Meet the Gay Pneer of ‘Two-Spir’ - The Amerin Spectator | USA News and Polics

Contents:

• GAY PNEERS
• 7 EARLY PNEERS OF THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENTBEFORE THE STONEWALL RTS, THE ACTIVISTS HELPED SET THE STAGE FOR ADVANC THE LGBTQ CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.BY: JOSEPH BENNGTON-CASTROUPDATED: JUNE 8, 2023 | ORIGAL: JUNE 1, 2023PY PAGE LKPRT PAGEBILL MRER/NY DAILY NEWS ARCHIVE VIA GETTY IMAGTHE 1960S SAW SOME MAJOR STRIS LGBTQ ACTIVISM, CLUDG THE GAY “SIP-IN” PROTT AGAST DISCRIMATN OM NEW YORK CY BARS AND THE 1969 STONEWALL RTS. BUT SOME ACTIVISTS TOOK A STAND FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS BEFORE THAT FAMED , OPERATG UNR THE FEAR OF LOSG THEIR JOBS SHOULD THEY BE OUTED OR BEG ARRTED FOR SIMPLY EXISTG HETERONORMATIVE SPAC. THE URAGE OF THE EARLY U.S. QUEER ACTIVISTS SET THE STAGE FOR POLIL VICTORI LGBTQ RIGHTS THE S TO E.WILLIAM DORSEY SWANN (1860–?)JT THREE YEARS BEFORE THE EMANCIPATN PROCLAMATN, WILLIAM DORSEY SWANN WAS BORN THE PROPERTY OF A WHE PLANTATN WOMAN, ACRDG TO REARCH BY CHANNG GERARD JOSEPH. HE GREW UP TO BEE THE FIRST PERSON THE UNED STAT TO FIGHT FOR THE LGBTQ MUNY’S RIGHT TO GATHER THROUGH LEGAL AND POLIL CHANNELS. HE WAS ALSO THE FIRST SELF-PROFSED QUEEN OF DRAG.SWANN HELD DRAG BALLS, OR DANCE PARTI WHICH ATTEN (BLACK MEN, MANY FORMER SLAV) WOULD DRS WOMEN’S SILKS AND SATS. ONE OF THE WASHGTON, D.C. PARTI WAS RAID BY POLICE 1888 AND ABOUT A DOZEN OF THE DRAGGED-UP ATTEN WERE ARRTED, SWANN CLUD.HE WAS TAED SEVERAL MORE TIM AND NVICTED 1896 FOR THE FALSE CHARGE OF “KEEPG A DISORRLY HOE,” OR A BROTHEL. DURG HIS 10-MONTH SENTENCE, SWANN PETNED PRINT GROVER CLEVELAND FOR A PARDON, WHICH WAS NIED. AFTER HIS RELEASE, SWANN NTUED TO THROW BALLS AS THE QUEEN OF DRAG. THE YEAR OF HIS ATH IS UNCERTA, ALTHOUGH SOME LIST AS 1925, WHEN HE WOULD HAVE BEEN 66-67 YEARS OLD.HENRY GERBER (1892–1972)IN 1924, HENRY GERBER FOUND THE FIRST GAY RIGHTS ANIZATN AMERI: THE SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. THE CHIGO-BASED ANIZATN PRODUCED FRIENDSHIP AND FREEDOM, THE FIRST AMERIN PUBLITN FOR HOMOSEXUALS.IN 1925, GERBER AND OTHER ANIZATN MEMBERS WERE ARRTED FOR “OBSCENY” AFTER THE POLICE RECEIVED A TIP OM A -FOUNR’S WIFE. THOUGH THE CHARG WERE EVENTUALLY DROPPED, FIGHTG THEM ST GERBER HIS LIFE’S SAVGS AND HIS JOB WH THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, AS WELL AS THE DISSOLUTN OF HIS ANIZATN.GERBER WENT ON TO LIVE AN UNASSUMG LIFE, WRG ARTICL ABOUT HOMOSEXUAL OPPRSN UNR A PSDONYM, WORKG AND BUILDG MUNY.HARRY HAY (1912–2002)HARRY HAY WAS A MUNIST ACTIVIST WHO -FOUND THE MATTACHE SOCIETY, THE FIRST ENDURG GAY RIGHTS ANIZATN, 1950. HAY WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DIVORCED BY HIS WIFE, FELLOW MUNIST ANA PLATKY, AND EXPELLED OM THE MUNIST PARTY, WHICH NSIRED HIM A SECURY