The lady speaking is Phyllis Lyon and her partner/wife founded The Daughter of Billitis. Unfortunately she just died on April 9th of this year. May they both RIP!.❤
You did an excellent job with this video! I am not gay, but grew up in the 1950's and it was a taboo or should I say a "God Forbid" Moment to learn your child was gay. Thankfully, not so today. Such young people who are so very bright and interested in the world!
Phyllis Snook I’m taking sociology in college and we went through homosexuality and all that stuff and it really broadened up my mind. Made me view and understand everyone’s view on society!
I remember a small blurb in my personal grooming and manners book that talked about this. I had no idea what they were talking about. I wish I had understood, I might have been able to help my sister through her pain.
Don't worry they will be buried with tax payer money, forgotten, and possessions seized. Thank you for making our country less populated for my children.
I was out in 1976 when I was 16. As I was unafraid and I had a very accurate perception of who I was I wouldn't be lying if I said that I was never in the closet. I was very outspoken and did not put up with bullying/ bullshit of any kind and that was valid inside my family as well. I left home two years later to go to college, became economically independent and so I have lived in relative Tranquility ever since. I am sure that this kind of attitude depended mostly on myself for there was a lot of prejudice everywhere. I had a very close gay friend since the age of 12 we were inseparable best friends and to this day we keep contact. he helped me a lot with my self-esteem and sense of self-worth.
The young people that conducted these interview did such an amazing job. Well done! And of course amazing respect to the people who came out in the 1950s. Like one of the young people said, I thought I had it hard in the 80s/90s. Wow! Thank you for this video.
Believe me, it wasn't a picnic, when I came out on 1968 either. Then, it still isn't for a lot of people. Still, if at all possible and if you are safe, by all means, COME OUT! Young people, you are a light onto this world and deserve happiness.
Yea now people are able to be more open so if you don’t know the history you don’t really have a real idea of how it was. It can still be really bad in some places but it’s way better socially in America now. Big reason the history should be taught in school.
It's so important for our LGBT Youth to connect to our older community there is so much we can offer you. Life was different in our times. But we are the cornerstone for the freedom the younger LGBT youth enjoy today. By coming out, speaking up, and demanding change. We now have the freedom to love who we wish. Life is better but we still have a long way to go. And we must must never go back to the dark closets of shame, & fear!
We owe their generation everything we now take for granted! Just imagine living in constant terror of loosing everything if the came out, not to mention the constant threat of physical violence and/or being killed, with no way to do nothing about it? I’m 49, I met my husband when I was 20, through a dating agency I found in the back page of the newspaper (there was no internet back then). Back then, we still faced major discrimination, violence, being denied housing and/or employment, couldn’t get married, have kids...basically we had zero rights. While the people in this videos generation laid the ground work, and were beyond brave, my generation were the ones that literally put our lives on the line to fight like hell for every right we now enjoy. I can’t even count the number of protests/sit in’s we attended, we were arrested many times, just for sticking up for our rights, but, they’d always drop the charges after, they just did everything possible within the confines of Canadian law (we’re in Toronto) to break up, and/or discourage us from fighting for our rights. But after years of bitter political battles, and court challenges (cost us a fortune in lawyers fee, which we fund raised for), slowly, we finally turned things around, and got what we deserved......NOT special rights, as the at the time media then so often touted, but, our HUMAN rights! I’ll NEVER forget the day we won our court case against the police and government, making discrimination against our community illegal. From that point on, our political momentum picked up speed, and as the years past, so did many new laws allowing us to legally adopt and get married. You would NOT believe the fight we went through, but we won!! For any ignorant moron who stereotypes us a girly wimps, cowards, etc....they only wish they had the courage we did to go up against centuries of church dogma, and a societal assumption and acceptance of gays being sexual deviants and perverted freaks! I think, at least for Canadian/American LGTBQ, Stonewall was the defining moment that put the gay rights movement in full motion. It was a declaration of war against the “establishment’ that we were not going to take anymore shit from brain dead straight hicks. One more event that is etched in my mind that began the gay rights battle in Toronto (and all of Canada for that matter), was the infamous bathhouse raids of 1981, by the Toronto police, who invaded a bathhouse, broke down the doors, beat, and arrested every man they could find, publishing their names in the newspaper the following day. As we all know, many who frequent bath houses are married men with children, who were either unable, or unwilling, to come out.....in the days that followed, after their names were published, several took their own lives because they couldn’t face the shame they felt....NO ONE has the right to do this to us, or to anyone. My partner Freddy and I co-founded “safety zone’, a nonprofit anti-gay bashing organization, in the late 80’s and early 90’s, as the number of gay bashing’s were in the rise, and as usual, the police did nothing about it, so we did. It took us a while, but we finally found 2 gay cops who were brave enough to put their lives, and careers, on the line, to help us arrest and jail as many gay baskets as possible. PC Judy Noseworthy and her partner (sorry, forgot his name) were are liaison to the police. Safety Zone, our group, would patrol the community from 11pm - 3am every Friday, and Saturday night (the two nights when most attacks on gay men happened). We’d travel in groups of 5 or more, wore highly visible neon green or pink arm bands, so the public knew we were there, and who we were, and armed with only a camera, video camera, note pads, binoculars, whistles (we use to use whistles to get anyone with in earshot attention) and two way radios to keep in touch. Remember, this all happened before the cell phone was in public use! We’d patrol area that were popular with gay bashers, and would record all relevant information, give that information to the police, and they’d look up, and usually find who it was by their licence plate numbers. Most times, these cowardly punks would take off if they saw us, word spread fast that we were watching, and I’m proud to say, within only one year of our groups existence, attacks on the LGBTQ community plummeted a staggering 80%. Most gay bashing’s were committed by stupid punk