Stonewall (55 page)

94
. For the second march in June 1971, another fund-raising strategy proved far more successful. CSDLC (in which both Craig and Foster remained active) arranged with New York University authorities in the immediate aftermath of the first march to put on a series of four gay dances in Weinstein Hall. The first dances drew crowds of up to a thousand; their success was due to an imaginative combination of live bands, twenty-five-cent beer (which Craig and Michael Brown picked up from a wholesaler on Fourteenth Street), side exhibits of photographs and crafts, and “talking areas” for relaxation.

But then, in the summer of 1970, NYU authorities banned any further gay dances in Weinstein Hall. That led to a four-day sit-in in the Weinstein basement in which both Sylvia Rivera and Jim Fouratt took part. Sylvia was by then living on the streets again, having quit her warehouse job; when told of the sit-in, she parked her suitcase and boxes at Craig's bookstore and joined the fifty or so demonstrators. While many of them, including Jim Fouratt, came and went during the four days, Sylvia (and some two dozen others) stayed in the Weinstein
basement nearly the entire time. Sylvia did her laundry, held consciousness raising sessions with NYU students, denounced GAA for staying clear of the action, and loudly protested against any suggestion of compromise.

The only time Sylvia left the building was to go to a GAA meeting to ask for support—at least from individuals if not from the organization. That led to a few GAA members showing up at Weinstein. In response to the subsequent series of protests against NYU, the GAA Executive Committee concluded that “since GAA is politically oriented and the demonstrations were called by ‘street people,' who are only a small segment of the gay community, it was suggested that members participate as individuals without the organization's commitment in future related actions” (Arthur Bell Papers, and Box 15 of the GAA Papers, both in IGIC, NYPL).

After the NYU administration called in the police, who cleared out Weinstein, injuring several people, an enraged Sylvia at first obstinately refused to leave and had to be carried out; she then led a protest in the streets surrounding the building. Bob Kohler (interview, Aug. 20, 1990) says that Sylvia “was nuts on drugs and almost got us killed,” by which he meant, he went on to explain, that when the cops leveled their guns at the demonstrators and gave them ten seconds to leave the building, Sylvia tried to lead them in a cheer, screaming, “Give me a G.… Give me an A.… Give me a Y.… Whadda we have? … GAY!” Jim Fouratt, on the other hand, credits Sylvia with being a restraining force when (according to Jim) “a transsexual from Los Angeles” joined the sit-in and brought some firebombs with her. Determined to out-radical everyone else, she then proceeded to plant the firebombs in the building. Jim tried to tell her that burning down the building was not a solution and that the essence of gay consciousness was a determination “not to hurt anyone.” He pointed to Sylvia as an example of someone who was loud and angry, and was always willing to “push the boundaries,” but did not talk irresponsibly of picking up a gun in order to prove her commitment to the revolution. But that didn't persuade the transsexual either, and finally, according to Jim, he had to follow her and remove every one of the firebombs from the baskets in which she had placed them.

The police action led to a series of protests against NYU and its homophobic policies, with undercover agents present at least once (SSD to Chief Inspector, Oct. 6, 1970, S.S.D. #665-M). The fullest accounts of the Weinstein incident are in
Gay Flames
, no. 5; John Murray,
Homosexual Liberation
(Praeger, 1971), pp. 119–23; Bell,
Dancing the Gay Lib Blues
, pp. 110–119 (which is especially full on Sylvia's role); Teal,
Gay Militants
, pp. 202–209; and the Arthur Bell Papers in IGIC Papers, NYPL, which contain several drafts of his stories on the events at Weinstein.

95
. The poster is on the cover of this book.

96
.
RAT
, June 26–July 10, 1970.

97
. Murphy,
Homosexual Liberation
, p. 96.

98
. The descriptions in this and the following pages about the New York and Los Angeles marches rely on material from my interviews and on Teal,
Gay Militants
, p. 322 (Quakers), 324 (beating), 328 (Panther); Jim Kepner,
Our Movement Before Stonewall
(IGLA, 1989) and
Our Movement Since Stonewall
(IGLA, 1992); Kepner to Duberman, April 29, May 26, 1992; Martin Boyce (interview May 19, 1992) for “suffragette”; Kantrowitz,
Under the Rainbow
, pp. 151–56; Murphy,
Homosexual
Liberation
, pp. 98–99 (cops reading);
Los Angeles Free Press
, July 3, 1970, and
Hollywood Citizens News
, June 29, 1970.

99
. Teletype to Director, June 28, 1970, 100-459225-2. Foster himself, probably for publicity purposes, later inflated the figure to five thousand (Gunnison, CSLDC, “National Bulletin 11-08-70,” Gunnison Papers.
Windy City Times
, June 23, 1988 (Chicago);
Gay Times
, June 1989 (London);
Mec
magazine, April 1988 (Paris).

INDEX

Abbott, Sydney,
313
n
.

Actors Studio,
58
,
59
,
62
,
65

ACT UP,
134

Advocate, The,
156–57
,
289
n
.,
294
n
.

African Ancestral Lesbians United for Societal Change,
269

Agnew, Spiro,
227

“Agony of the Mask, The,”
149

Akeret, Dr. Robert,
63

Alan Burke Show, The,
106

Albee, Edward,
285
n.

