Lucian Truscott, IV, Reporter,The Village Voice:It was a bottle club which meant that I guess you went to the door and you bought a membership or something for a buck and then you went in and then you could buy drinks. You know, we wanted to be part of the mainstream society. He pulls all his men inside. Jerry Hoose:And I got to the corner of Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street, crossed the street and there I had found Nirvana. Narrator (Archival):Note how Albert delicately pats his hair, and adjusts his collar. And I ran into Howard Smith on the street,The Village Voicewas right there. A gay rights march in New York in favor of the 1968 Civil Rights Act being amended to include gay rights. Homosexuality was a dishonorable discharge in those days, and you couldn't get a job afterwards. All of the rules that I had grown up with, and that I had hated in my guts, other people were fighting against, and saying "No, it doesn't have to be this way.". Martin Boyce:In the early 60s, if you would go near Port Authority, there were tons of people coming in. It was a horror story. And the cops got that. ITN Source John O'Brien:There was one street called Christopher Street, where actually I could sit and talk to other gay people beyond just having sex. I was celebrating my birthday at the Stonewall. The history of the Gay and Lesbian community before the Stonewall riots began the major gay rights movement. I said, "I can go in with you?" Transcript Aired June 9, 2020 Stonewall Uprising The Year That Changed America Film Description When police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of. In 1969 it was common for police officers to rough up a gay bar and ask for payoffs. It was an age of experimentation. We knew that this was a moment that we didn't want to let slip past, because it was something that we could use to bring more of the groups together. Yvonne Ritter:I did try to get out of the bar and I thought that there might be a way out through one of the bathrooms. Giles Kotcher John Scagliotti I made friends that first day. kui Howard Smith, Reporter,The Village Voice:It was getting worse and worse. Virginia Apuzzo: I grew up with that. This was in front of the police. Other images in this film are either recreations or drawn from events of the time. You see, Ralph was a homosexual. This is one thing that if you don't get caught by us, you'll be caught by yourself. Participants of the 1969 Greenwich Village uprising describe the effect that Stonewall had on their lives. We could lose our memory from the beating, we could be in wheelchairs like some were. There was all these drags queens and these crazy people and everybody was carrying on. And in a sense the Stonewall riots said, "Get off our backs, deliver on the promise." Eric Marcus, Recreation Still Photography Narrator (Archival):Sure enough, the following day, when Jimmy finished playing ball, well, the man was there waiting. In 1924, the first gay rights organization is founded by Henry Gerber in Chicago. Before Stonewall - Rotten Tomatoes archives.nypl.org -- Before Stonewall production files Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt:The Stonewall pulled in everyone from every part of gay life. Before Stonewall (1984) - IMDb Oh, tell me about your anxiety. Danny Garvin:We became a people. But as we were going up 6th Avenue, it kept growing. Getting then in the car, rocking them back and forth. Yvonne Ritter:And then everybody started to throw pennies like, you know, this is what they were, they were nothing but copper, coppers, that's what they were worth. Martin Boyce:And I remember moving into the open space and grabbing onto two of my friends and we started singing and doing a kick line. Martha Shelley:When I was growing up in the '50s, I was supposed to get married to some guy, produce, you know, the usual 2.3 children, and I could look at a guy and say, "Well, objectively he's good looking," but I didn't feel anything, just didn't make any sense to me. by David Carter, Associate Producer and Advisor I really thought that, you know, we did it. Alan Lechner And they were lucky that door was closed, they were very lucky. Ed Koch, Councilman, New York City:Yes, entrapment did exist, particularly in the subway system, in the bathrooms. That summer, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village. I never believed in that. Martin Boyce:We were like a Hydra. Raymond Castro 1969: The Stonewall Uprising - Library of Congress Hear more of the conversation and historical interviews at the audio link. Lucian Truscott, IV, Reporter,The Village Voice:The mob raised its hand and said "Oh, we'll volunteer," you know, "We'll set up some gay bars and serve over-priced, watered-down drinks to you guys." Danny Garvin:We had thought of women's rights, we had thought of black rights, all kinds of human rights, but we never thought of gay rights, and whenever we got kicked out of a bar before, we never came together. Chris Mara Frank Kameny, co-founder of the Mattachine Society, and Shirley Willer, president of the Daughters of Bilitis, spoke to Marcus about being gay before the Stonewall riots happened and what motivated people who were involved in the movement. Chris Mara, Production Assistants Well, it was a nightmare for the lesbian or gay man who was arrested and caught up in this juggernaut, but it was also a nightmare for the