Speaking for Our Lives Historic Speeches and Rhetoric for Gay and Lesbian Rights (1892-2000)
Robert B. Ridinger, MA, MLS Editor
HPP
Harrington Park Press® An Imprint o£The Jjawqrth Press, Inc. New York • London > Oxford CONTENTS
Acknowledgments xxvii Introduction 1 SECTION I: PRE-1950 March 30, 1892. Address at the Funeral of Walt Whitman 7 Robert G. Ingersoll October 8, 1904. What Interest Does the Women's Movement Have in Solving the Homosexual Problem? 10 Anna Rueling 1928. Appeal... on Behalf of an Oppressed Human Variety 22 Kurt Hiller SECTION II: THE 1950S September 1952. Address to the International Committee for Sexual Equality 31 Donald Webster Cory January/February 1955. An Open Letter to Senator Dirksen 41 Anonymous May 15, 1955. Resolution 44 Mattachine Society, Inc. Summer 1956. The Homosexual Faces a Challenge 45 Ken Burns October 1956. President's Message 52 Del Martin January 26, 1957. How Homosexuals Can Combat Anti-Homosexualism 54 Albert Ellis November 1958. Progress Report 58 Homosexual Law Reform Society of London
SECTION III: THE 1960S
August 25, 1962. A Decade of Progress in the Homophile Movement 65 Hal Call March 1963. Towards a Sexually Sane Society 75 Antony Grey
1964. Open Letter to the Florida Legislature's "Johns Committee" 84 Hal Call
July 22, 1964. Civil Liberties: A Progress Report 89 Franklin Kameny
August 7, 1964. Resolution of the National Capital Area Civil Liberties Union on Federal Employment of Homosexuals 106
November 16, 1964. On Getting and Using Power 110 A. Cecil Williams
December 1964. SIR's Statement of Policy 115 Society for Individual Rights
July 1965. What's in It for Me? 117 Roland Keith
July 1965. Introductory Address 119 Robert Sloane
February 19-20, 1966. Homophile Organizations Adopt Statement 122 National Planning Conference of Homophile Organizations August 20, 1966. A Challenge to San Francisco 124 William Beardemphl
November 1966. What Concrete Steps Can Be Taken to Further the Homophile Movement? 126 Shirley Wilier
April 21-23, 1967. Homophile Movement Policy Statement 129 Western Regional Planning Conference of Homophile Organizations
May 1967. Why I Joined the Homophile Movement 130 Jack Nichols
August 1967. Washington Statement 133
North American Homophile Conference
SECTION IV: THE 1970S
February 14-15, 1970. Western Homophile Conference Keynote Address 137 Harry Hay January 27, 1971. An Open Letter to Gay Activists Alliance 145 Arthur Bell
1971. Preamble to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Gay Activists Alliance, Inc. 148 Gay Activists Alliance
1971. The G A A Alternative 150 Gay Activists Alliance
June 25, 1971. Frieda Smith Tells It Like It Is 160 Frieda Smith
August 28, 1971. We Demand 163 Gay Day Committee February 1972. The Lesbian and God-the-Father 168 Sally Gearhart February 13, 1972. Waffle 174 Jearld Moldenhauer August 1972. Democrats, Nation, Hear Gay Delegates 176 Jim Foster August 1972. Address to the Democratic National Convention 179 Madeline Davis August 1972. Speech to the American Bar Association 181 Richard Hongisto August 1972. Speech to the Resolutions Committee of the American Bar Association 184 Donald Lunde 1973. The Potential of Our Vision 187 Judy Quinlan January 8, 1973. Viewpoint 190 Bruce Voeller March 16, 1973. Walt Whitman: Poet of Comrades and Love 192 Jack Nichols April 14, 1973. Lesbianism and Feminism: Synonyms or Contradictions? 198 Robin Morgan May 9, 1973. Stop It, You're Making Me Sick 212 Ronald Gold January 18, 1974. Remarks for Integrity/Houston 225 Morty Manford May 4, 1974. Joint Statement 227 Ad Hoc Committee of Gay Organizations Summer 1974. Sexual Liberation Through Revolution, not Reform! 229 Revolutionary Marxist Group September 13, 1974. For My Granddaughters ... 233 Valerie Taylor March 25, 1975. Seeks Equal Protection 241 Bella S. Abzug August 10, 1975. British Theologian Speaks to Gays 243 W. Norman Pittenger September 19, 1975. The Possibilities Are Staggering 247 Barbara Grier January 10, 1976. The Gay Pagan's Manifesto 253 Tommi Avicolli March 30, 1976. Privacy and Sexuality 257 Ed Koch July 11, 1976. Speech at NYSCGO Demonstration 259 David Thorstad August 17, 1976. Statement on Sex and Violence on Television 261 Ginny Vida August 17, 1976. Gay People on Television 266 Newton Deiter August 29, 1976. How Do You Define "Lesbianism"? 