RISK, A FEW YEARS LATER. THE BURGEONG MATTACHE SOCIETY FORCED HAY AND OTHER MUNIST FOUNRS TO STEP DOWN 1953.HAY NTUED HIS QUEER ACTIVISM FOLLOWG HIS EXPULSN. HE WAS ELECTED THE FIRST CHAIR OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAY LIBERATN FRONT—A ANT QUEER RIGHTS GROUP—AFTER THE STONEWALL RTS AND -FOUND THE RADIL FAIRI A LATER. HE SPENT HIS LATER YEARS BEG VOLVED NATIVE AMERIN TWO-SPIR ACTIVISM.DEL MART (1921–2008) AND PHYLLIS LYON (1924–2020)NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARYPHYLIS LYON AND DEL MART, CIR 1970.IN 1955, DEL MART AND PHYLLIS LYON -FOUND THE FIRST MAJOR ANIZATN FOR LBIANS THE UNED STAT—THE DGHTERS OF BILIS. THE UPLE SOON LNCHED AND BEME EDORS OF LADR, THE ANIZATN’S NATNAL PUBLITN AND PLATFORM FOR LBIANS TO ANONYMOLY OR OPENLY WRE ABOUT ISSU PERTENT TO THE MUNY. MART AND LYON WERE ALSO THE FIRST LBIAN UPLE TO JO THE NATNAL ORGANIZATN FOR WOMEN.DGHTERS OF BILIS EVENTUALLY SHUTTERED AS THE QUEER RIGHTS MOVEMENT BEME MORE ANT, BUT MART AND LYON NTUED THEIR ACTIVISM. AFTER MORE THAN FIVE S TOGETHER, THE PAIR WERE THE FIRST OF 90 GAY UPL TO BE ILLEGALLY MARRIED BY SAN FRANCIS’S THEN-MAYOR GAV NEWSOM. THEY WERE MARRIED AGA FOUR YEARS LATER, 2008, AFTER CALIFORNIA LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. DALE JENNGS (1917–2000)A FOUNDG MEMBER OF THE MATTACHE SOCIETY, DALE JENNGS BEME A QUEER RIGHTS HERO WHEN HE PROTTED URT A 1951 CHARGE OF SEXUAL SOLICATN LOS ANGEL. AT THE TIME, ENTRAPMENT BY TECTIV POSG AS GAY MEN BARS, PUBLIC PARKS, AND RTROOMS WAS MON. THOSE CHARGED WH SOLICG POLICE OFFICERS FOR SEX TYPILLY PLEAD GUILTY RATHER THAN FACE BEG OUTED AS GAY. JENNGS, AT HAY’S SUGGTN, FOUGHT THE CHARGE TO BRG ATTENTN TO THE DISCRIMATORY POLICY. IN 1952, THE JURY ADLOCKED FOR ACQUTAL AND THE JUDGE DISMISSED THE CHARGE.THAT YEAR, JENNGS -FOUND ONE INC., WHICH PRODUCED THE NATNAL GAY JOURNAL ONE MAGAZE. IN 1954, A LOS ANGEL POSTMASTER NFISTED THE MAGAZE FOR BEG ''OBSCENE, LEWD, LASCIV AND FILTHY,” WHICH ONE FOUGHT URT. A LOWER URT LED FAVOR OF THE POSTMASTER BUT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, 1958, UNANIMOLY REVERSED THE CISN, UPHOLDG A NSTUTNAL PROTECTN FOR PRO-GAY WRGS.CHRISTE JENSEN (1926–1989)
• JAGUARS’ KEV MAXEN IS FIRST MALE ACH TO E OUT AS GAY US MEN’S PRO SPORTS
• RACG TO PRERVE THE HISTORY OF MAE’S 1ST GAY RIGHTS ANIZATN
• LAKE BLUFF NSIRS FLYG GAY PRI FLAG ON VILLAGE FLAGPOLE; ‘WE N SEND THE RIGHT MSAGE, THAT WE ARE AN ACCEPTG ... MUNY’
• NEWLY RETIRED, GAY SPORTSWRG PNEER ROGER BRIGHAM REFLECTS ON HOW SPORTS SAVED HIS LIFE
• 9 PNEERS OF THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT YOU NEED TO KNOW (BUT PROBABLY DON'T)
• THE CONFLICTED GAY PNEER
• PENNSYLVANIA PULLS GAY PNEER'S MARKER OVER 1993 COMMENTS
• BARBARA GTGS: GAY PNEER PAPERBACK – JUNE 13, 2015
• LGBT HISTORY MONTH 2022 OCTOBER 18: RON GOLD, GAY PNEER