ass kids from the burbs, driving their mothers car, downtown, to beat on what they thought was an easy target. In one year we had over 100 arrests made, cars seized and licences revoked. We were so thrilled to be able to make such a difference....and according to Judy, there were many furious parents who’s cars were now impounded because little jimmy drove downtown with 4 or 5 of his punk ass ignorant friends to attack and assault gays, GOOD!!! We were funded at first, by a man, who’s son had been killed by gay bashers, who tied the poor guy to a fence, took turns beating and cutting him with a hunting knife, doused him with gasoline, set him on fire and walked away. This man was a famous Toronto lawyer, but even he had a difficult time getting a jury to find every single one of the 8 cowards that ganged up against him, and tortured him to death...BUT, he won the case, and had all 8 tried as adults (they were 16 and 17 year olds at the time of their evil actions), ensure they all faced life in prison, with no parole. He was only too happy to help us, and we, only to happy to help him, and honour his sons memory by catching as many as these cowardly bastards as possible. Sadly, he himself passed away a year later, from a massive heart attack...his family maintains he died of a broken heart, and I believe it. After his passing, we’d hold fund raising events in local bars, but our treasurer suddenly vanished one day, with the over $15000 we had raised. He forged a signature (to withdraw any money from that account, at least two members had to sign), and that put a quick end to the group. BUT, they did catch him, and nailed him for 5 years, but the money was never returned, and by that point, we had established such good community relations with our police, and bashing’s were down so much, we were no longer necessary, thank god! So to all the young members of our community, please make an effort to realize the struggles, and sacrifice of those who came before you, made, so you could have all the rights you just take for granted now, in the same way I honour the generation in this video, they paved the way for us, and us, for you...now, at least in Toronto, nobody cares if your gay, and to see a gay coupe holding hands walking downtown isn’t even really noticed anymore, it’s just part of our culture now, and I’m so happy to say I was lucky enough to play a small part in it all, it will only get better from here.
I read the beginning... and was intrigued... so I hit the "more" button and was overwhelmed with the length of your reply. So I thought Ok.. I will read it all.. What a story! Thank you for everything that you did. I hope the younger generation really appreciate it!
You are an amazing person. I do wonder the extent to which young gay people still have internalised homophobia or at least a feeling of not being quite good enough even in these days. I know a few young, gay people who have very low self confidence. Some places like at universities and higher education, establishments (I’m in the UK) seem to be zones where people can really speak out with extra confidence. Other than that I still think there are issues. I thank you for laying the groundwork of supporting and assisting this wonderful community, which benefits us all so much in so many ways across the world. X
Can you believe it, we now have military same sex weddings! My how far we have come. Never thought in my life time I'd see same sex weddings or have one of my own. let alone have kids! My husband is 79 I'm 54 kids aren't in our future but to know that the younger generation has that opportunity is mind blowing! To all those who paved the way Thank you doesn't seem enough! One of the things I love is when someone sees my wedding ring and asked about my wife and I say, I don't have a wife I have a husband. we've been together 28 yrs! When you accept yourself people tend to accept you. Tok a life time to learn that. Love yourself or no one else will.
In retrospect, I think I was fortunate to be out when I graduated in 1964. Unlike the very repressed and scary 1950's, the 1960's was on the cusp of liberation/ And then came the 1970's when we were all over the place. Those times were great but immediately followed by the AIDS outbreak around 1982. I lost many friends and family. I met my partner in 1976. Although we didn't know it then, out committment saved our lives. We are now retired in New Mexico and still very happy!
This was very touching. As an older gay man i mostly feel invisible in the gay community. It was nice that you listened and said kind things and rather than just snubbing these people.
I came out in '89. I wish I could have come out years before. It was so hard to come out in the place I lived and at that time. No one in high school was out. I could have saved myself a lot of years of trying to convince myself I was heterosexual, and that I did not really have a crush on any girls, I just thought were pretty. I wish I could have at least been out with myself.
We acknowledge what a great job the Veterans did keeping us free and in my 53 years I've never seen anything as profound as what these wonderful people did to keep homosexuals free and to protect their civil rights. Most excellent piece of work that you have produced. I also hope to see more.
what's funny to me is that there are so many hateful bigots who go out of their way to look up videos they dont agree with so they can spend time writing their dumb comments. go get some lives!!!
Even in the 90s, it was a big deal to be out. I'm amazed and encouraged by the way things have changed in my lifetime. I'm not even that old, but I'm amazed by how much better someone just 10 years younger than me will have it. I hope I'll live to see the first generation in maybe a thousand years to have no shame whatsoever about being true to themselves. They're coming and I welcome and envy them.
OMG You got to interview one of the founders of Daughters of Billitis??? WHAT AN HONOR! I didn't even know the founders were still ALIVE! That is walking HISTORY right there! How is Phyllis Lyon not more famous???
LGBTQIA's today can truly say that we all stand on the shoulders of giants. Thank you to all who stood their ground when it came to defending our civil rights in those awefully dark times. Your sacrifice will not be taken lightly.
Thank you, young Americans, for teaching the future about our past. I came out in San Jose. I was absolutely unaware that I was gay until college. Your project has shed some light on a long hidden subject. Thanks for your bravery. Tom
We are so much luckier nowadays. but there is a loss of gay culture. A lot of sense of family and camaraderie and support is lost as well. The internet had a lot to do with that too I suppose.
Luke B.......you hit the nail on the head! The internet hasn’t done the LGBTQ community any favors. Back in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s every metro area had tons of gay bars, clubs, discos. Nowadays........that’s been cut down by about 2/3rds......kind of sad actually.
Thanks for your post. This was very interesting and very well done~! Kuddos~! Long overdue. I would love to see more interviews from elders around the country. It would be nice to here from how the stigma impacted the community nationally.
