Gay brothers unite in rage
Subject
Description
Article about the trashing of a straight redneck bar by members of the Gay Liberation Front after being refused service.
Source
Quicksilver Times, December 8-18, 1970, p. 8.
Date
Rights
Is Part Of
Bruce Pennington Papers, 1947-2003
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Type
Coverage
Washington (D.C.)
Original Format
newspaper
Text
Gay brothers unite in rage
Twelve members of the Gay Liberation
Front, including nine from
other cities who were attending the
Revolutionary Peoples Constitional
Convention, were arrested here after
the "trashing" of a straight redneck
bar which had refused service t o four
gay-men.
All 12 were charged with assault,
illegal entry, and destruction
of property.
There was one major flaw in the
police case however; the 12 were arrested
in a Volkswagon bus blocks
from the bar. Lawyers defending the
12 anticipate the prosecution will
have a hard time pinning particular
actions to particular people.
The incident began when fo
male homosexuals participating in
the Gay Liberation work shop at the
convention were told they would not
be served at an all white bar. Two
of the men were Puerto Ricans, one
was black, the fourth was. white.
One was wearing a small amount of
make-up.
They went back to the chapel at
American University where the Gay
Liberation workshop was being held,
and recruited about SO gays who returned
to the bar.
The manager recognized the four
who had been there before. While the|
gay men combed through the bar, mixing
with the straight patrons, the
bar manager attacked two gay blacks
and a gay Puerto Rican.
As the fighting escalated to a
f r e e - f o r - a l l , the gay men held their
own. Police arrived, arrested four
people, but released them when reporters
arrived.
I t was only after the fighting
ended that police stopped the van of
gay men, some of whom had been at the
bar, and arrested them. The men arrested
were brought to central cell
block, where police booked them while
making snide remarks about the "fags"
and " f a i r i e s . " The gay men maintained
unity however, and refused to be
s p l i t into separate cells.
The 12 were released on t h e ir
own recognizance, and a t r i a l was
set for Dec. 23.
The gay men wete the only persons
reported arrested during the
convention weekend.
Twelve members of the Gay Liberation
Front, including nine from
other cities who were attending the
Revolutionary Peoples Constitional
Convention, were arrested here after
the "trashing" of a straight redneck
bar which had refused service t o four
gay-men.
All 12 were charged with assault,
illegal entry, and destruction
of property.
There was one major flaw in the
police case however; the 12 were arrested
in a Volkswagon bus blocks
from the bar. Lawyers defending the
12 anticipate the prosecution will
have a hard time pinning particular
actions to particular people.
The incident began when fo
male homosexuals participating in
the Gay Liberation work shop at the
convention were told they would not
be served at an all white bar. Two
of the men were Puerto Ricans, one
was black, the fourth was. white.
One was wearing a small amount of
make-up.
They went back to the chapel at
American University where the Gay
Liberation workshop was being held,
and recruited about SO gays who returned
to the bar.
The manager recognized the four
who had been there before. While the|
gay men combed through the bar, mixing
with the straight patrons, the
bar manager attacked two gay blacks
and a gay Puerto Rican.
As the fighting escalated to a
f r e e - f o r - a l l , the gay men held their
own. Police arrived, arrested four
people, but released them when reporters
arrived.
I t was only after the fighting
ended that police stopped the van of
gay men, some of whom had been at the
bar, and arrested them. The men arrested
were brought to central cell
block, where police booked them while
making snide remarks about the "fags"
and " f a i r i e s . " The gay men maintained
unity however, and refused to be
s p l i t into separate cells.
The 12 were released on t h e ir
own recognizance, and a t r i a l was
set for Dec. 23.
The gay men wete the only persons
reported arrested during the
convention weekend.
Files
Collection
Citation
“Gay brothers unite in rage,” Rainbow History Project Digital Collections, accessed November 24, 2024, https://archives.rainbowhistory.org/items/show/765.
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