Gateways Club
The Gateways club was the longest running lesbian nightclub in the world. Founded during 1930 it operated for 55 years before finally closing on Saturday 21, September 1985. The club was often called the Gates and became a safe place for lesbians to meet. The Gateways Club had an interesting history with it being said that Ted Ware who took over the club in 1943 won it in a poker game. Ted later married Gina Cerrato who turned it into a women only club in 1967. During the 1960s the club became popular with celebrities. During the 1970s, members of the Gay Liberation Front protested outside the Gateways club encouraging women entering the club to Come Out. As more clubs opened in London the club started to lose customers. After complaints of loud music the club lost its late licence in 1985.
Harvey Milk Day
Harvey Bernard Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. Harvey Milk Day is recognized as a legal state holiday in California in memory of Harvey Milk. On November 27, 1978, Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist was assassinated. The Harvey Milk Day takes place each year held on May 22. During his life Milk became an activist for gay rights. In 1984 there was an Oscar-winning documentary of his life and the aftermath of his assassination, titled The Times of Harvey Milk. In 2008, a biographical film about the life of Harvey Milk was released titled, Milk. The film received eight Academy Award nominations. In 2009, the Harvey Milk Day legal state holiday was established by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2009, Harvey Milk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.Janus Society Of America
Back during 1961, a group of gay and lesbian activists in Philadelphia started having meetings on a regular basis. The group was planning on forming a local chapter of the national homophile organization, the Mattachine Society. However, when the group failed in gaining official recognition as a Mattachine Society chapter, they founded the Janus Society of Delaware Valley in 1962. The Janus Society soon developed political positions that were regarded by many as the most liberated in the LGBT movement for the era. The group went on to publish the Drum magazine that became the most widely circulated homophile magazine of the 1960s. The first issue of the Drum was published in December, 1965. Two versions of the magazine were published. The subscriber only issue contained four additional photographic pages. The other issue was for newsstand distribution and did not contain the insert. By 1996 the Drum had a circulation of more then 10,000. For the first two years, Mae Polakoff served as the president of the Janus Society. After that, Clark P. Polak served as the President. Polak was also responsible for starting the Drum magazine. The Janus Society closed in 1969 after Polak was arrested on federal obscenity charges and subsequently relocated to California.Gay Blue Jeans Day
The first Gay Blue Jeans Day was way back in 1974 at at Rutgers University in the United States. It was organized as a way for people to show their support for equal rights for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender people. Over time it eventually spread to other Universities and Colleges both in the United States and other countries. These days Gay Blue Jeans Day has become a world wide event that millions of people support. Gay Blue Jeans Day is usually celebrated on October 11 each year, but some places may celebrate it on a different day. The day has taken on several different names such as, wear Blue Jeans if You’re Gay Day, National Gay Blue Jeans Day, Gay Jeans Day or just Jeans Day. The original Gay Blue Jeans Day included a day of activities. Many people chose to wear a ribbon made from blue jeans.National Coming Out Day
Founded by Robert Eichberg and Jean O'Leary in 1988. The day is observed every year on October 11. In the United Kingdom it is observed on October 12. After much consideration it was decided to have the event each year on the date of October 11. The date was decided upon as it was the anniversary of the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The first year attracted a total of 18 states participated within the United States. In 1990 all 50 states participated along with 7 other countries. The National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is a day of coming out for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people (LGBT). It is also a day of awareness, learning and discussion. People are encouraged on the day to fly the pride flags or wear a pride symbol.Friday Of The Purple Hand
In 1969 members from the (GLF) Gay Liberation Front and (SIR) Society for Individual Rights held a protest out the front of the San Francisco’s Examiner in response to a series of articles that had appeared in the newspaper that many people felt were negative of the LGBT community. The protest took place during the evening of October 31. The protesters then responded by stamping their purple hand prints on buildings in the surrounding area. The police arrived after that and starting arresting some of the protesters. No action was taken by the police against those that had dumped the purple ink on the peaceful protesters. In response to the police violence against the protesters along with other past violence against the Gay community, some gay activists attempted to institute “purple hand” as a way of warning to stop the anti-gay attacks.