I was going to gay bars and gay parties in 1954. I was 14. NYC. Read my book, "I Already Am," or "A Gamut of Poems." Better yet, study my activist cousin, Vito Russo. I knew people from Bilitis, One and the Mattachine Society but I was too busy dancing to participate. Plus, in 1964, I opened a gay bar in South Hollywood, CA. Great fun. Good to see Phyllis. We met a few times.
I am 75. I lived all of this. We were homosexuals. Attracted to our own kind. People who hated us called us queer. When I hear young people call themselves queer I do not feel any connection since I know they lack any sensitivity to our history.
God bless the children for remembering and emphasising that THERE WERE poeple like us yeeeears before and they still lived to talk about it !!!!! God bless you my little firends !
I'm taking History of Major issues in Sexuality at USF. It's basically a History of LGBTQ. Great class and this video was definitely helpful with my research paper. Thanks!
I’m glad that older LGBTQ+ people are open to talking about their lives in earlier decades. The secrecy that had to surround most LGBTQ+ people must have been so stressful. I once worked for a city parks department in the late 70s. One of our parks had a lot of woods. Men would leave notes in the restroom about meeting in the woods. Every day we would see the same cars cruising through the park with just one man inside. I remember thinking how sad it must be to have to resort to behavior like this to meet other men. Also, the fear they must have felt if they got caught.
My Mother gave me really good advice many years ago, “Health is WEALTH!” Invest in yourself; the dividends will payoff for many years to come not only to you, but to those around you whom you love the most!!! As an older Gay man who lived through the AIDS epidemic, I find that this is especially important even today in our society. So VERY HAPPY that my Gay generation is able to share their life experiences with the younger generation!!!
Y'all should interview my partner of 22 years......he'll shortly be 92 years old and could tell you about being gay in the 30s and 40s. His stories about being a young American GI in France and England during WWII are shocking, funny and amazing, all at the same time!
I have so much respect for them because they are the one of the beginners of the long fight for gay civil rights. I hope one day I get to tell my grandchildren my stories of my fighting against discrimination and bullying.
Good work, youngsters. It's nice to see respect being shown to seniors, regardless of the topic or their sexuality. I came out in the early 80s and it's worth noting that I was never part of a "gay community". Sure, I have a couple gay friends but most of my "community" was and is made up of "straight" people, and all of them have been part of my life since I was a kid. I suppose it's simply a matter of who I enjoy spending time with.....their sexuality never enters the equation.
This is awesome, guys. Thanks for bringing us a taste of this important part of LGBT history. I hope that these stories and struggles are recorded for posterity and that we soon have more LGBT historical awareness.
1950s+ Excellent! Thank you for reminding me to look back. My life in Los Angeles during High School years was the beginning of DISCOVERY and the revealing of the whole of my personal character that would be experienced thru hands-on living of my life from college daze/days at San Jose State until right this very minute at the foot of the Fuego Volcano, my new hometown for almost 20 years, in Guatemala....becoming PART OF (or simply a very focused/sensitive/pushy or passive/observer sometimes) every changing moment-version of my life adventure is WONDERFUL and survivable. I am a single Gay Man, English American (Los Angeles and San Francisco/San Jose), ....full of thanksgiving for my life, my Gay life, the life I was born into naturally, grown to understandand adjust to and developed some talent into how to DO IT, ...the 1950 s into//thru 1960's were FASCINATING (and so are the years beyond). My best wishes to all of YOU, hang on when the going gets a little rough around the edges (or even when your heart seems broken)! Len C.
I suppose that you already know this but there is a library in Hollywood that was put together by the Mattachine Society that is all about Gay History. I don't know if it is still there but you could look into it if it is there. Thanks for doing this. Us old Aunties do have stories of pre Stonewall times and the crap that we had to live with. Thanks for the interest.
It doesn't matter if you are BORN that way. Sexual identity is formed by about age 5, and THERE IS NOTHING TO DO ABOUT IT. Gawd, do you really think its a choice, like what color socks to put on in the morning?
Then I've got a suggestion for you. I challenge you to choose to fall in love with a guy (if you're a guy) or a girl (if you're a girl).. See how 'easy'/'well' it goes...
I quit a Chicago high school in 1953, because I had "those" tendencies, and then it was taboo just to know some one gay, let a lone be gay. Many kids today have no idea of the problems we faced back then. I was involved in the early S.F. gay rights movement in the 60s and 70s, and knew Harvey Milk and played softball in the 1st gay league in the USA, Today over 50 cities have gay sport leagues. Judging from this video, gay youth are being informed, and the future looks bright! Thank you.
Biy time flew. I was 30 in the eighties and nineties It wasn't that bad to be gay then but even back then we had people that hated us. We had to put up with the AIDS crisis and alit of were still getting badly beaten and worse. I'm glad you guys now...you young guys....don't have to go through the tings we do. Appreciate it.
Unfortunately a lot of youthful gays still get beaten or worse even in this more openly accepting society. It's sad how strong hate can consume someone to be this violent.
I really wish I can see more of this documentary with more elderly LGBT people talking about there experiences. The more stories the better for our generation.
I notice this video was published 12 years ago. Very touching video. I know, I was there and lived through it. And the 1960s was just a continuation of the 1950s. Things didn't start to improve until around 1970. I was born in 1948 and later in the 1960s and through the next few decades I was forced to live a double life. It was nerve wrecking, but it had to be done in order to survive.
Congratulations for this original initiative! I was a toddler when they were moving out into the world. Yet, I find it educational & inspiring! Besides, in our time & age, we're fundamentally ungrateful for many privileges we've got! We always want more! Just imagine that in other parts of the world they're experiencing what those good folks experienced over half a century ago! With worse social & professional consequences! Sad indeed!