271 New Jersey Lesbian Caucus March 1977. Neither Profit Nor Salvation 274 Barbara Grier June 8, 1977. Prayer Breakfast 281 Barbara Gittings June 9, 1977. Tribute to Troy D. Perry 282 Henry Waxman August 1977. A Lesbian Mother on the Abortion Issue 284 Joyce Kaufman August 24, 1977. Resolution on Anita Bryant 286 Libertarian Party January 1978. An Open Letter to Anita Bryant 287 Wages Due Lesbians, Toronto April 30, 1978. Gay Rights Can Be Achieved 289 Alan Cranston May 12, 1978. A Union Leader Speaks for Gay Rights 295 David McDonald June 17, 1978. Speech at Boston Lesbian and Gay Pride Rally 298 Kate Gyllensvird June 25, 1978. Speech at Gay and Lesbian Pride Rally, New York City 302 Kay Whitlock July 1978. Lesbian Schoolworkers Stand Against Briggs 304 Lesbian Schoolworkers in San Francisco September 19, 197 8. A House Divided 307 Gay Community News 1979. Letter to the Pope 309 International Gay Association March 16, 1979. Farewell 311 Charles Brydon June 20, 1979. Community and Power: Building Gay Services for the Next Ten Years 314 Susan Rosen November 27, 1979. Speech at Harvey Milk's Memorial 318 Wayne Friday SECTION V: THE 1980S
February 11, 1980. A Petition from the Netherlands Parliament 323 Henry Waxman March 3, 1980. Carter Response to NGTF Survey 326 Robert Strauss May 23, 1980. Presentation to the Temporary Committee on Resolutions 329 Timothy Drake May 24, 1980. Building the Lavender Left 332 Joyce Levine May 30, 1980. 25 Ways to Shaft the Gay Movement 335 J. F. Guthrie June 1980. Speech to the Democratic Party Platform Committee 338 Bill Kraus June 1980. Speech to the Democratic Party Platform Committee 340 Virginia Apuzzo June 22, 1980. The Cock of Basel 342 Rosalie Nichols August 14, 1980. Speech to the Democratic National Convention 346 Mel Boozer
October 4, 1980. NOW Speech 350 Lucia Valeska December 4, 1980. Address to the Kennedy Institute for Politics, Harvard University 358 Virginia Apuzzo June 26, 1981. Speech at Daley Plaza 366 Jay Deacon September 5, 1981. The Gay Tradition: Strategies for the Decades Ahead 369 Jack Nichols April 24, 1982. The Fern Question, or We Will Not Go Away 376 Joan Nestle August 21, 1982. Harnessing Our Anger 380 Bob Nelson October 13, 1982. Speech at the Human Rights Campaign Fund Banquet 385 Barbara Gittings - November 27, 1982. Statement 387 Boston Lesbian Sadomasochist Group March 26, 1983. Who Belongs in the Gay Movement, Who Decides? 389 Chicago Stonewall Committee April 22, 1983. An Open Letter to Archbishop James Hickey 392 Larry Uhrig May 5, 1983. The Boston Project Studies Queerbashing 394 Larry Goldsmith May 15, 1983. Testifying on AIDS Before Congress 400 Virginia Apuzzo June 26, 1983. The Eyes of the World 403 Robert Gurdian June 26, 1983. Militarism, Feminism, and Homophobia 405 Diane Warnock October 9, 1983. Jericho: A Call for Activism in the Black Gay Community 407 Michelle Parkerson October 22, 1983. Speech at the Philadelphia Gay Walk-A-Thon 411 Barbara Gittings November 19, 1983. Gays, Politicking, and Republicans 413 Bill Green November 19, 1983. Sexual Politics of "Crime": Inside and Out 417 Mike Riegle November 28, 1983. Police Brutality: The Continual Erosion of Our Most Basic Rights 423 James Credle December 9, 1983. Being Who We Are 428 Gary Hirshberg December 17, 1983. United We Stand 431 Steve Endean February 16, 1984. In Support of Gay Rights 433 David Roberti May 1984. Victory Speech 436 Merle Woo May 12, 1984. The Limitations of the Legal Fight 439 Susan Ritter May 30, 1984. Lesbians Oppose the Klan 441 LIPS June 24, 1984. Passion Is Our Politics 444 Joan Nestle June 30, 1984. Unity and More in '84 446 Harry Hay November 14, 1984. Why Aren't More Gay Men Feminists? 451 Aubrey Wertheim 1985. An Open Letter to the Gay Community 455 Vic Basile 1985. Black Men Loving Black Men: The Revolutionary Act of the Eighties 458 Joseph Beam May 23, 1985. We Are Everywhere, and We Have Children 461 Louise Rice June 11, 1985. Building Alliances for a Stronger Community 463 Henry C. Chinn June 15, 1985. No Regrets 466 Don Babets David Jean June 15, 1985. The Need to Refight Stonewall 468 Angela Bowen June 15, 1985. Fifteen Years of Pride 472 Gil Gerald June 15, 1985. Speaking for Our Lives 475 David Summers 1985. Remarks to the Democratic National Committee 480 David Scondras September 15, 1985. Text of the Harveylvlilk Memorial Plaque 482 November 14, 1985. No More Lies! 484 Darrell Yates Rist