Knights Of The Clock
The Knights of the Clock was the common use name for The Cloistered Order of Conclaved Knights of Sophisticracy that was founded sometime between 1949 to 1951. Founded by Merton Bird and his wife W. Dorr Legg, the group was an interracial homophile social club based in Los Angeles, California. Other homophile groups of the era tended to be more activist in nature, but the Knights were more a social group. The Knights were also active in helping find integrated housing for same-sex couples. Their social functions soon became very popular attracting as many as 200 guests. The Knights Of The Clock disbanded during the mid-1950s and several members went on to join ONE, Inc.Europride
First took place in 1992 in London. The Europride was an immediate success with more then 100,000 people attending the first event. In 1993 Europride was hosted in Berlin in Germany and in 1994 in Amsterdam. The Europride event which is dedicated to LGBT pride is hosted in a different European city every year. Europride includes a series of events and activities from sport to live music to a Pride Parade. In 1997 Europride was hosted in Paris and attracted over 300,000 people to the Parade. The Europride event was cancelled in 1999 after the organizers in London went bankrupt. In 2002, Europride took place in Köln, Germany where it is estimated more then one million people attended the event. In 2003 Europride took place in Manchester, in 2004 in , in 2005 in Oslo and London in 2006. The London Europride included entertainment in Leicester and Soho Squares and a rally in Trafalgar Square. In 2010 Europride too place in Warsaw, Poland which was the first time Europride had taken place in a former communist country.Down The Street Gay Disco
The Down the Street was a gay disco that opened under the name of “Visions” during the 1970`s. The disco opened at 230 Cookman Avenue, Asbury Park, New Jersey and was one of the countries early gay night clubs. The name of the disco was changed from Visions to Down The Street simply because the club was located down the street from the other Gay clubs. The club still used the original DJ equipment of reel-to-reels till when it closed in the 1990`s. There was a small dance floor in one room, a main bar and two smaller bars. The club connected to a second building at the back which become a lesbian bar. During the 1980`s when a lot of gay clubs closed, Down The Street was able to stay open due to a loyal regular crowd. The club finally closed it`s doors in 1999.Comptons Cafeteria Protests
During August 1966 a riot took place in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco which become known as the Comptons Cafeteria Protests. It is believed to be the first recorded transgender riots in the United States. The Tenderloin Compton Cafeteria was one of a chain owned by Gene Compton. The cafeteria operated from 1954 to 1972 and at that time in history was one of the few places available for transgender people to meet in public. The protests started after a scuffle between a transgender and a police officer. The trouble soon spread and other police were called as back-up. Vanguard, a gay youth organization that had been founded earlier in the year took part in the protests. The next night there was a picket of the cafeteria after they had banned transgender people. The Comptons Cafeteria Protests are significant in that it lead to the founded of a number of social support groups.
The Furies Collective
The Furies Collective was a Lesbian communal group that was founded in 1971 in Washington, D.C. Their main communal living was located at 219 11th St SE, was, along with the Gay Liberation House and the Skyline Collective. The Furies Collective was started by 12 women and eventually numbers involved were in the area of 20 to 30 before the group closed. One of the projects of the group was to publish a newspaper called, The Furies: Lesbian/Feminist Monthly. The newspaper was distributed nationally and run from January 1972 to mid-1973. Although the newspaper only lasted a short time, it had a major influence on lesbian feminism at the time. A total of ten issues of the newspaper was published. The group did not last long as members were slowly evicted or left. The members of the Furies Collective all came from very diverse social and economic backgrounds and the lesbian separatism they promoted eventually led others to form similar groups.