Being gay was like taboo back then, like a secret underground movement, they had secret signs and communicated to each other that way to know who was gay or not.
There is a difference between orientation and behavior. Why insist on the "choice" idea when every gay person will tell you they did NOT choose sexual orientation? The whole premise is annoying because it is rooted in the assumption that everyone is born heterosexual, but SOMETHING happens that leads people astray and people switch from gay to straight orientation. Yet even the reparative treatment people have admitted their schtick was a sham and sexual orientation is not changeable ie a choice
OMG I couldn't imagine being gay and having to go through all of that! It's horrible what they had to endure! My mom went through it in the 70s/80s and know it was difficult for her so I can't imagine what ppl went through in the years prior to that. Thank God times have changed!
I don't understand why the question of orientation has to be an issue. It just doesn't make sense to me that anyone should think they have the right to tell anyone else who they're allowed to build a life with.
I don’t think complete acceptance will ever come because some people are always going to have a problem with it. Others simply aren’t interested and have problems of their own. The constant barrage of pro gay activism may not be helping as its generating backlash, especially when it’s coupled with the “Trans” movement which is actually something very different. No one likes the feeling that something is being forced on them, even gays. “Tolerance” may be the best thing to aim for at this time. Lower pressure people oriented testimonials from human beings like this video are more effective than pushy activism.
I am not longer Christian but most Christians will agree that Mosaic law is no longer required to be followed. Jesus undid the Mosaic laws all but the moral laws such as the 10 commandments.
The same in the UK. I was a teenager in the 1970s and thought I was gay but couldn't be sure because I had never heard of anyone else who was gay. All I knew was that the word homosexual was in the dictionary. I used to feel that it was dangerous and daring even to look up the word. In the 1980s I was in my 20s but knew no one who was gay. It is not something that you could ever admit to anyone. It was a taboo subject. If you applied to work for the state, the police would come round to your university and ask your professors if they thought you were gay. I never met another gay man until 1998, when I was in my late thirties. But I found I was already a little too old to be of much interest to other gay men!
Wow, who are you to say that? You're not a gay man. I am though, and I can tell you I have never had "natural" relations with women to give up. I was gay since birth...naturally.
As long as he has a mom like you he'll be alright :) It is important for a young homosexual human being to have someone on his side, someone close to him. I can only imagine how hard must life be for those young people who's families refuse to accept their children for what they are. How hard it is to a young person to go through unfamiliar life without any support, as there is absolutely no education towards homosexuality in schooling, in many countries.
Wow, that is an amazing story, just from that short bit shared here. You might want to film it yourself and put it here as so many people do that now. I documented most of my travels and some of my career this way. From, 'tarotworldtour'
I'm not sure if you're trolling...but even if you are, I agree with your point. A lot of gay communities aren't accepting as they claim to be. I don't think that many of us understand the fact that gay men are just like everyone else, that we come from different backgrounds, different interests, and different etc....Gay people are as diverse straights and a lot of gay communities are willing to judge you.
I've never understood why the govt. felt it necessary to hunt down and make gays and lesbians' lives a living hell. What did they do to deserve to be treated so cruelly by them and society in general.
All people who are in power (dictators down to elected officials) are motivated to secure their status by directing attention to some other faction that is the "enemy" that the people should hold in contempt.
The lady speaking is Phyllis Lyon and her partner/wife founded The Daughter of Billitis. Unfortunately she just died on April 9th of this year. May they both RIP!.❤
You did an excellent job with this video! I am not gay, but grew up in the 1950's and it was a taboo or should I say a "God Forbid" Moment to learn your child was gay. Thankfully, not so today. Such young people who are so very bright and interested in the world!
Phyllis Snook I’m taking sociology in college and we went through homosexuality and all that stuff and it really broadened up my mind. Made me view and understand everyone’s view on society!
I remember a small blurb in my personal grooming and manners book that talked about this. I had no idea what they were talking about. I wish I had understood, I might have been able to help my sister through her pain.
It took balls ( no pun intended ) to come out in the 50s . Getting murdered was very prevalent for being gay . God bless these ballsy pioneers !
+john rush It really did! Those were not "the good old days" most people think they were.
john rush its not easy for everyone to come out
God? That's ironic.
Don't worry they will be buried with tax payer money, forgotten, and possessions seized. Thank you for making our country less populated for my children.
@@infraredred2713 your poor childeren a rad or mom like you poor kids hope they dont be gay
I was out in 1976 when I was 16. As I was unafraid and I had a very accurate perception of who I was I wouldn't be lying if I said that I was never in the closet. I was very outspoken and did not put up with bullying/ bullshit of any kind and that was valid inside my family as well. I left home two years later to go to college, became economically independent and so I have lived in relative Tranquility ever since. I am sure that this kind of attitude depended mostly on myself for there was a lot of prejudice everywhere. I had a very close gay friend since the age of 12 we were inseparable best friends and to this day we keep contact. he helped me a lot with my self-esteem and sense of self-worth.
The young people that conducted these interview did such an amazing job. Well done! And of course amazing respect to the people who came out in the 1950s. Like one of the young people said, I thought I had it hard in the 80s/90s. Wow! Thank you for this video.
"Acceptance, not tolerance." He's absolutely right. I love this, thank you!
Believe me, it wasn't a picnic, when I came out on 1968 either.
Then, it still isn't for a lot of people. Still, if at all possible and if you are safe, by all means, COME OUT! Young people, you are a light onto this world and deserve happiness.
It’s even hard now as a trans girl I can only imagine LGBT back in the 50’s and 60’s
this is great - i love how the woman keeps using the word "friendly" - she's precious :)
I'm so thankful to all the generations that came before me and pioneered gay rights activism so that I could come out in a safe environment!