GAY PNEERS

Gay Pneers braids archival footage om the semal monstratns; FBI vtigative fil obtaed unr the Freedom of Informatn Act; gay pneer terviews about the homophobia of that era, the protol for the monstratns and how those monstratns impacted the movement and Barbara Gtgs, Frank Kameny and Lilli Vcenz on-mera 2004 discsg same-sex marriage. Showg at a meetg of a stunt club (monly known as a Gay-Straight Alliance, or GSA), and leadg a discsn afterward (you n e some of the qutns this gui to help you do so).

7 EARLY PNEERS OF THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENTBEFORE THE STONEWALL RTS, THE ACTIVISTS HELPED SET THE STAGE FOR ADVANC THE LGBTQ CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.BY: JOSEPH BENNGTON-CASTROUPDATED: JUNE 8, 2023 | ORIGAL: JUNE 1, 2023PY PAGE LKPRT PAGEBILL MRER/NY DAILY NEWS ARCHIVE VIA GETTY IMAGTHE 1960S SAW SOME MAJOR STRIS LGBTQ ACTIVISM, CLUDG THE GAY “SIP-IN” PROTT AGAST DISCRIMATN OM NEW YORK CY BARS AND THE 1969 STONEWALL RTS. BUT SOME ACTIVISTS TOOK A STAND FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS BEFORE THAT FAMED , OPERATG UNR THE FEAR OF LOSG THEIR JOBS SHOULD THEY BE OUTED OR BEG ARRTED FOR SIMPLY EXISTG HETERONORMATIVE SPAC. THE URAGE OF THE EARLY U.S. QUEER ACTIVISTS SET THE STAGE FOR POLIL VICTORI LGBTQ RIGHTS THE S TO E.WILLIAM DORSEY SWANN (1860–?)JT THREE YEARS BEFORE THE EMANCIPATN PROCLAMATN, WILLIAM DORSEY SWANN WAS BORN THE PROPERTY OF A WHE PLANTATN WOMAN, ACRDG TO REARCH BY CHANNG GERARD JOSEPH. HE GREW UP TO BEE THE FIRST PERSON THE UNED STAT TO FIGHT FOR THE LGBTQ MUNY’S RIGHT TO GATHER THROUGH LEGAL AND POLIL CHANNELS. HE WAS ALSO THE FIRST SELF-PROFSED QUEEN OF DRAG.SWANN HELD DRAG BALLS, OR DANCE PARTI WHICH ATTEN (BLACK MEN, MANY FORMER SLAV) WOULD DRS WOMEN’S SILKS AND SATS. ONE OF THE WASHGTON, D.C. PARTI WAS RAID BY POLICE 1888 AND ABOUT A DOZEN OF THE DRAGGED-UP ATTEN WERE ARRTED, SWANN CLUD.HE WAS TAED SEVERAL MORE TIM AND NVICTED 1896 FOR THE FALSE CHARGE OF “KEEPG A DISORRLY HOE,” OR A BROTHEL. DURG HIS 10-MONTH SENTENCE, SWANN PETNED PRINT GROVER CLEVELAND FOR A PARDON, WHICH WAS NIED. AFTER HIS RELEASE, SWANN NTUED TO THROW BALLS AS THE QUEEN OF DRAG. THE YEAR OF HIS ATH IS UNCERTA, ALTHOUGH SOME LIST AS 1925, WHEN HE WOULD HAVE BEEN 66-67 YEARS OLD.HENRY GERBER (1892–1972)IN 1924, HENRY GERBER FOUND THE FIRST GAY RIGHTS ANIZATN AMERI: THE SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. THE CHIGO-BASED ANIZATN PRODUCED FRIENDSHIP AND FREEDOM, THE FIRST AMERIN PUBLITN FOR HOMOSEXUALS.IN 1925, GERBER AND OTHER ANIZATN MEMBERS WERE ARRTED FOR “OBSCENY” AFTER THE POLICE RECEIVED A TIP OM A -FOUNR’S WIFE. THOUGH THE CHARG WERE EVENTUALLY DROPPED, FIGHTG THEM ST GERBER HIS LIFE’S