Detro Gay Liberator - We're Here, We're Queer, and We're the Public Rerd! - Spotlight exhibs at the UC Berkeley Library

Contents:

• COLLECTN SPOTLIGHT: GAY LIBERATOR
• SHOCKWAV OM STONEWALL: REVISG GAY LIBERATN MICHIGAN
• DETRO GAY LIBERATOR

COLLECTN SPOTLIGHT: GAY LIBERATOR

The Gay Liberator llectn, the space of jt two pact box, offers a history unique to Detro and s LGBT muny. Published om 1970-1976, the Gay Liberator also reflects growg polil awarens durg an important time for the natn as a whole. In the first issue of the Gay Liberator, we see the support system that has been nstcted and mataed by gay men and women of the metro Detro area: social events are planned, tsted health re provirs are remend, safe spac are advertised.

This group workg for acceptance realiz that the sired normalizatn of their inty is herently radil, as will only be possible through “a basic change society” [Gay Liberator, Vol. The gay liberatn movement was takg root across the Uned Stat as a bandg together of lbian, gay, and transgenr groups who realized they were fightg for the same e.

Wh the pag of the Gay Liberator, they began to discs the multiple layers of race, class, and sexual inty that affected their liv: “we are alt wh more severely than those ‘sissi’ who have hered membership the lg class” [Gay Liberator, Vol. This cricism was enuraged and taken to heart: illtratns and advertisements the Gay Liberator beme creasgly aware of diversy issu wh each new issue.

SHOCKWAV OM STONEWALL: REVISG GAY LIBERATN MICHIGAN

Natnal polil groups took notice of the gay liberatn movement as well, the more radil groups treatg them as an equal force, a factn of the same army.

Readg through the November 1970 issue of the Gay Liberator, a surprisg disvery for many is a letter wrten by Huey P. In , Newton urg his Panthers to overe their fear and support gays and women as fellow revolutnari: “We mt ga secury ourselv and therefore have rpect and feelg for all opprsed people.

” As an extensn of this rpect, he remends disntug the e of mon gay slurs of the time. He further suggts that gays particular may be an exemplary force to take note of: “And maybe I’m now jectg some of my prejudice by sayg, ‘even a homosexual n be a revolutnary’.

DETRO GAY LIBERATOR

Que the ntrary, maybe a homosexual uld be the most revolutnary. This self is enough to look to the Detro Gay Liberator llectn, but there is much more to be found.

The Detro Gay Liberator was fertile ground for passnate bate between the multifaceted and wily varyg groups wh the gay liberatn movement, a place for maniftos, for changg mds, for radil qutng, and movg society to a better place. South Eastern Michigan Gay and Lbian Associatn Rerds.

Multiple nights of rtg agast police June 1969 sent shockwav across the untry and sparked gay anizg on a mass sle. A new, radil group New York lled self the Gay Liberatn Front, the “ont” om the Natnal Liberatn Front, another name for the Viet Cong. Many gay activists had already bee embolned by 1969.