White Knot Symbol
The White Knot was the idea of Frank Voci who made the symbol in 2008. The White Knot has become a well known symbol of support for Same-sex marriage in the United States. The use of the symbol has also spread to other countries around the world. The White Knot features the two symbols of marriage. First the knot is made of white which is regarded as the traditional marriage color. The “tying of the knot” represents support for same-sex marriage. The White Knot Symbol has been worn by a number of celebrity at high profile events such as the Grammy awards, Academy awards and the Spirit awards.Stonewall Riots
The original Stonewall Inn was located at 51 and 53 Christopher Street, New York City and was the founding point of the Stonewall Riots in 1969. The Inn closed in 1969 and then was later reopened in 1990 and called, Stonewall, and was located in the western half (53 Christopher Street). In 2007 it returned to its original name of, The Stonewall Inn. In 2000, The Stonewall Inn was designated a National Historic Landmark. The building was constructed between 1843 and 1846 and served as stables until 1930 when it was turned into a restaurant. During the 1960`s the restaurant was gutted by a fire. Then on March 18, 1967, the Stonewall opened for business. During the 1950`s and 1960`s there was a fervent push the the Government against the gay community. In 1950 the U.S. State Department placed homosexuals on a list of people that were considered security risks to the Nation. From 1947 to 1950, the Government removed 4,380 people suspected of being Gay were discharged from the military and 420 were removed from their government jobs. Universities expelled Lecturers they suspected of being homosexual. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and police departments kept lists of known homosexuals and their friends. The Government and police engaged in tense persecution and harassment of the Gay community and many Gay people were physically harassed and abused, fired from their jobs, imprisoned in jailed, and even institutionalized in mental hospitals. The 1960`s was a time of change in the United States with the Civil Rights movement and opposition to the Vietnam War. Many in the Gay community were also starting to challenge the system. New York City had passed laws against homosexuality in public and private businesses. A campaign to rid New York City of gay bars was in full force and the city revoked the liquor licenses of the bars and undercover police officers worked to entrap homosexual men. Nearly all the Gay Bars were owned and operated by organized crime, who paid off corrupt police to prevent raids. Three members of the Mafia invested $3,500 to turn the Stonewall Inn into a gay bar in 1966. The Stonewall had no liquor license and once a week corrupt police would stop by the Inn to collect a envelope filled with money as a payoff. The Inn had no fire exits and no running water behind the bar. It was the only bar in New York at that time that allowed gay men to dance together. Security at the door checked visitors before letting them inside to stop the police from entering. There was an entrance fee on the weekends of $3 and patrons signed fake names in a book to show the Inn was a private bottle club. Once inside the club it was very dark as everything was painted black with little lighting. If police approached the club white lights were turned on to alert the patrons.The Stonewall Inn was raided by the police on average about once a month. An effective system was in place were the police would let the club know in advance of the raid so alcohol could be stored in a safe place. The raids took place very early in the evening when not too many people were in the club. Customers were lined up against a wall and had their identification checked. The police often engaged in verbal bullying and harassment of the customers during these raids. Staff were often arrested and customers with no identification were sometimes arrested. In the period just before before June 28, 1969 there was a marked increase in raids on the Stonewall Inn and other Gay bars in the area. The police became more aggressive and arrests increased. The situation was becoming very tense and there was a growing sense of frustration and anger within the Gay community at the police and Government persecution. On Saturday, June 27, 1969, two undercover policemen and two undercover policewomen entered the bar in the evening to gather evidence. The Public Morals Squad were stationed not far from the club and waited for the undercover police to give the signal. On Saturday, June 28, 1969 at 1:20 a.m. in the morning a number of plainclothes and uniform police arrived at the Stonewall Inn’s double doors and announced “Police! We’re taking the place!”. At the time the club was full with around 200 customers and the raid caught many by surprise as they were not often conducted late at night when the club was full. The security turned on the white lights to alert everyone the police were at the door. Customers tried to escape the raid but the police blocked the exits. The police began to line people up and demand their identification. The build up of the growing frustration in the Gay community at their treatment, the late night time of the raid and the fact that their were around 200 customers in the bar at the time meant that everything did not go as the police had planned. The hostility grew s some police started to sexually assault some of the customers. Customers began refusing the show their identification and others refused to leave. While the police waited for patrol wagons and support, the crowd outside began to grow and people refused to leave. Some of the people outside the Inn started to taunt the police. When the first police wagon arrived bar staff were placed in the wagon but there was a long delay in the arrival of the second wagon. Someone shouted, “Gay power!” and another started singing “We Shall Overcome”. A transvestite was brutally pushed by a police officer and the transvestite hit back with her purse. The tension was starting to build and the crowd were starting to turn more hostile. The police were outnumbered and not prepared for what was about to happen. Some people started throwing coins at the police and a few beer bottles were also thrown….