SAVGS AND HIS JOB WH THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, AS WELL AS THE DISSOLUTN OF HIS ANIZATN.GERBER WENT ON TO LIVE AN UNASSUMG LIFE, WRG ARTICL ABOUT HOMOSEXUAL OPPRSN UNR A PSDONYM, WORKG AND BUILDG MUNY.HARRY HAY (1912–2002)HARRY HAY WAS A MUNIST ACTIVIST WHO -FOUND THE MATTACHE SOCIETY, THE FIRST ENDURG GAY RIGHTS ANIZATN, 1950. HAY WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DIVORCED BY HIS WIFE, FELLOW MUNIST ANA PLATKY, AND EXPELLED OM THE MUNIST PARTY, WHICH NSIRED HIM A SECURY RISK, A FEW YEARS LATER. THE BURGEONG MATTACHE SOCIETY FORCED HAY AND OTHER MUNIST FOUNRS TO STEP DOWN 1953.HAY NTUED HIS QUEER ACTIVISM FOLLOWG HIS EXPULSN. HE WAS ELECTED THE FIRST CHAIR OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAY LIBERATN FRONT—A ANT QUEER RIGHTS GROUP—AFTER THE STONEWALL RTS AND -FOUND THE RADIL FAIRI A LATER. HE SPENT HIS LATER YEARS BEG VOLVED NATIVE AMERIN TWO-SPIR ACTIVISM.DEL MART (1921–2008) AND PHYLLIS LYON (1924–2020)NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARYPHYLIS LYON AND DEL MART, CIR 1970.IN 1955, DEL MART AND PHYLLIS LYON -FOUND THE FIRST MAJOR ANIZATN FOR LBIANS THE UNED STAT—THE DGHTERS OF BILIS. THE UPLE SOON LNCHED AND BEME EDORS OF LADR, THE ANIZATN’S NATNAL PUBLITN AND PLATFORM FOR LBIANS TO ANONYMOLY OR OPENLY WRE ABOUT ISSU PERTENT TO THE MUNY. MART AND LYON WERE ALSO THE FIRST LBIAN UPLE TO JO THE NATNAL ORGANIZATN FOR WOMEN.DGHTERS OF BILIS EVENTUALLY SHUTTERED AS THE QUEER RIGHTS MOVEMENT BEME MORE ANT, BUT MART AND LYON NTUED THEIR ACTIVISM. AFTER MORE THAN FIVE S TOGETHER, THE PAIR WERE THE FIRST OF 90 GAY UPL TO BE ILLEGALLY MARRIED BY SAN FRANCIS’S THEN-MAYOR GAV NEWSOM. THEY WERE MARRIED AGA FOUR YEARS LATER, 2008, AFTER CALIFORNIA LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. DALE JENNGS (1917–2000)A FOUNDG MEMBER OF THE MATTACHE SOCIETY, DALE JENNGS BEME A QUEER RIGHTS HERO WHEN HE PROTTED URT A 1951 CHARGE OF SEXUAL SOLICATN LOS ANGEL. AT THE TIME, ENTRAPMENT BY TECTIV POSG AS GAY MEN BARS, PUBLIC PARKS, AND RTROOMS WAS MON. THOSE CHARGED WH SOLICG POLICE OFFICERS FOR SEX TYPILLY PLEAD GUILTY RATHER THAN FACE BEG OUTED AS GAY. JENNGS, AT HAY’S SUGGTN, FOUGHT THE CHARGE TO BRG ATTENTN TO THE DISCRIMATORY POLICY. IN 1952, THE JURY ADLOCKED FOR ACQUTAL AND THE JUDGE DISMISSED THE CHARGE.THAT YEAR, JENNGS -FOUND ONE INC., WHICH PRODUCED THE NATNAL GAY JOURNAL ONE MAGAZE. IN 1954, A LOS ANGEL POSTMASTER NFISTED THE MAGAZE FOR BEG ''OBSCENE, LEWD, LASCIV AND FILTHY,” WHICH ONE FOUGHT URT. A LOWER URT LED FAVOR OF THE POSTMASTER BUT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, 1958, UNANIMOLY REVERSED THE CISN, UPHOLDG A NSTUTNAL PROTECTN FOR PRO-GAY WRGS.CHRISTE JENSEN (1926–1989)

