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28 Comments
- tgjerusalem, on 06/26/2009, -0/+36It's impossible to separate mid-20th century gay life and culture from the Mafia, especially in New York.
Not only was being gay illegal, it was illegal for gay people to congregate in groups, and illegal to knowingly sell gay people alcohol (yea, really). Gay bars, or gay social or business establishments of any sort, were by definition illegal. The Mafia was the primary operator of illegal business establishments in NY at the time.
And of course the people who rioted at Stonewall didn't represent the entire gay community. It was one bar, and it wasn't even the 'reputable' gay bar - it was the bar frequented by the young, by trans people and drag queens, by the poor and the homeless. It was the bar for people who were too poor and queer for the other queers, who wouldn't be welcome elsewhere. It was also the bar for people who had no recourse to defend themselves; easy targets for cops. - NBCLocal, on 06/26/2009, -2/+16Great historical view. Thanks.
- inactive, on 06/27/2009, -1/+12Even if the raid was against the mafia, the riot still had very much to do with gay rights.
- keraneuology, on 06/27/2009, -2/+9Note that once again it was police brutality that led to larger problems: "This was not the way gays were supposed to behave when they were arrested, and the officers started shoving them with their nightsticks. People in the crowd yelled at the police to stop. The officers responded by telling them to get off the street." 40 years later cops still think they are entitled to use whatever force they deem necessary and the majority of citizens in this nation agree.
- avataros, on 06/26/2009, -7/+13They went to the Stonewall to arrest the gay mafia's fairy Godfather.
- Tarnum, on 06/27/2009, -0/+6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot-dip_galvanizing
- LibertyPrime, on 06/27/2009, -3/+8I'm going to make you a fabulous offer you can't refuse!
- OthoNoggle, on 06/27/2009, -3/+7The article opens with "I WAS perhaps the unlikeliest person in the world to cover the Stonewall riots . . ." for the reason that the author was in the military. That's right, because we all know there are no gays in the military.
Is this the quality of reasoning that produced the rest of the conclusions? - tgjerusalem, on 06/27/2009, -0/+4What's ironic about it?
Trans people faced hellish discrimination at the time, even from other queer people. They wouldn't be welcome in more affluent bars, or the havens found in many academic or business institutions.
And a visibly trans person of the era faced constant threat of being attacked or arrested off the street at any moment, to be beaten, incarcerated or institutionalized. Regular employment was not possible for many people. Many were desperately poor.
The population at Stonewall was for a large part a population of people in very desperate circumstances. Trans people, queer POC, youth and the poor/homeless were so marginalized there was little if any place for them in society, and even gay people who had money and could pass unnoticed in straight white society would shun them. - OthoNoggle, on 06/27/2009, -0/+3The gay men & women currently serving in the armed forces are still closeted. Under don't ask don't tell, soldiers get discharged for being openly gay.
- tgjerusalem, on 06/27/2009, -0/+3yea, sorry. could have phrased that better.
- FunkyWitDaSysTm, on 06/27/2009, -1/+4it's still mob-owned
- gordigor, on 06/27/2009, -0/+3There wasnt in 1969. of course, that was't excepted. i understand the thier were closted gays in the military.
- robish518, on 06/27/2009, -0/+2yeah... that's what I gathered that author was saying. Gay bars were the target of the state's liquor authority because the mafia was selling liquor without licenses at these places. Gay bars were not allowed to get state licenses.
- activedigger, on 06/27/2009, -1/+2Great historical view. Thanks.
- kaosethema, on 06/28/2009, -0/+1fairy godMother
get is straight...
get it? straight?
ok - DifferentAngle, on 06/27/2009, -1/+2Depending how the comment is read, it sounds like *you're* discriminating against trans while defending gay rights. I know that you're not, though.
- shanealeslie, on 06/27/2009, -1/+1BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA...
snerk. - kaosethema, on 06/28/2009, -1/+1The Gay Mafia
*snickers into palm* - PopcornDave, on 06/27/2009, -1/+1A silver butthole surfer?
/s - inactive, on 06/27/2009, -1/+1Dugg down for not posting the entire article in the comment section while linking to a site that requires registration.
- DifferentAngle, on 06/27/2009, -3/+2Ironic comment...
"it wasn't even the 'reputable' gay bar - it was the bar frequented... by trans people" - maroger, on 06/27/2009, -3/+1If it was left to the older closeted gays of the neighborhood, the change would not have been as FABULOUS!
- inactive, on 06/27/2009, -9/+4What the ***** is a galvanised gay?
Forget it, i don't even want to know. - inactive, on 06/27/2009, -9/+3I miss the Mafia.
- barryiggins, on 06/27/2009, -8/+2I always knew Fredo was a *****
- mrkredo, on 06/27/2009, -10/+1http://forumNYC.com ftw
- dsfdsfdfd, on 06/27/2009, -12/+0They went to the Stonewall to arrest the gay mafia's fairy Godfather.
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