@deenman23 Sick, sick; sick person you are. Unfortunately your mother was not sterile.
Thanks for this video. I had no idea the LGBT community faced these types of discriminations back then. Great video
That's hard to believe you didn't that,I thought everyone knew that.
Yea now people are able to be more open so if you don’t know the history you don’t really have a real idea of how it was. It can still be really bad in some places but it’s way better socially in America now. Big reason the history should be taught in school.
It's so important for our LGBT Youth to connect to our older community there is so much we can offer you. Life was different in our times. But we are the cornerstone for the freedom the younger LGBT youth enjoy today. By coming out, speaking up, and demanding change. We now have the freedom to love who we wish. Life is better but we still have a long way to go. And we must must never go back to the dark closets of shame, & fear!
yes you are right, the younger gays have alot to learn. you keep to yourself.
We owe their generation everything we now take for granted! Just imagine living in constant terror of loosing everything if the came out, not to mention the constant threat of physical violence and/or being killed, with no way to do nothing about it? I’m 49, I met my husband when I was 20, through a dating agency I found in the back page of the newspaper (there was no internet back then). Back then, we still faced major discrimination, violence, being denied housing and/or employment, couldn’t get married, have kids...basically we had zero rights. While the people in this videos generation laid the ground work, and were beyond brave, my generation were the ones that literally put our lives on the line to fight like hell for every right we now enjoy. I can’t even count the number of protests/sit in’s we attended, we were arrested many times, just for sticking up for our rights, but, they’d always drop the charges after, they just did everything possible within the confines of Canadian law (we’re in Toronto) to break up, and/or discourage us from fighting for our rights. But after years of bitter political battles, and court challenges (cost us a fortune in lawyers fee, which we fund raised for), slowly, we finally turned things around, and got what we deserved......NOT special rights, as the at the time media then so often touted, but, our HUMAN rights! I’ll NEVER forget the day we won our court case against the police and government, making discrimination against our community illegal. From that point on, our political momentum picked up speed, and as the years past, so did many new laws allowing us to legally adopt and get married. You would NOT believe the fight we went through, but we won!! For any ignorant moron who stereotypes us a girly wimps, cowards, etc....they only wish they had the courage we did to go up against centuries of church dogma, and a societal assumption and acceptance of gays being sexual deviants and perverted freaks! I think, at least for Canadian/American LGTBQ, Stonewall was the defining moment that put the gay rights movement in full motion. It was a declaration of war against the “establishment’ that we were not going to take anymore shit from brain dead straight hicks. One more event that is etched in my mind that began the gay rights battle in Toronto (and all of Canada for that matter), was the infamous bathhouse raids of 1981, by the Toronto police, who invaded a bathhouse, broke down the doors, beat, and arrested every man they could find, publishing their names in the newspaper the following day. As we all know, many who frequent bath houses are married men with children, who were either unable, or unwilling, to come out.....in the days that followed, after their names were published, several took their own lives because they couldn’t face the shame they felt....NO ONE has the right to do this to us, or to anyone. My partner Freddy and I co-founded “safety zone’, a nonprofit anti-gay bashing organization, in the late 80’s and early 90’s, as the number of gay bashing’s were in the rise, and as usual, the police did nothing about it, so we did. It took us a while, but we finally found 2 gay cops who were brave enough to put their lives, and careers, on the line, to help us arrest and jail as many gay baskets as possible. PC Judy Noseworthy and her partner (sorry, forgot his name) were are liaison to the police. Safety Zone, our group, would patrol the community from 11pm - 3am every Friday, and Saturday night (the two nights when most attacks on gay men happened). We’d travel in groups of 5 or more, wore highly visible neon green or pink arm bands, so the public knew we were there, and who we were, and armed with only a camera, video camera, note pads, binoculars, whistles (we use to use whistles to get anyone with in earshot attention) and two way radios to keep in touch. Remember, this all happened before the cell phone was in public use! We’d patrol area that were popular with gay bashers, and would record all relevant information, give that information to the police, and they’d look up, and usually find who it was by their licence plate numbers. Most times, these cowardly punks would take off if they saw us, word spread fast that we were watching, and I’m proud to say, within only one year of our groups existence, attacks on the LGBTQ community plummeted a staggering 80%. Most gay bashing’s were committed by stupid punk ass kids from the burbs, driving their mothers car, downtown, to beat on what they thought was an easy target. In one year we had over 100 arrests made, cars seized and licences revoked. We were so thrilled to be able to make such a difference....and according to Judy, there were many furious parents who’s cars were now impounded because little jimmy drove downtown with 4 or 5 of his punk ass ignorant friends to attack and assault gays, GOOD!!! We were funded at first, by a man, who’s son had been killed by gay bashers, who tied the poor guy to a fence, took turns beating and cutting him with a hunting knife, doused him with gasoline, set him on fire and walked away. This man was a famous Toronto lawyer, but even he had a difficult time getting a jury to find every single one of the 8 cowards that ganged up against him, and tortured him to death...BUT, he won the case, and had all 8 tried as adults (they were 16 and 17 year olds at the time of their evil actions), ensure they all faced life in prison, with no parole. He was only too happy to help us, and we, only to happy to help him, and honour his sons memory by catching as many as these cowardly bastards as possible. Sadly, he himself passed away a year later, from a massive heart attack...his family maintains he died of a broken heart, and I believe it. After his passing, we’d hold fund raising events in local bars, but our treasurer suddenly vanished one day, with the over $15000 we had raised. He forged a signature (to withdraw any money from that account, at least two members had to sign), and that put a quick end to the group. BUT, they did catch him, and nailed him for 5 years, but the money was never returned, and by that point, we had established such good community relations with our police, and bashing’s were down so much, we were no longer necessary, thank god! So to all the young members of our community, please make an effort to realize the struggles, and sacrifice of those who came before you, made, so you could have all the rights you just take for granted now, in the same way I honour the generation in this video, they paved the way for us, and us, for you...now, at least in Toronto, nobody cares if your gay, and to see a gay coupe holding hands walking downtown isn’t even really noticed anymore, it’s just part of our culture now, and I’m so happy to say I was lucky enough to play a small part in it all, it will only get better from here.