McCarthyism: Named for Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-Wisns), a perd the early 1950s when the ernment sought to expose Communists, LGBT people and other polil dissints (often intified as homosexual) om Amerin public life.

JAGUARS’ KEV MAXEN IS FIRST MALE ACH TO E OUT AS GAY US MEN’S PRO SPORTS

Annual Remr: An annual picket march outsi Inpennce Hall Philalphia 1965-69 to “remd” Amerins that homosexuals were entled to equal treatment like all other cizens.

RACG TO PRERVE THE HISTORY OF MAE’S 1ST GAY RIGHTS ANIZATN

Dpe this climate, emergg homophile groups like the Mattache Society advoted for the equal treatment of gays and lbians, but due to the threats they faced, tend to be nservative their tactics. This strategy, though effective, tend to exclu people who didn’t f the “norm” that the homophile movement wanted to emphasize—that is, LGBT people of lor, low-e people, and those nsired “genr viants.

LAKE BLUFF NSIRS FLYG GAY PRI FLAG ON VILLAGE FLAGPOLE; ‘WE N SEND THE RIGHT MSAGE, THAT WE ARE AN ACCEPTG ... MUNY’

The civil rights, black power, anti-war, and women’s movements of the mid- to late- 1960s, however, greatly spired younger gays and lbians to move to a more radil, ant stance. A new era had begun, one which lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr people uld mand to be acrd equal rights, and one which might not have happened were not for the early activists who staged the protts documented Gay Pneers. The year of his ath is uncerta, although some list as 1925, when he would have been 66-67 years Gerber (1892–1972)In 1924, Henry Gerber found the first gay rights anizatn Ameri: The Society for Human Rights.

Postal Service, as well as the dissolutn of his went on to live an unassumg life, wrg articl about homosexual opprsn unr a psdonym, workg and buildg Hay (1912–2002)Harry Hay was a munist activist who -found the Mattache Society, the first endurg gay rights anizatn, 1950. He was elected the first Chair of the Southern California Gay Liberatn Front—a ant queer rights group—after the Stonewall Rts and -found the Radil Fairi a later. Sourc:William Dorsey Swann: The first "Queen of Drag": PBSFrom slavery to vogug: the Hoe of Swann: Natnal Mms LiverpoolHenry Gerber: The Chigo LGBT Hall of FameHenry Gerber: The Legacy ProjectLGBTQ Activism: The Henry Gerber Hoe, Chigo, IL: Natnal Park ServiceThe Incredible Story of Del and Phyllis: Smhsonian MagazeHow the Dghters of Bilis Organized for Lbian Rights: Smhsonian’s Amerin Women’s History MmWilliam Dale Jenngs, 82, Wrer and Gay Rights Pneer: New York TimRadilly Gay, The Life of Harry Hay: San Francis Public LibraryHarry Hay, John Cage, and the Birth of Gay Rights Los Angel: The New YorkerHarry Hay – Nomee: The Legacy ProjectLife Story: Christe Jensen (1926-1989): New York Historil Society Mm & Library.