Things really started to heat up when a transvestite (some people say it was a woman) was dragged from the Stonewall in handcuffs and fought with the police for around 10 minutes. During the struggle she escaped several times only to be caught again. The confrontation became more physical and the woman shouted to the crowd, “Why don’t you guys do something?”. It was at this point everything changed fast. Some of the crowd tried to help and police threw some of them to the ground. While this was happening the people in the police wagon escaped. Two police cars on the scene had their tires slashed and the crowd turned their attention to the wagon and tried to overturn it. During all this the crowd starting to grow larger. The situation grew worse with both the police and some members of the crowd getting more violent. Ten police eventually barricaded themselves inside the Stonewall In along with several handcuffed detainees. Outside the Stonewall the crowd started smashing the windows with anything they could find. A parking meter was pulled from the ground and used as a battering ram on the doors. The police inside responded by taking their pistols out of their holsters and preparing for the onslaught. When the crowd eventually forced their way inside the police pointed their weapons and threatened to shoot. It was around 45 minutes in total before the Tactical Police Force (TPF) of the New York City Police Department arrived at the Stonewall. The police had been humiliated and started to respond by throwing anyone they could find in the police wagon and sending them to jail. The Tactical Police Force formed a phalanx and marched forward trying to push the crowd back. Then without warning the police rushed forward and started smashing the crowd with batons. What followed next was a situation where police were chasing protestors and the protestors at times were chasing the police. At one stage a car was overturned and used to block Christopher Street. At around 4 a.m. in the morning things started to quiet down. Most of the streets by now were clear and the remaining people started to gather around Christopher Park. The Stonewall Inn was almost completely destroyed, 13 people had been arrested, 4 police injured and some people in the crowd were hospitalized. There was a strange silence on Christopher Street, but everyone knew things had now changed. During the day people from all over came to view what was left of the Stonewall Inn. The New York Post, The New York Daily News and The New York Times all run stories covering the riots. Graffiti started to appear in and around the Stonewall Inn declaring, “Support gay power”, “Drag power”, “They invaded our rights”, and “Legalize gay bars”. The next night there were more riots around Christopher Street. This time the riots seemed more organized then the previous night. But what was most important was that gay people were now out in public holding hands and showing affection to each other. Suddenly everything was very different. People who were not Gay were now coming out openly in support of Gay rights. The Stonewall had already opened again and thousands of people gathered in front and into adjoining blocks. More then 100 police were present but seemed powerless against the ever growing Gay rights movement. At around 2 a.m. the Tactical Police Force arrived and battled the crowd till around 4 a.m. when things started to quieten down.
On the Monday and Tuesday there was heavy rain that reduced the protests but there were still a few incidents between residents and police. Craig Rodwell and his partner Fred Sargeant printed and distributed 5,000 leaflets around the Greenwich Village area with one set of the leaflets reading, “Get the Mafia and the Cops out of Gay Bars”. Other leaflets called for a boycott of the Stonewall and other Mafia-owned bars and for Gays to own their own bars. On Wednesday The Village Voice ran reports that included unflattering descriptions of Gay people that led to another protest as more then 1,000 people gathered on Christopher Street. There were five people arrested and more injuries to demonstrators and police. Within six months of the Stonewall riots three Gay newspapers hit the streets of the city, “Gay, "Come Out!” and “Gay Power” with a readership of between 20,000 to 25,000. GLF members organized several same-sex dances and the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) was founded. The Stonewall Inn stayed open for only a few more weeks after the riot. By October 1969 the place was placed for rent. Rodwell’s boycott of mafia owned gay bars had resulted in many people staying away from the Stonewall. Over the next twenty years a series of different business occupied the old Stonewall Inn building including, a bagel sandwich shop, a Chinese restaurant, and a shoe store before eventually opening the Stonewall Inn again.
Bourne Free Pride Festival
Started back in 2004 in Bournemouth, England and in those days was called, Bourne Free. The first event was put together in a bit of a hurry and was a one day event. It included a Gay Pride march, entertainers and a balloon release with a 2 minute silence. After the initial event it was decided to make it into a yearly event. In 2006 it was decided to change the title of the event to the Bourne Free Pride Festival. By 2008 the Festival had extended to 3 full days of events. Over the years the number of people attending the Bourne Free Pride Festival has increased and so too has the activities which include a street party, Pride march, entertainment and more.The Castro District
Castro Street was named after José Castro (1808-1860), a Californio leader of Mexican opposition to U.S. rule in California in the 19th century. The area now known as the Castro District was created in 1887 when the Market Street Railway Company built a line linking Eureka Valley to downtown. After the end of World War II, a large number of Gay servicemen settled in the Castro District. In 1967, The Castro came of age as a gay center following the Summer of Love in the neighboring Haight-Ashbury district. By 1973, Harvey Milk, who would become the most famous resident of the neighborhood, opened a camera store, Castro Camera, and began political involvement as a gay activist. During the 1970s the nightlife included the Corner Grocery Bar, Toad Hall, the Pendulum, the Midnight Sun, Twin Peaks, and the Elephant Walk. A major cultural destination in the neighborhood is The GLBT History Museum. Special events, parade and Steet fairs are held in the Castro include the Castro Street Fair, the Dyke March, the famed Halloween in the Castro which was discontinued in 2007, Pink Saturday, and the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival.
