, AND "INN" ACROSS THE BOTTOM.

- WELL, THE NEXT FEW NIGHTS, REALLY,

WERE A REPETITION OF THE RIOTING.

- ALL OF A SUDDEN, A LOT OF GAY PEOPLE WOULD APPEAR

ON THE STREETS IN THIS WHOLE AREA,

NOT JUST IN FRONT OF THE STONEWALL.

- FIRE ALARM BOXES WERE PULLED.

TRASH CANS WERE SET ON FIRE.

- SO THERE WAS A CHANT OF "GAY POWER," I REMEMBER THAT.

- AND THEY FELT THE INJUSTICE.

AND IT WAS THAT EXPRESSION OF FEELING

THAT RADIATED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

- IT GAVE ME THE COURAGE TO ALSO COME OUT AND SAY,

"NO MORE" AS FAR AS MY WORK WAS CONCERNED,

AS FAR AS MY PRIVATE LIFE IS CONCERNED.

AND THAT'S WHEN I REALLY BECAME A GAY ACTIVIST.

AND IT WAS HELPED BY THAT MOVEMENT.

THE SPIRIT OF THAT MOVEMENT CARRIED ALL THE WAY OUT

TO THE WEST COAST, WOULDN'T YOU AGREE, MORRIS?

- YES, BY ALL MEANS. - YES, YES.

*I'M GAY AND I'M PROUD, I'LL SING IT ALOUD *

* I'M NOT AFRAID TO BE ME ANYMORE *

* TELL YOUR SISTER, TELL YOUR BROTHER *

* IT'S OKAY TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER *

*SING IT ALOUD, I'M GAY AND I'M PROUD *

- THE TIDE REALLY TURNED AT THE TIME OF STONEWALL.

A LARGE NUMBER OF GAY PEOPLE WHO HAD NOT KNOWN

ABOUT THE MOVEMENT BEFORE HEARD ABOUT IT AND SAID,

"I'M GOING TO JOIN THIS,

OR I'M GOING TO START SOMETHING OF MY OWN."

* OH, I'M NOT AFRAID TO BE ME *

* TELL YOUR SISTER, TELL YOUR BROTHER *

* IT'S OKAY TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER *

* SING IT ALOUD, I'M GAY AND I'M PROUD *

- BY JOINING AND UNITING ALL OF US,

WE HAVE REALLY GAINED POWER.

AND EVEN IN SMALL COMMUNITIES,

WHETHER IT'S KALAMAZOO OR TIMBUKTU,

OUR VOICES ARE HEARD THERE.

AND FROM THE TIME OF STONEHENGE TO STONEWALL,

THIS HAS BEEN THE STRUGGLE, AND WE'RE WINNING.

- "BEFORE STONEWALL" AND "AFTER STONEWALL,"

TWO FILMS ABOUT GAY AND LESBIAN LIFE IN AMERICA,

ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON HOME VIDEO.

CALL:

* IF YOUR DISPOSITION'S GAY *

* BE MIGHTY GLAD YOU'RE MADE THAT WAY *

* DON'T FROWN 'CAUSE YOUR WORLD'S UPSIDE DOWN *

* WHY SHOULD YOU BE THOUGHT A FOOL *

*FOR NOT CONFORMING TO THE RULE *

* IT HAS ITS ADVANTAGES, I'VE FOUND *

* NOW, THE LADIES ARE THE FAIREST SEX *

* AS EVERYBODY KNOWS

* THEIR CHARMS ARE EMPHASIZED IN ADS *

*AND EVEN MOVING PICTURE SHOWS *

*I CAN'T CONVINCE THE FELLOWS I'M NOT DAFFY IN THE HEAD *

* 'CAUSE I'M SAVING ALL MY KISSES *

*FOR THE LITTLE GIRLS INSTEAD *

*MAMA NATURE PLAYED IT SMART *

*WHEN SHE TIED A STRING AROUND MY HEART *

- FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM WAS PROVIDED BY:

AND BY ANNUAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU,

WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: