Ee Griffh, who famoly killed fellow boxer after gay slur, di at 75 - CBS News

Contents:

• EE GRIFFH, WHO FAMOLY KILLED FELLOW BOXER AFTER GAY SLUR, DI AT 75
• THE NIGHT BOXER EE GRIFFH ANSWERED GAY TNTS WH A ADLY RTEGE OF PUNCH
• BOXER EE GRIFFH OUT AS GAY
• NEW OPERA TELLS STORY OF GAY BOXER EE GRIFFH
• LENNY ABRAHAMSON TO MAKE BPIC OF BISEXUAL BOXER EE GRIFFH, WHO KILLED OPPONENT AFTER GAY SLUR

EE GRIFFH, WHO FAMOLY KILLED FELLOW BOXER AFTER GAY SLUR, DI AT 75

Sports Illtrated reported 2005 that Griffh may have been fueled by an anti-gay slur directed at him by Paret durg the weigh-.

Over the years, books and terviews, Griffh scribed himself at var tim as straight, gay and bisexual.

THE NIGHT BOXER EE GRIFFH ANSWERED GAY TNTS WH A ADLY RTEGE OF PUNCH

It was not jt that he spoke of his pleasure signg pretty bons for ladi or uld discs the latt pillbox hat worn by Jackie Kennedy outsi the Whe Griffh was gay at a time when homosexualy was rid as a disease, nmned as a s and classified as a crime.

BOXER EE GRIFFH OUT AS GAY

Homosexualy was a crimal act every state of Ameri – apart om Illois. The Amerin Medil Associatn, meanwhile, persisted classifyg homosexualy as a “psychiatric disorr” renowned fighter vised gay bars most weekends – but he found impossible to e out wh a public statement about his sexual preference.

It was imperative to bury the tth bee a gay boxer was an unimagable phrase. Before battle he wanted the fort of walkg along the faiar streets of Tim Square where, at night, he lghed and danced wh the Hispanic gay crowd and the old drag queens.

But the onslght agast homosexualy ran ep and wi. A homosexual, 1962, was ridiculed as beg sick and wardly.

NEW OPERA TELLS STORY OF GAY BOXER EE GRIFFH

He had wrten sensively about the weigh-, aware that homosexualy spelt out forbidn terrory on the sports pag. Tuckner, like everyone else on the boxg beat, realised that Griffh was a homosexual.

Tuckner was Tim subedors had replaced the offensive word of “homosexual” wh the meangls phrase “un-man”. AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTA Prizefighter’s Double Life, at Madison Square Garn and at StonewallA new opera productn at the Met explor the life and tragic reer of the gay boxer Ee Griffh, a welterweight champn. Photographs om the personal llectn of Willson Lee Henrson, on the right of the bottom and far right imag, who was iends wh Ee Griffh, Vazquez for The New York TimIn the 1960s, Ee Griffh was a boxg star, known for his speed and punchg power, wh a regular prence at Madison Square neighborhoods near the Garn, he let his other si show, one of flashy outfs and unapologetic swagger, where he equented his favore gay bars and Griffh kept his two worlds separate.

“He was livg a double life, two liv, night and day, ” said Willson Lee Henrson, a gay rights activist who said he met Mr. Griffh early 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, the famo gay bar Greenwich Village, several months before a police raid touched off the Stonewall Rebelln and the morn gay rights boxer, who died 2013 at 75 om kidney failure and plitns of mentia, was known at the Stonewall for his open shirts and gold chas. Griffh unleashed a fatal barrage of punch the 12th round agast an opponent who had tnted him wh a homophobic slur.

LENNY ABRAHAMSON TO MAKE BPIC OF BISEXUAL BOXER EE GRIFFH, WHO KILLED OPPONENT AFTER GAY SLUR

Griffh never shied away om equentg gay clubs. That ma him a source of enarment and pri for the gay muny pecially as police raids, prsure and harassment ntued the late 1960s, said Mr. “He was a pneer gay rights behd the scen but was never acknowledged for , ” Mr.

“He was never given cred by the gay muny or the sports muny, so he missed out on both.

“In the ‘60s, beg gay wasn’t the most popular thg, and beg gay boxg culture was like sacrilege, ” said Michael Bentt, 58, a former world heavyweight champn and an actor who was iendly wh Mr. “I mentned that there was this gay boxer who was an outst many muni and was loved other muni, ” said Mr.