Black Tie Dinner Texas
The first Black Tie Dinner In Texas took place way back in 1982 in Dallas, Texas as a way to help raise money for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community. The event has been held every year since then and has raised more then $15 million. The money raised from the event is given to up to 20 GLBT focused organizations in the North Texas area. Part of the proceeds also are donated to Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The first Black Tie Dinner In Texas was attended by 140 people. These days the event has around 3,000 people attend. The first Black Tie Dinner In Texas raised a $6,000 donation to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. These days the event maintains an annual distribution of over $1 million. The event each year features high-profile keynote speakers. The Black Tie Dinner also gives awards to individuals and/or organizations that have made a “significant contribution to the continued fight for GLBT equality”.Best In Drag Show
The first Best In Drag Show was a small event that started in 1989 in a private apartment. Over the years as the event grew it moved to larger theatres. During the the 1990s, the Wilshire Ebell Theatre was used, then later the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles was used as numbers continued to grow. The Best In Drag Show is a fundraising event that raises funds for the California-based non-profit, Aid For AIDS. The event features amateur performers in a drag show “beauty” pageant that is held every year. In 2010, The Best In Drag Show volunteers received the CSW Special Community Award from Christopher Street West (CSW). The original name for the event was called, Battle for the Tiara. This fundraiser was founded by Alexis Pittman along with a group of friends. In 1998, a documentary film was made about the fundraiser. In 2003 the name was changed to the, Best In Drag Show.
White Night Riots
The White Night riots took place on the night of May 21, 1979 in San Francisco. The riots were a response to the lenient sentence imposed on Dan White for the assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk. Dan White had been convicted of voluntary manslaughter earlier in the day. The sentence was the lightest possible conviction for his actions. White was a former police officer and the San Francisco Gay community had long had many problems with the San Francisco Police Department who had engaged in a campaign of harassment against them. The day had actually started with a peaceful march through the Castro district of San Francisco. Later, after the protest had arrived at the San Francisco City Hall, a riot slowly started to break out and property was damaged, including the San Francisco City Hall. It was estimated that more then 5,000 people took part in the protest. Later that night the police made a retaliatory raid on a gay bar in the Castro District and a number of gay patrons were beaten by the police. Eventually this led to the appointed of a pro-gay Chief of Police in San Francisco.
A House Gay Bar
The construction of what is now known as the A-House first started way back in 1798. The building opened it`s doors as a tavern but there are no surviving records as to the name of the business. Benjamin Allstrum purchased the Tavern in 1934 and it was called the Allstrum House. In 1871 Frank Perry Smith took ownership of the Tavern and expanded the building by adding a larger adjacent structure along with guest rooms. The Tavern was then renamed as the Atlantic House Hotel. In the early 20th century the Atlantic House became a center the Bohemian lifestyle. In 1950, Reginald “Reggie” Cabral and Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. Hurst took ownership of the A-House. Soon after Cabral took over full ownership. Cabral soon made the discreet gay A-House into an open gay friendly establishment.
Black Cat Cafe
The Black Cat Cafe was located at 710 Montgomery St, San Francisco, California and first opened its doors during 1906. In 1911, Charles Ridley took ownership of the Black Cat and turned it into a showplace for vaudeville-style acts. The police suspected the Black Cat was being used as a front for prostitution and in 1921, the Cafe lost its dance permit and closed down. Ridley opened the Black Cate Cafe again in 1933 and eventually sold it to Sol Stoumen in the 1940s. The Cafe soon became popular with the Bohemian and Beat crowd. After World War Two the Cafe started to become popular with the Gay and Lesbian crowd. The Black Cat featured a number of live entertainers. The most famous of these was José Sarria who started as a waiter, wore drag and entertained the crowd by singing songs. Sarria went on to became the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in the United States. Starting during 1948, the San Francisco Police Department and the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission started a campaign of harassment against the Cafe. A number of legal battles in the Courts followed and after 12 years of constant harassment the Black Cafe finally closed. The Black Cat Cafe closed in February 1964. A memorial plaque commemorating the Black Cat was placed at the site on December 15, 2007.