TJ Devereaux I love your story wish you could share it with more ppl. If you get the notion let me know I'll give ypu an e-mail address...
I read the beginning... and was intrigued... so I hit the "more" button and was overwhelmed with the length of your reply. So I thought Ok.. I will read it all.. What a story! Thank you for everything that you did. I hope the younger generation really appreciate it!
Thank you! You are a part of history! Thank you for your bravery Mr!!!
You are an amazing person. I do wonder the extent to which young gay people still have internalised homophobia or at least a feeling of not being quite good enough even in these days. I know a few young, gay people who have very low self confidence. Some places like at universities and higher education, establishments (I’m in the UK) seem to be zones where people can really speak out with extra confidence. Other than that I still think there are issues. I thank you for laying the groundwork of supporting and assisting this wonderful community, which benefits us all so much in so many ways across the world. X
Kudos to Del and Phyllis, both of whom I met whilst living in SFO in the late 1970's.
Can you believe it, we now have military same sex weddings! My how far we have come. Never thought in my life time I'd see same sex weddings or have one of my own. let alone have kids! My husband is 79 I'm 54 kids aren't in our future but to know that the younger generation has that opportunity is mind blowing! To all those who paved the way Thank you doesn't seem enough!
One of the things I love is when someone sees my wedding ring and asked about my wife and I say, I don't have a wife I have a husband. we've been together 28 yrs! When you accept yourself people tend to accept you. Tok a life time to learn that. Love yourself or no one else will.
I am so glad younger people are intreasted in the past of the Gay community . There is so much to learn . Its not just the bars and parting.
thank you so much for making this, it brought tears
In retrospect, I think I was fortunate to be out when I graduated in 1964. Unlike the very repressed and scary 1950's, the 1960's was on the cusp of liberation/ And then came the 1970's when we were all over the place. Those times were great but immediately followed by the AIDS outbreak around 1982.
I lost many friends and family. I met my partner in 1976. Although we didn't know it then, out committment saved our lives. We are now retired in New Mexico and still very happy!
Happy you found a life of contentment and peace.
This was very touching. As an older gay man i mostly feel invisible in the gay community. It was nice that you listened and said kind things and rather than just snubbing these people.
The gay community is very over sexualized and shallow today.
I came out in '89. I wish I could have come out years before. It was so hard to come out in the place I lived and at that time. No one in high school was out. I could have saved myself a lot of years of trying to convince myself I was heterosexual, and that I did not really have a crush on any girls, I just thought were pretty. I wish I could have at least been out with myself.
Great job on this video. These stories need to be preserved.
We acknowledge what a great job the Veterans did keeping us free and in my 53 years I've never seen anything as profound as what these wonderful people did to keep homosexuals free and to protect their civil rights. Most excellent piece of work that you have produced. I also hope to see more.
what's funny to me is that there are so many hateful bigots who go out of their way to look up videos they dont agree with so they can spend time writing their dumb comments. go get some lives!!!
Sasha Ayad Preach Sasha!
+Sasha Ayad Don't feed the pigeons Sasha is all I can say. They come back for more.
+Nor Easter People who watch gay videos are gay. FACT!
agreed
I came here to see what the government will seize after they pass away. Obviously, they don't have heirs.
Even in the 90s, it was a big deal to be out. I'm amazed and encouraged by the way things have changed in my lifetime. I'm not even that old, but I'm amazed by how much better someone just 10 years younger than me will have it. I hope I'll live to see the first generation in maybe a thousand years to have no shame whatsoever about being true to themselves. They're coming and I welcome and envy them.
OMG You got to interview one of the founders of Daughters of Billitis??? WHAT AN HONOR! I didn't even know the founders were still ALIVE! That is walking HISTORY right there! How is Phyllis Lyon not more famous???
LGBTQIA's today can truly say that we all stand on the shoulders of giants. Thank you to all who stood their ground when it came to defending our civil rights in those awefully dark times. Your sacrifice will not be taken lightly.
Thank you, young Americans, for teaching the future about our past. I came out in San Jose. I was absolutely unaware that I was gay until college. Your project has shed some light on a long hidden subject.
Thanks for your bravery.
Tom
To everyone involved in making this video. Thank you for your work; and thank you for making this video informative and brief.
We are so much luckier nowadays. but there is a loss of gay culture. A lot of sense of family and camaraderie and support is lost as well. The internet had a lot to do with that too I suppose.
Luke B.......you hit the nail on the head! The internet hasn’t done the LGBTQ community any favors. Back in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s every metro area had tons of gay bars, clubs, discos. Nowadays........that’s been cut down by about 2/3rds......kind of sad actually.
Thanks for your post. This was very interesting and very well done~! Kuddos~! Long overdue. I would love to see more interviews from elders around the country. It would be nice to here from how the stigma impacted the community nationally.
This is wonderful. How far we've come, thanks to those who struggled before us!
"coming out in the 1950's"....you don't.
Rena Briggs funny
So true.
I was going to gay bars and gay parties in 1954. I was 14. NYC. Read my book, "I Already Am," or "A Gamut of Poems." Better yet, study my activist cousin, Vito Russo.
I knew people from Bilitis, One and the Mattachine Society but I was too busy dancing to participate. Plus, in 1964, I opened a gay bar in South Hollywood, CA. Great fun. Good to see Phyllis. We met a few times.