Jacksonville Jaguars associate strength ach Kev Maxen is believed to be the first openly gay male ach major North Amerin men's sports after g out publicly an terview wh Outsports. "San Francis 49ers assistant Katie Sowers, a pneer among female ach the NFL, me out as the the league's first openly gay ach 2017, acrdg to told OutSports he first began qutng his sexualy durg his days as an all-nference lebacker for Wtern Connecticut State add that he reached out last year for advice on g out om former Las Vegas Rairs lebacker Carl Nassib, who beme the first active openly gay player NFL history 2021.

NEWLY RETIRED, GAY SPORTSWRG PNEER ROGER BRIGHAM REFLECTS ON HOW SPORTS SAVED HIS LIFE

He was a -founr of the Mattache Society, the first staed gay rights group the Uned Stat, as well as the Radil Faeri, a loosely affiliated gay spirual movement. As Timmons noted his bgraphy of Hay, the faery men gave themselv var neo-pagan nam nnected to Mother Earth and their view of Native-Amerin spirualy, ated wh a heapg top of gayns.

“It is unclear who first ed the term two-spir  English, ” stat Wikipedia, notg “the volvement of non-Native Will Rose who, like his also non-Native mentor Harry Hay, is volved the hippie/unterculture gay men’s group, the Radil Faeri, a ‘non-Native muny that emulat Native spirualy’ and engag other forms of cultural appropriatn. Bull and Hasks helped found the groundbreakg stunt group at the Universy of Mae 1973 — then held the first Mae Gay Symposium 1974, which jump-started Mae’s LGBTQ+ rights stggle, lnchg much further ahead toward jtice than most other stat. A photographic ntact sheet showg Steven Bull speakg at the first gay symposium put on by the Wild Ste Club at the Universy pf Mae 1974, is part of Bull’s papers hoed the Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversy’s LGBTQ+ llectn at the Universy of Southern Mae.

A week before the Universy of Mae board of tste was to ci Wil Ste’s fate January 1974, the club issued a prs release about s tentn to hold the first Mae Gay Symposium April. The Lake Bluff Village Board is nsirg raisg a gay pri flag on a village flagpole, but tste are lookg for addnal rmatn before takg formal members discsed the ia at a July 10 Commtee of the Whole meetg, rumg a nversatn that began at a June ssn after two rints ntacted village officials supportg the ia of raisg a pri flag, acrdg to village documents.

9 PNEERS OF THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT YOU NEED TO KNOW (BUT PROBABLY DON'T)

“What I loved most about Anchorage and the gay scene Anchorage — was very small, there were only a uple of bars at any time — but the muny was so uned, ” he said. The 6-9 Baltimore native is workg on his ballhandlg skills hop of g his quickns to breeze past slower the summer of 2022, he played pickup ball wh former NBA all-star Carmelo Anthony and NBA forward Rudy Gay at St. ”Watch the vio here:Republin Gee Santos pared himself to Rosa “Mt Romney …tells me, a Lato gay man, that I shouldn’t s the ont, that I should be the back.

“I mean Mt Romney, the man go to the State of the Unn of the Uned Stat wearg a Ukrae lapel p, tells me, a Lato gay man, that I shouldn’t s the ont and that I should be the back, ” Santos sffed.

