LGBT POV

Roots of Equality was one of several youth-oriented activist groups to emerge just before and after the passage of Prop 8. As with most of the new groups, they worked in coalition with others on street activism and lobbying, taking the lead in visibility campaigns centered in downtown Los Angeles. One of their most significant post-Prop 8 efforts was a thoughtful and heartfelt exhibit last November of pre-Stonewall LGBT history.

The remarkable exhibit -The Making of Our Pre-Stonewall LGBT Movement – will be unveiled during a Pride Month kick-off event hosted by the City of West Hollywood on Tuesday, June 1 at 5:30 p.m. in the lobby of West Hollywood City Hall, 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard. The exhibit will be on display at City Hall throughout June.

In a statement, Mayor Pro Tempore John J Duran said:

“Through struggles, painful fights and achievements, our community has come a long ways and matured into a political powerhouse.  The fight is far from over and much remains to be done but pride is a great time to pause, take stock, remember those are no longer with us, and re commit ourselves to keep fighting.”

The Making of our Pre‐ Stonewall LGBT Movement debuted November in downtown Los Angeles.

It featured a tour of historic gay hotspots and series of panel discussions – I participated in one with my formerAdvocate editor, Mark Thompson, pictured here on the left, with his husband, Rev. Malcolm Boyd (rt) and a friend.

About 2,000 people attended the exhibit, which was developed by Roots of Equality with support from the ONE Archives, the Mazer Lesbian Archives, and other resources.

The Roots of Equality founders told me they hope to take the exhibit to schools and other venues to serve as an educational tool. (Founders:)

I’m glad they’re starting off in WeHo during Pride Month because there are so many pieces of LGBT history that started here in Los Angeles that our own people don’t know about. For instance, while we think the debate over marriage equality is something new for our generation, this exhibit shows that ONE Magazine had a cover story on it in the 1950s.

Also of important to journalists like me is the typewriter used by “Lisa Ben” who started the first LGBT “publication” in 1945 – a mimeographed newsletter for lesbians called Vice Versa.

There are also photos and quick snippets featuring gay men who were crucial to the LGBT movement in their time – men like Don Slater (the Homosexual Information Center), Dorr Legg (ONE/Mattachine), and Jim Kepner (Gay and Lesbian Archives)

And traces how The Advocate grew out of an activist organization’s newsletter, geared to fighting back against LAPD raids

Against bars like the Black Cat.

But the exhibit also takes into account how “fight back” also lead to the creation of the Stonewall Democratic Club and other LGBT organizations, as well as the creation of the City of West Hollywood and the election of Sheila James Kuehl, the first LGBT person elected to the California Legislature.

The exhibit is only one of several LGBT events sponsored by the city. Later that evening, there is a gay and lesbian play reading festival at Celebration Theatre.

Visit the city’s website for more information and ongoing calendar events.