Albertson, Bill,
243

Aldo's,
78–79

Allegra, Donna,
234

Alternate University,
212
,
220
,
247–49
,
275

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU),
275–76
.

Anderson, Chester,
131

Andorra (black queen),
252
,
254

Annual Reminder,
113
,
114
,
165
,
209–11
,
217
,
289
n
.,
302
n
.

Another Country
(Baldwin),
97

Aristo Hotel,
69

Armed forces,
110
,
111
,
127–28
,
148
see also
Draft boards

Arthur, Jean,
132

ASK,
294
n
.

Atheneum Society,
287
n
.

Atkinson, Ronald,
293
n.

Bagatelle,
42–43

Baldwin, James,
97

Ballard, Ron,
220

Barker, Elver,
288
n
.

Barnard College,.
53
,
117–22

Barzun, Jacques,
121

Baseball leagues, lesbian,
90

Batarde, La
(Leduc),
165

Beard, Harry,
193
,
196
,
299
n
.

Beardemphl, William,
147
,
151
,
222
,
304
n
.

Beck, Julian,
59

Bed, The,
131
,
285
n.

Bedoz, Ellen,
313
n
.

Bell, Arthur,
61
,
232
,
235
,
253
,
264
,
265
,
284
n
.,
313
n
.

Bellevue Hospital,
66
,
88

Belser, Michael,
107

Bentley, Gladys,
42

Berkeley Barb,
170
,
171

Berry, Reverend Delores,
268

Bérubé, Allan,
xv

Bieber, Irving,
97
,
99

“Big Bobby,”
185

Birdland,
13

Bisexuality,
31
,
42

Bishop, John (“Dr. Feelgood”),
179

Black, Phil,
125

Black Cat,
99

Black Lesbian Caucus (GAA),
234

Black Lesbian Counseling Collective,
268

Black Panther,
258–59

Black Panthers,
143
,
170
,
171
,
216
,
217
,
226
,
227
,
228
,
250–51
,
257–60
,
280
,
303
n
.

gay rights movement and,
258–59

Blacks:

attitude toward homosexuality,
13
,
42
,
91–92
,
258–59

“black power” movement,
133

civil rights movement,
91–92
,
98
,
120
,
169

Columbia University's policies and,
120
,
121

homophile movement and,
233–34
,
258–59
,
308
n
.

lesbians,
42–43
,
90–91
,
234
,
266–69

as live-in help,
16–17

racism,
145
,
146
,
183
,
234
,
250

riots,
169

segregation,
10

sexism,
267

Blixton, Sandy,
275
,
312
n
.

Boatel (Fire Island Pines),
161–63

“Bobby Shades,”
187
,
297
n
.

Bon Soir,
41
,
187

Booth, William H.,
116

Borchardt, Georges,
175

BOSS (Bureau of Special Services),
100–101
,
113–14

see also
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Boston, Massachusetts,
49–50

Bown, Patti,
40

Boyce, Martin,
188

Brooklyn House of Detention,
69
,
85

“Queen's Tank,”
85

Brooks, Georgia,
269

Brown, Michael,
216
,
218
,
220
,
270
,
314
n
.

Brown, Rita Mae,
172
,
174
,
177
,
247
,
273
,
309
n
.,
313
n
.

Brown, Willie,
110
,
150

Bruce, Virginia,
293
n
.

Bubbles Rose Marie,
252
,
254–55

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF),
194

Burnside, John,
151

Burton, John,
110
,
150

Bush, Joe,
61

Butch/femme roles,
43
,
118–19
,
290
n
.

Café La Mama,
285
n
.

Caffè Cino,
60–62
,
126
,
284
n
.–85
n
.

Cafiero, Renée,
81
,
107
,
295
n
.

California Hall incident,
99–100

Call, Hal,
286
n
.,
288
n
.–89
n
.

Campbell, Jack,
294
n
.,
305
n
.

Carmichael, Stokelv,
303
n
.

Carol Burnett Show, The,
83

Carpenter, Edward,
75–76
,
155

Carson, Kit,
240
,
241

Carter, John Mack,
244

Castro, Fidel,
250

Caufield, John,
114

CBS,
179–80
,
191

Cell
16
,
174

Cervantes, Madolin,
211
,
229
,
307
n
.,
314
n
.

Chaikin, Joe,
59–60
,
132

Chaney, James,
98

Charlayne (transsexual),
293
n
.

Chelsea Girls
,
131

Cherry Lane Theater,
62

Chicago, Democratic National Convention of 1968 in,
135–37
,
169
,
171
,
217

Chicago
8
,
170

Chicago Junior School,
4–9

Christ Church Cathedral,
261

Christian Science,
8
,
226
,
306
n
.–307
n
.

Christopher, George,
99

Christopher's End,
252

Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade,
255
,
262
,
270–80
,
314
n
.,
315
n
.

Committee to arrange,
270–72
,
314
n
.

Christopher Street Pride Committee,
182

Church of the Apostles,
274–75

Cino, Joe,
60
,
61–62
,
284
n
.

Circle of Living Companions,
151

Citizens News,
149

City Council, New York,
262–65

Civil rights movement,
98
,
120

gays in,
91–92

Clam House,
42

Cleaver, Eldridge,
258

Clift, Montgomery,
58