lesbians or gay men who lived in the closet. Before Stonewall was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 1985 Sundance Film Festival. Dick Leitsch:New York State Liquor Authority had a rule that one known homosexual at a licensed premise made the place disorderly, so nobody would set up a place where we could meet because they were afraid that the cops would come in to close it, and that's how the Mafia got into the gay bar business. Martha Shelley:Before Stonewall, the homophile movement was essentially the Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis and all of these other little gay organizations, some of which were just two people and a mimeograph machine. Vanessa Ezersky They were supposed to be weak men, limp-wristed. Seymour Pine, Deputy Inspector, Morals Division, NYPD:We told this to our men. People cheer while standing in front of The Stonewall Inn as the annual Gay Pride parade passes, Sunday, June 26, 2011 in New York. Martin Boyce:It was another great step forward in the story of human rights, that's what it was. Janice Flood Slate:The Homosexuals(1967), CBS Reports. John O'Brien:If a gay man is caught by the police and is identified as being involved in what they called lewd, immoral behavior, they would have their person's name, their age and many times their home address listed in the major newspapers. A word that would be used in the 1960s for gay men and lesbians. They were afraid that the FBI was following them. Samual Murkofsky Danny Garvin:We were talking about the revolution happening and we were walking up 7th Avenue and I was thinking it was either Black Panthers or the Young Lords were going to start it and we turned the corner from 7th Avenue onto Christopher Street and we saw the paddy wagon pull up there. Seymour Pine, Deputy Inspector, Morals Division, NYPD:And they were, they were kids. Mary Queen of the Scotch, Congo Woman, Captain Faggot, Miss Twiggy. Danny Garvin:With Waverly Street coming in there, West Fourth coming in there, Seventh Avenue coming in there, Christopher Street coming in there, there was no way to contain us. Raymond Castro:New York City subways, parks, public bathrooms, you name it. Dick Leitsch:And I remember it being a clear evening with a big black sky and the biggest white moon I ever saw. The groundbreaking 1984 film "Before Stonewall" introduced audiences to some of the key players and places that helped spark the Greenwich Village riots. But as visibility increased, the reactions of people increased. Jorge Garcia-Spitz Martin Boyce:Well, in the front part of the bar would be like "A" gays, like regular gays, that didn't go in any kind of drag, didn't use the word "she," that type, but they were gay, a hundred percent gay. All the rules were off in the '60s. Doric Wilson Jay Fialkov Michael Dolan, Technical Advisors Tom Caruso Judy Laster On June 27, 1969, police raided The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York. We love to hear from our listeners! John O'Brien:We had no idea we were gonna finish the march. He brought in gay-positive materials and placed that in a setting that people could come to and feel comfortable in. Things were being thrown against the plywood, we piled things up to try to buttress it. (Enter your ZIP code for information on American Experience events and screening in your area.). Lucian Truscott, IV, Reporter,The Village Voice:And then the next night. A New York Police officer grabs a man by the hair as another officer clubs a man during a confrontation in Greenwich Village after a Gay Power march in New York. But it was a refuge, it was a temporary refuge from the street. The Activism That Came Before Stonewall And The Movement That - NPR "We're not going.". WGBH Educational Foundation It was fun to see fags. Joe DeCola Barney Karpfinger Martin Boyce:I wasn't labeled gay, just "different." Interviewer (Archival):What type of laws are you after? Abstract. Because if they weren't there fast, I was worried that there was something going on that I didn't know about and they weren't gonna come. Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt:The police would zero in on us because sometimes they would be in plain clothes, and sometimes they would even entrap. Fred Sargeant:Three articles of clothing had to be of your gender or you would be in violation of that law. Charles Harris, Transcriptions Danny Garvin:Everybody would just freeze or clam up. We knew it was a gay bar, we walked past it. hide caption. We didn't necessarily know where we were going yet, you know, what organizations we were going to be or how things would go, but we became something I, as a person, could all of a sudden grab onto, that I couldn't grab onto when I'd go to a subway T-room as a kid, or a 42nd street movie theater, you know, or being picked up by some dirty old man. It said the most dreadful things, it said nothing about being a person. And we all relaxed. At least if you had press, maybe your head wouldn't get busted. Well, little did he know that what was gonna to happen later on was to make history. In the sexual area, in psychology, psychiatry. 'Cause I really realized that I was being trained as a straight person, so I could really fool these people. First Run Features Former U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with gay rights activist Frank Kameny after signing a memorandum on federal benefits and non-discrimination in the Oval Office on June 17, 2009. And when you got a word, the word was homosexuality and you looked it up. Raymond Castro:If that light goes on, you know to stop whatever you're doing, and separate. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. And a couple of 'em had pulled out their guns. MacDonald & Associates Detective John Sorenson, Dade County Morals & Juvenile Squad (Archival):There may be some in this auditorium. Before Stonewall pries open the closet door, setting free dramatic stories from the early 1900's onwards of public and private existence as experienced by LGBT Americans. But everybody knew it wasn't normal stuff and everyone was on edge and that was the worst part of it because you knew they were on edge and you knew that the first shot that was fired meant all the shots would be fired. Watch Before Stonewall | Prime Video - amazon.com Pennebaker courtesy of Pennebaker Hegedus Films The newly restored 1984 documentary "Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community," re-released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the seminal Stonewall riots, remains a . Geordie, Liam and Theo Gude The cops would hide behind the walls of the urinals. Daniel Pine I mean they were making some headway. This, to a homosexual, is no choice at all. June 21, 2019 1:29 PM EDT. The scenes were photographed with telescopic lenses. I famously used the word "fag" in the lead sentence I said "the forces of faggotry." Martin Boyce:That was our only block. All I knew about was that I heard that there were people down in Times Square who were gay and that's where I went to. This 19-year-old serviceman left his girlfriend on the beach to go to a men's room in a park nearby where he knew that he could find a homosexual contact. The only faces you will see are those of the arresting officers. Ed Koch, Councilman, New York City:There were complaints from people who objected to the wrongful behavior of some gays who would have sex on the street. That summer, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village. All of this stuff was just erupting like a -- as far as they were considered, like a gigantic boil on the butt of America. It was a way to vent my anger at being repressed. Lucian Truscott, IV, Reporter,The Village Voice:There were gay bars all over town, not just in Greenwich Village. The events that took place in June 1969 have been described as the birth of the gay-rights movement, but that's only partially true. In an effort to avoid being anachronistic . That's what gave oxygen to the fire. Dr. Socarides (Archival):Homosexuality is in fact a mental illness which has reached epidemiological proportions. Eric Marcus, Writer:Before Stonewall, there was no such thing as coming out or being out. And, I did not like parading around while all of these vacationers were standing there eating ice cream and looking at us like we were critters in a zoo. Virginia Apuzzo:What we felt in isolation was a growing sense of outrage and fury particularly because we looked around and saw so many avenues of rebellion. Dick Leitsch:And so the cops came with these buses, like five buses, and they all were full of tactical police force. Lilli M. Vincenz William Eskridge, Professor of Law:Ed Koch who was a democratic party leader in the Greenwich Village area, was a specific leader of the local forces seeking to clean up the streets. Geoff Kole It eats you up inside. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City, activists rode their motorcycles during the city's 1989 gay-pride parade. Cause I was from the streets. A New York Police officer grabs a man by the hair as another officer clubs a. Doric Wilson:That's what happened Stonewall night to a lot of people. It was tremendous freedom. Martin Boyce What Jimmy didn't know is that Ralph was sick. I went in there and they took bats and just busted that place up. Danny Garvin:There was more anger and more fight the second night. Paul Bosche But you live with it, you know, you're used to this, after the third time it happened, or, the third time you heard about it, that's the way the world is. Before Stonewall, the activists wanted to fit into society and not rock the boat. Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt:As much as I don't like to say it, there's a place for violence. But we're going to pay dearly for this. Jimmy hadn't enjoyed himself so much in a long time. A sickness of the mind. I mean does anyone know what that is? Andrea Weiss is a documentary filmmaker and author with a Ph.D. in American History. I mean it didn't stop after that. Transcript Enlarge this image To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City, activists rode their motorcycles during the city's 1989 gay-pride parade. Windows started to break. And once that happened, the whole house of cards that was the system of oppression of gay people started to crumble. Narrator (Archival):This is a nation of laws. It's the first time I'm fully inside the Stonewall. Narrator (Archival):Richard Enman, president of the Mattachine Society of Florida, whose goal is to legalize homosexuality between consenting adults, was a reluctant participant in tonight's program. That was scary, very scary. Fifty years ago, a gay bar in New York City called The Stonewall Inn was raided by police, and what followed were days of rebellion where protesters and police clashed. John O'Brien:All of a sudden, the police faced something they had never seen before. As you read, keep in mind that LGBTQ+ is a relatively new term and, while queer people have always existed, the terminology has changed frequently over the years. Dick Leitsch:And the blocks were small enough that we could run around the block and come in behind them before they got to the next corner. Doric Wilson:When I was very young, one of the terms for gay people was twilight people, meaning that we never came out until twilight, 'til it got dark. Gay bars were to gay people what churches were to blacks in the South. We were going to propose something that all groups could participate in and what we ended up producing was what's now known as the gay pride march. Finally, Mayor Lindsay listened to us and he announced that there would be no more police entrapment in New York City. Before Stonewall - Wikipedia There were occasions where you did see people get night-sticked, or disappear into a group of police and, you know, everybody knew that was not going to have a good end. And then they send them out in the street and of course they did make arrests, because you know, there's all these guys who cruise around looking for drag queens. Do you understand me?". I didn't think I could have been any prettier than that night. And Dick Leitsch, who was the head of the Mattachine Society said, "Who's in favor?" He may appear normal, and it may be too late when you discover he is mentally ill. John O'Brien:I was a poor, young gay person. TV Host (Archival):Are those your own eyelashes? There were gay bars in Midtown, there were gay bars uptown, there were certain kinds of gay bars on the Upper East Side, you know really, really, really buttoned-up straight gay bars. I mean you got a major incident going on down there and I didn't see any TV cameras at all. Martin Boyce:There were these two black, like, banjee guys, and they were saying, "What's goin' on man?" I first engaged in such acts when I was 14 years old. Gay bars were always on side streets out of the way in neighborhoods that nobody would go into. Every arrest and prosecution is a step in the education of the public to the solution of the problem. Because if you don't have extremes, you don't get any moderation. Doric Wilson:Somebody that I knew that was older than me, his family had him sent off where they go up and damage the frontal part of the brain. You cut one head off. The mirrors, all the bottles of liquor, the jukebox, the cigarette machines. The film combined personal interviews, snapshots and home movies, together with historical footage. Eric Marcus, Writer:The Mattachine Society was the first gay rights organization, and they literally met in a space with the blinds drawn. Glenn Fukushima Nobody. Slate:In 1969, homosexual acts were illegal in every state except Illinois. Over a short period of time, he will be unable to get sexually aroused to the pictures, and hopefully, he will be unable to get sexually aroused inside, in other settings as well. I mean I'm only 19 and this'll ruin me. Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community All rights reserved. Doric Wilson:And I looked back and there were about 2,000 people behind us, and that's when I knew it had happened. This documentary uses extensive archival film, movie clips . New York City's Stonewall Inn is regarded by many as the site of gay and lesbian liberation since it was at this bar that drag queens fought back against police June 27-28, 1969. Dana Kirchoff This is every year in New York City. Hunted, hunted, sometimes we were hunted. And you felt bad that you were part of this, when you knew they broke the law, but what kind of law was that? If you would like to read more on the topic, here's a list: Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and NPR One. And the Stonewall was part of that system. Trevor, Post Production First you gotta get past the door. Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community is a 1984 American documentary film about the LGBT community prior to the 1969 Stonewall riots. Richard Enman (Archival):Well, let me say, first of all, what type of laws we are not after, because there has been much to-do that the Society was in favor of the legalization of marriage between homosexuals, and the adoption of children, and such as that, and that is not at all factual at all. I was proud. Before Stonewall - Letterboxd ", Martin Boyce:People in the neighborhood, the most unlikely people were starting to support it. Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt:We would scatter, ka-poom, every which way. It was one of the things you did in New York, it was like the Barnum and Bailey aspect of it. It's very American to say, "You promised equality, you promised freedom." Sophie Cabott Black More than a half-century after its release, " The Queen " serves as a powerful time capsule of queer life as it existed before the 1969 Stonewall uprising. That night, the police ran from us, the lowliest of the low. People standing on cars, standing on garbage cans, screaming, yelling. We had been threatened bomb threats. I learned, very early, that those horrible words were about me, that I was one of those people. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Teddy Awards, the film was shown at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2016.