“Nothing can be loved or hated unless it is first understood.”― Leonardo da Vinci
I am 75. I lived all of this. We were homosexuals. Attracted to our own kind. People who hated us called us queer.
When I hear young people call themselves queer I do not feel any connection since I know they lack any sensitivity to our history.
God bless the children for remembering and emphasising that THERE WERE poeple like us yeeeears before and they still lived to talk about it !!!!!
God bless you my little firends !
I'm taking History of Major issues in Sexuality at USF. It's basically a History of LGBTQ. Great class and this video was definitely helpful with my research paper. Thanks!
I feel bad for them coz the had to go throght the hardships and also thank them for making the world better for us today. THANK YOU!
I’m glad that older LGBTQ+ people are open to talking about their lives in earlier decades. The secrecy that had to surround most LGBTQ+ people must have been so stressful. I once worked for a city parks department in the late 70s. One of our parks had a lot of woods. Men would leave notes in the restroom about meeting in the woods. Every day we would see the same cars cruising through the park with just one man inside. I remember thinking how sad it must be to have to resort to behavior like this to meet other men. Also, the fear they must have felt if they got caught.
Thanks a lot for sharing these stories with us.
Thank you for documenting important history!
My Mother gave me really good advice many years ago, “Health is WEALTH!” Invest in yourself; the dividends will payoff for many years to come not only to you, but to those around you whom you love the most!!! As an older Gay man who lived through the AIDS epidemic, I find that this is especially important even today in our society. So VERY HAPPY that my Gay generation is able to share their life experiences with the younger generation!!!
Y'all should interview my partner of 22 years......he'll shortly be 92 years old and could tell you about being gay in the 30s and 40s. His stories about being a young American GI in France and England during WWII are shocking, funny and amazing, all at the same time!
DrVonChilla You should interview him and record him!
If he hasn’t written a book, he should! Kudos
I have so much respect for them because they are the one of the beginners of the long fight for gay civil rights. I hope one day I get to tell my grandchildren my stories of my fighting against discrimination and bullying.
Good work, youngsters. It's nice to see respect being shown to seniors, regardless of the topic or their sexuality.
I came out in the early 80s and it's worth noting that I was never part of a "gay community". Sure, I have a couple gay friends but most of my "community" was and is made up of "straight" people, and all of them have been part of my life since I was a kid. I suppose it's simply a matter of who I enjoy spending time with.....their sexuality never enters the equation.
This is awesome, guys. Thanks for bringing us a taste of this important part of LGBT history. I hope that these stories and struggles are recorded for posterity and that we soon have more LGBT historical awareness.
1950s+ Excellent! Thank you for reminding me to look back. My life in Los Angeles during High School years was the beginning of DISCOVERY and the revealing of the whole of my personal character that would be experienced thru hands-on living of my life from college daze/days at San Jose State until right this very minute at the foot of the Fuego Volcano, my new hometown for almost 20 years, in Guatemala....becoming PART OF (or simply a very focused/sensitive/pushy or passive/observer sometimes) every changing moment-version of my life adventure is WONDERFUL and survivable. I am a single Gay Man, English American (Los Angeles and San Francisco/San Jose), ....full of thanksgiving for my life, my Gay life, the life I was born into naturally, grown to understandand adjust to and developed some talent into how to DO IT, ...the 1950 s into//thru 1960's were FASCINATING (and so are the years beyond). My best wishes to all of YOU, hang on when the going gets a little rough around the edges (or even when your heart seems broken)! Len C.
It's fantastic to be able to hear about the lives of gay people from different generations.
I'm straight and have no problem with anyone being gay.
Amazing stories, very privileged to be living in this more accepting generation right now
I suppose that you already know this but there is a library in Hollywood that was put together by the Mattachine Society that is all about Gay History. I don't know if it is still there but you could look into it if it is there. Thanks for doing this. Us old Aunties do have stories of pre Stonewall times and the crap that we had to live with. Thanks for the interest.
The library is near USC and it was put together by One. It is called One & Company. I think they have another location in West Hollywood.
Great job! Please continue this.
It doesn't matter if you are BORN that way. Sexual identity is formed by about age 5, and THERE IS NOTHING TO DO ABOUT IT. Gawd, do you really think its a choice, like what color socks to put on in the morning?
JimmyT132 no its a choice
Yes!! If they have holes in them or not!
C&Dvids Guess it’s also a choice when you see a sexy girl and you get a boner right?
Then I've got a suggestion for you. I challenge you to choose to fall in love with a guy (if you're a guy) or a girl (if you're a girl).. See how 'easy'/'well' it goes...
I quit a Chicago high school in 1953, because I had "those" tendencies, and then it was taboo just to know some one gay, let a lone be gay. Many kids today have no idea of the problems we faced back then. I was involved in the early S.F. gay rights movement in the 60s and 70s, and knew Harvey Milk and played softball in the 1st gay league in the USA, Today over 50 cities have gay sport leagues. Judging from this video, gay youth are being informed, and the future looks bright! Thank you.
we both went.. "oh" SAME
God is so kind that gives gaydars to gay people !!!
i love you guys for doing this
Biy time flew. I was 30 in the eighties and nineties It wasn't that bad to be gay then but even back then we had people that hated us. We had to put up with the AIDS crisis and alit of were still getting badly beaten and worse. I'm glad you guys now...you young guys....don't have to go through the tings we do. Appreciate it.
Unfortunately a lot of youthful gays still get beaten or worse even in this more openly accepting society. It's sad how strong hate can consume someone to be this violent.
I really wish I can see more of this documentary with more elderly LGBT people talking about there experiences. The more stories the better for our generation.
