Introduction
The idea for this project was inspired by John D’Emilio’s essay “Placing Gay in the Sixties.” D’Emilio, a gay historian specializing in social and sexual history, was an undergraduate in the late sixties at Columbia University. In the essay, he recalls taking part in the various student movements of the sixties but notes that the events that leap immediately to mind about “the sixties” actually occurred in the seventies “and are associated in one way or another with the gay liberation movement.”[1] D’Emilio explains that for many gay men and lesbians of the time, the sexual freedom found by heterosexuals in the sixties became true for gas and lesbians in the seventies. Marking the birth of gay liberation with the Stonewall riots which occurred at the end of the decade, the events that came before languish as “the unwanted—stepchild of the era.”[2] History inevitably lends itself to “rise and fall” interpretations. The sixties begin with the promise of civil rights and equal rights and ends with civic savagery, a government that violates the supreme law of the land by abusing the rights of its citizens, and stagnating, bitter divisions in politics. This leaves “a ‘good’ sixties and a ‘bad’ sixties.”[3] To allow an understanding of the period as “and then, in 1969, Stonewall happened,” is to relegate gay liberation to “a narrative of decline.”[4]
The rest of D’Emilio’s essay is concerned with how the success of gay liberation has meant that gays and lesbians no longer must hide and equally, that their presence is now everywhere in all facets of American culture and politics, hidden no more. That if gay liberation history is included within the larger narrative of the history of the sixties it expands not just knowledge but appreciation for the valor exhibited by those who stepped forth to effect change. In particular, D’Emilio touches upon several moments, milestones in gay freedom that occurred in San Francisco (no surprise) and Los Angeles, and so, I wondered, what else happened in California during the post-World War II to Stonewall Era?
The founding of the Mattachine Society and Daughters of Billitis organizations, the first American gay rights uprising, the first openly gay individual to run for public office and so much more happened in the Golden State during the fear-laden 1950s and 1960s. Lillian Faderman and Stuart Timmons state “More gay and lesbian institutions started in Los Angeles than anywhere else on the planet (emphasis added).”[5]
A fleeting examination of the history of this period uncovers more than thirty significant events and names ultimately contributing to the fight for gay liberation. However, in the interest of completing this project and maintaining the interest of the class, I chose to highlight four individuals and one event.
[1] John D’Emilio, The World Turned: Essays on Gay History, Politics, and Culture. (Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2002), 24.
[2] D’Emilio, The World Turned, 24.
[3] D’Emilio, The World Turned, 25.
[4] D’Emilio, ibid.
[5] Lillian Faderman and Stuart Timmons, Gay L.A.: A History of Sexual Outlaws, Power Politics, and Lipstick Lesbians. (New York: Basic Books, 2006), 3.
The rest of D’Emilio’s essay is concerned with how the success of gay liberation has meant that gays and lesbians no longer must hide and equally, that their presence is now everywhere in all facets of American culture and politics, hidden no more. That if gay liberation history is included within the larger narrative of the history of the sixties it expands not just knowledge but appreciation for the valor exhibited by those who stepped forth to effect change. In particular, D’Emilio touches upon several moments, milestones in gay freedom that occurred in San Francisco (no surprise) and Los Angeles, and so, I wondered, what else happened in California during the post-World War II to Stonewall Era?
The founding of the Mattachine Society and Daughters of Billitis organizations, the first American gay rights uprising, the first openly gay individual to run for public office and so much more happened in the Golden State during the fear-laden 1950s and 1960s. Lillian Faderman and Stuart Timmons state “More gay and lesbian institutions started in Los Angeles than anywhere else on the planet (emphasis added).”[5]
A fleeting examination of the history of this period uncovers more than thirty significant events and names ultimately contributing to the fight for gay liberation. However, in the interest of completing this project and maintaining the interest of the class, I chose to highlight four individuals and one event.
[1] John D’Emilio, The World Turned: Essays on Gay History, Politics, and Culture. (Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2002), 24.
[2] D’Emilio, The World Turned, 24.
[3] D’Emilio, The World Turned, 25.
[4] D’Emilio, ibid.
[5] Lillian Faderman and Stuart Timmons, Gay L.A.: A History of Sexual Outlaws, Power Politics, and Lipstick Lesbians. (New York: Basic Books, 2006), 3.