Rememberg a ‘Sip-In’ for Gay Rights 56 Years Later

LGBTQ STORI: THE "SIP-IN" PAVED THE WAY FOR GAY RIGHTS

Fifty years ago, when was still mon for bars to refe service to gay people, a group of men went for a drk the Wt Village, hopg to make history. * is sips gay *

Karsten Moran for The New York TimApril 20, 2016On a bright, warm day 50 years ago this week, three young men went out to have a drk that they hoped would make men, members of the early gay rights group the Mattache Society, aimed to challenge bars that refed service to gay people, a mon practice at the time, though one unsupported by any specific law.

”“At the time, beg homosexual was, self, seen as disorrly, ” said Dick Lesch, 81, remiscg the other day his apartment on the Upper Wt Si of Lesch, then the head of Mattache’s New York chapter, and his horts lled their actn a “Sip-In, ” a tipsy tip of the hat to the civil rights lunch-unter s-s then beg held at plac that segregated black patrons. The Sip-In was a pivotal moment for the gay rights movement, predatg the Stonewall uprisg by more than three years.

That is largely fotten says a lot about how the gay polil nversatn has shifted over the past five history will be voked on Thursday when a key se — Juli’, a bar the Wt Village — marks the Sip-In’s goln anniversary. A sign the wdow ma the management’s attu clear: “If you are gay, please stay away.

JULI' BAR, SE OF HISTORIC GAY 'SIP-,' THREATENED BY PANMIC

A few years before the Stonewall rts, a prott took place at another New York Cy gay bar, jt about a block away. It didn’t draw as much attentn, but s own way, was a tone for gay rights. * is sips gay *

“Gay people ed to go there after hours and, the men’s room downstairs, they’d have a ltle sex, ” Mr. Slippg to a rner booth, the activists hand the wars a statement that announced: “We are homosexuals.

Its amed manager told them: “How do I know you’re homosexuals? “It was a rather dull neighborhood place which was about three-quarters gay, ” said Randy Wicker, 78, who joed the actn there. ”The activists knew Juli’ had to refe them, bee the night before, a man who had been served there had later been entrapped by an officer for “gay activy, ” meang the bar was jeopardy of havg s liquor license revoked.

When the men announced they were gay, the bartenr put his hand over the glass; was ptured a photograph by Fred McDarrah for The Village Voice.