That sucks so much ... I feel bad about the people who had to deal with this ... my parents grew up in this time
These people are heroes. To come out in the conservative 50s takes true courage. One of my heroes did that - Allen Ginsberg.
I notice this video was published 12 years ago. Very touching video. I know, I was there and lived through it. And the 1960s was just a continuation of the 1950s. Things didn't start to improve until around 1970. I was born in 1948 and later in the 1960s and through the next few decades I was forced to live a double life. It was nerve wrecking, but it had to be done in order to survive.
Well done, kudos to all the participants.
Congratulations for this original initiative! I was a toddler when they were moving out into the world. Yet, I find it educational & inspiring! Besides, in our time & age, we're fundamentally ungrateful for many privileges we've got! We always want more! Just imagine that in other parts of the world they're experiencing what those good folks experienced over half a century ago! With worse social & professional consequences! Sad indeed!
It was a hard topic to discuss in the gay 50s...
thank you for making this its very meaningful
Absolutelty beautiful, I have nothing but respect for those people.
Being gay was like taboo back then, like a secret underground movement, they had secret signs and communicated to each other that way to know who was gay or not.
This is so good. WELL DONE;
would've been funny if the video was just some guy saying "you didn't" and it ended right there
GREAT Project - GREAT JOB!!!
Homophobes should be informed that Gay people are born that way. Period. No explanation required.
There is a difference between orientation and behavior. Why insist on the "choice" idea when every gay person will tell you they did NOT choose sexual orientation? The whole premise is annoying because it is rooted in the assumption that everyone is born heterosexual, but SOMETHING happens that leads people astray and people switch from gay to straight orientation. Yet even the reparative treatment people have admitted their schtick was a sham and sexual orientation is not changeable ie a choice
11:04 Acceptance, not tolerance, but acceptance of each other. Indeed! ;-)
Thank you for your courage and strength.
The man at 2:31 looks fantastic! Thanks for this wonderful video!
i am a gay born in 1950. why do u want to know what it was like then. it was fucking hell.
Well it's always important to know our history.
OMG I couldn't imagine being gay and having to go through all of that! It's horrible what they had to endure! My mom went through it in the 70s/80s and know it was difficult for her so I can't imagine what ppl went through in the years prior to that. Thank God times have changed!
I don't understand why the question of orientation has to be an issue. It just doesn't make sense to me that anyone should think they have the right to tell anyone else who they're allowed to build a life with.
Sounds like they had it hard grateful for how far we've come
People have tried doing that, but we grow stronger every year. Not including ALL the straight people who are in support.
Single men who were not married were just called Bachelors in my childhood. Nothing else was never said.
I hope one day, we can all say, "This is family" about everyone whether LGBT or straight.
I know it's still a long way from how it should be. But it's gotten so much better and easier even in our lifetimes.
I don’t think complete acceptance will ever come because some people are always going to have a problem with it. Others simply aren’t interested and have problems of their own. The constant barrage of pro gay activism may not be helping as its generating backlash, especially when it’s coupled with the “Trans” movement which is actually something very different. No one likes the feeling that something is being forced on them, even gays. “Tolerance” may be the best thing to aim for at this time. Lower pressure people oriented testimonials from human beings like this video are more effective than pushy activism.
I am not longer Christian but most Christians will agree that Mosaic law is no longer required to be followed. Jesus undid the Mosaic laws all but the moral laws such as the 10 commandments.
super video. anyone who doesnt like the content, go play bingo or something. geez
Good job. Very enjoyable.
The early 80s wasn’t that much different for many gays in the USA.
The same in the UK. I was a teenager in the 1970s and thought I was gay but couldn't be sure because I had never heard of anyone else who was gay. All I knew was that the word homosexual was in the dictionary. I used to feel that it was dangerous and daring even to look up the word. In the 1980s I was in my 20s but knew no one who was gay. It is not something that you could ever admit to anyone. It was a taboo subject. If you applied to work for the state, the police would come round to your university and ask your professors if they thought you were gay. I never met another gay man until 1998, when I was in my late thirties. But I found I was already a little too old to be of much interest to other gay men!
Wow, who are you to say that? You're not a gay man. I am though, and I can tell you I have never had "natural" relations with women to give up. I was gay since birth...naturally.
It's nice to know someone can think for himself.
Things are so different now. The things they went through is astounding. Its better now but were not where it should be. It will take time.
Amazing, very well done!
As long as he has a mom like you he'll be alright :) It is important for a young homosexual human being to have someone on his side, someone close to him. I can only imagine how hard must life be for those young people who's families refuse to accept their children for what they are. How hard it is to a young person to go through unfamiliar life without any support, as there is absolutely no education towards homosexuality in schooling, in many countries.
Wow, that is an amazing story, just from that short bit shared here. You might want to film it yourself and put it here as so many people do that now. I documented most of my travels and some of my career this way. From, 'tarotworldtour'
I'm not sure if you're trolling...but even if you are, I agree with your point. A lot of gay communities aren't accepting as they claim to be. I don't think that many of us understand the fact that gay men are just like everyone else, that we come from different backgrounds, different interests, and different etc....Gay people are as diverse straights and a lot of gay communities are willing to judge you.
That's debatable, neither side of this argument has fully been proven.
I've never understood why the govt. felt it necessary to hunt down and make gays and lesbians' lives a living hell. What did they do to deserve to be treated so cruelly by them and society in general.
All people who are in power (dictators down to elected officials) are motivated to secure their status by directing attention to some other faction that is the "enemy" that the people should hold in contempt.
God is so good that give us gaydars !
YOU are the last person I would want feeling sorry for me for something I consider a gift. You are unbelievably close-minded. :)
Salvation from that is the "gift"..
Beautiful, amazing video.