Zefart via Getty ImagMagn HirschfeldBorn 1868 what is now Poland, sexologist Hirschfeld is often nsired the "Este of Sex" and was an outspoken advote for gay and transgenr rights. Via Getty ImagBayard RtRt, an openly gay civil rights activist and adviser to Mart Luther Kg Jr., is bt remembered as the chief anizer of the 1963 March on Washgton. Via Getty ImagChristopher IsherwoodBorn 1904 Manchter, England, Isherwood was an openly gay novelist and wrer known for myriad works cludg A Sgle Man, which later beme a movie starg Col Firth and Julianne Moore.

THE CONFLICTED GAY PNEER

WIKIMEDIA COMMONSTroy PerryReverend Perry found the Metropolan Communy Church 1968 as a reactn to his experience wh discrimatn om the relig muny bee of his homosexualy.

PENNSYLVANIA PULLS GAY PNEER'S MARKER OVER 1993 COMMENTS

Stream anytime on Go90, Verizon's mobile social entertament work, and listen to our bt terviews on on HuffPost:Gay Pri Around The World Popular the CommunyYou May Like. The recent re-issue of a bgraphil sketch by historian Mart Duberman remds of a nearly fotten but fascatg figure, Donald Webster Cory, the thor of a pneerg Cold War–era work on gays Ameri: The Homosexual Ameri (1951).

A and a half after his pathbreakg 1951 ntributn, Sagar began to sist, as a tenured soclogist at John Jay College of Crimal Jtice specializg the study of "viance, " on pathologizg homosexualy. Edward Sagar's profsnal reer eventually placed grenas around Donald Webster Cory's unrappreciated rereadg The Homosexual Ameri, one realiz that this is a good moment to revis s prophetic element. The fullt bgraphy of Sagar that we have is the above-mentned sketch, first published 1997 The Harvard Gay and Lbian Review, now reissued The Mart Duberman Rear: The Essential Historil, Bgraphil, and Autobgraphil Wrgs.

BARBARA GTGS: GAY PNEER PAPERBACK – JUNE 13, 2015

This llectn spans Duberman's reer as an sayist, memoirist, playwright, historian of aboln and gay radilism, and provotive public tellectual based at the Cy Universy of New York.

He spent a year France, where he met the wrer André Gi, a personal hero whose fense of homosexualy, Corydon, was-wh the spellg rearranged-to spire his psdonym. He married a woman sympathetic to his polics, but he appears to have led, om the begng, a parallel, sexually active gay life-open enough gay pany but closeted to the world outsi.

Among other topics Ksey opened up to a wi rearship was the qutn of homosexualy, which the thor suggted was natural and mon, both fantasy and the postwar era, no anized gay or lbian civil-rights groups or associatns had existed the U. Gays and lbians served large numbers World War II and were treated wh a mixture of ntempt and, some quarters, a surprisg gree of acceptance; acrdg to historian Allan Bébé, ary psychiatrists advised top brass on how to acmodate entente llapsed the late 1940s, when the feral ernment beme eply and officially homophobic. The Senate lnched an extensive closed-door vtigatn the summer of 1950 that led to the publitn of a special report, "Employment of Homosexuals and Other Sex Perverts Government"-an excerpt of which Cory would clu an appendix to his Senate report lled for the vtigatn and dismissal of all homosexuals and lbians.

LGBT HISTORY MONTH 2022 OCTOBER 18: RON GOLD, GAY PNEER

C., right after he left The Homosexual Ameri, Cory offered an tellectual rponse to the ernment's mailed fist-to the climate that fostered lurid speculatns the halls of Congrs that homosexuals were likely to be Communists (and vice versa), and to stepped-up police raids on gay and lbian bars. In his preface, Cory explaed that was time for someone who was homosexual to wre about what was like to be homosexual opened the book by clarg that "mory rights" are the "challenge of this century … the rner stone upon which mocracy mt build and flourish, or perish the s to e. " Homosexuals were, he claimed, a "group whout a spokman, whout a lear, whout a publitn, whout an anizatn, whout a philosophy of life, whout an accepted jtifitn for s own existence.

But Cory clearly thought that he was providg a intified-and then dismantled-the primary jtifitns for homophobia, all of which are ced by those who still oppose gay rights.