Hands Across Hawthorne
On May 29, 2011, a protest was held on the Hawthorne Bridge in Portland, Oregon that became known as, Hands Across Hawthorne. The protest was a direct response to an earlier attack that had taken place a week before on the bridge against a gay couple for holding hands while walking across the bridge. It was reported that a gang of five men had followed the couple as they walked along the bridge before they were attacked. Over 4,000 people attended the rally including a number of community leaders. Sponsored by Basic Rights Oregon (BRO), Cascade AIDS Project, Pride Northwest, the Q Center and local churches, the protest had been publicized by a single Facebook page just 72 hours earlier. The protest started at 7:30 pm and people linked hands spanning across the length of the Hawthorne bridge. The protesters gathered at the west side of the bridge and listened to a number of speakers first. A number of gay-oriented national publications reported details of the Hands Across Hawthorne Protest. A similar hand-holding rally was held on June 5 by the residents of Spokane, Washington, in solidarity with the Portland community called “Hands Across Monroe”.Operation Soap
A series of police raids on Gay Bath Houses in Toronto, Canada took place on February 5, 1981, which was known as Operation Soap. The raids were conducted by the Metropolitan Toronto Police. It resulted in more then 100 men being arrested and at the time was the biggest mass arrest of people in the history of Canada. The raids started simultaneously at 11 p.m. on February 5, 1981, with more than 150 police involved. The raids took place against the Richmond Street Health Emporium, Romans II Health and Recreation Spa, and the Barracks in Toronto. The Richmond Street Health Emporium suffered so much damage in the raids it never reopened. A total of twenty owners are charged with “keeping a common bawdyhouse”; and 286 men are charged as found-ins. There is shock and anger in the Gay community over the raids and on February 6 more then 3,000 protestors stage a mass demonstration. On February 20 another protest rally takes place with more then 4,000 protestors marching from Queen’s Park to 52 Division of the Toronto Police. On March 6 there is another protest called the, “Gay Freedom Rally”.Oscar Wilde Bookstore
The Oscar Wilde Bookshop was founded on November 24, 1967 by Craig Rodwell and was called the, Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop. The store was first located at 291 Mercer Street before it moved to Christopher Street in Greenwich Village,New York in 1973. Craig L. Rodwell (October 31, 1940 – June 18, 1993) was an American gay rights activist and is considered by some to be the leading gay rights activist in the early homophile movement of the 1960s. The store was named after gay author Oscar Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) who was an Irish writer and poet that was one of London’s most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. Rodwell devoted the bookshop to selling material from gay and lesbian authors. By March 1968, Rodwell had started to publish a monthly newsletter from the bookshop that he called, HYMNAL. Early meetings for the first Pride Parade in New York City were held at the bookshop in 1970. Rodwell sold the bookshop in March 1993 to Bill Offenbaker, and in June 1996 Offenbaker sold the store to Larry Lingle. Lingle announced the store would close in January 2003 due to financial difficulties. The bookshop was then purchased by Deacon Maccubbin who owned the Lambda Rising’s bookstores. It was a visit by Maccubbin to the Oscar Wilde Bookshop that inspired him to open his own store in Washington, D.C., in 1974. The in 2006, longtime manager, Kim Brinster purchased the bookshop. Due to declining sales the bookstore closed on March 29, 2009.Rainbow Crossing Protest Movement
The Rainbow Crossing Protest Movement was developed in response to the removal of a temporary rainbow crossing in Oxford Street, Sydney, Australia in 2013. As part of the 35th anniversary celebrations of the Sydney Gay Mardi Gras, the City of Sydney Council decided to place a temporary Rainbow Crossing on Oxford Street by Taylor Square. Roads and Maritime Services estimated the cost of the Rainbow Crossing at $110,000, which included painting, compulsory video surveillance and eventual removal. The rainbow crossing was only created on a temporary basis, but it was so popular that many people hoped it would become a permanent feature. After the Mardi Gras the community became divided over the Rainbow Crossing. Due to pedestrian safety issues in the way the rainbow crossing had been placed, it was removed on Tuesday 9 April 2013. The removal of the rainbow crossing started an activism campaign both across the internet and in community actions. People started creating their own rainbow crossings on streets near where they lived and posted pictures on the internet. On April 14, 2013 people chalked a rainbow in the public square at Summer Hill as a form of protest. On April 15, 2013, the rainbow was removed only to be rechalked by more than 100 people on April 17.www.gay-submission.com/gay-history.htm