November 27, 1985. San Francisco City Hall Speech 490 Cleve Jones
1985. A Challenge to Gay and Lesbian Leadership 493 Rosemary Dunn Dalton
1986. Remarks by 1985 Mr. Leather to the Courts 499 Richard Hennigh
April 29, 1986. Address to the Dorian Group 501 JeffLevi
May 3, 1986. Lesbians and Children: The Community We Create 508 Cindy Rizzo
May 12, 1986. Answering the Call 510 Richard C. Failla
May 31, 1986. Speech to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Women's Conference on AIDS 515 Gil Gerald
1986. Speech for Gay and Lesbian Pride Day 1986 519 Chuck Harbaugh
July 18, 1986. An Open Letter to the Chicago City Council, Mayor Harold Washington, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, Gay and Lesbian Communities, and the People of Chicago 522
1986. The Injury of Living Unawarely 525 Lorry Sorgman
November 11, 1986. Remembering David Summers 527 Wayne Steinman 1986. A Seat at the Banquet: Remarks to the Conference on International Human Rights 532 Will Hutchinson
January 8, 1987. Goodbye to Wisconsin Governor Anthony Earl 535 Earl Bricker
1987. Greater Seattle Business Association Address 538 Barbara Roberts
March 27, 1987. National AIDS Network Conference Speech 544 Tony Coelho
Summer 1987. We the People, We the 25 Million 551 David Fair
August 1987. A Letter from South Africa 555 Simon Nkoli
October 2, 1987. Chicago March on Washington Day Proclamation 560 Harold Washington
October 11, 1987. Our Demands 562 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights
October 11, 1987. From the Stage 566 Barbara Smith
November 7, 1987. Being Open Is Best 570 John Maddux
April 14, 1988. The Hour of the Rooster, the Hour of the Owl 575 Catherine Lohr
April 30, 1988. We Gather in Dubuque 579 Sue Hyde June 1988. You Can't Build a Movement on Anger: Feeling Our Way Toward Failure, Thinking Our Way Toward Success 582 John D 'Emilio January 1989. Time Is Not Right to March on Washington 585 Cathy Woolard June 8, 1989. A Love Letter to the Movement 587 Robin Tyler June 14, 1989. The 20th Anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion 590 Ted Weiss October 6-8, 1989. It Is We Who Are Kind 592 Cleve Jones Autumn 1989. Concession Speech 594 Harry Britt SECTION VI: THE 1990S 1990. Song to My Master 599 John Eric Larsen January 9, 1990. Into the Light or into the Darkness? 601 Jim Thomas June 1990.1 Hate Straights 603 June 2, 1990. Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade Speech 606 Barbara Gittings June 15, 1990. Toasting Troy Perry 608 Barbara Gittings July 13, 1990. Chicago Speech 611 Tim McFeeley April 27, 1991. The National Lesbian Agenda 614 Urvashi Vaid
June 25, 1991. Gay Pride Month 620 Ted Weiss
August 19, 1991. Memorial to A. Damien Martin 621 Barbara Gittings
November 4, 1991. Tribute to Steve Endean 623 Olav Sabo
November 22, 1991. In Honor of Roman Kalinin 625 Nancy Pelosi
May 28, 1992. African-American Community Celebrates Black Gay Pride Day 627 Eleanor Holmes Norton
April 21, 1993. Remembering Gay Victims of the Holocaust 629 Gerry Studds
April 22, 1993. Report of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force on Anti-Gay Violence 632 Paul Simon
April 1993. Letter to the March on Washington 634 William Jefferson Clinton
April 25, 1993. Unashamed, We Embrace the Traditions of the Broad Civil Rights Movement in America 636 Eric Rofes
April 25, 1993. Speech at the March on Washington 639 Urvashi Vaid
September 18, 1993. Dallas/Fort Worth Speech 642 Tim McFeeley November 16, 1993. Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 646 Jerrold Nadler
February 11, 1994. Abraham Lincoln Award Acceptance Speech 648 Barbara Gittings
April 11, 1994. A Moment of Great Crisis, Great Potential, and Great Danger 650 Margaret Cerullo
June 30, 1994. Gay Rights 659 Major R. Owens
August 19, 1994. Asian-American and Lesbian/Gay Communities 661 Nancy Pelosi
December 28, 1994. Welcoming Speech at the ILGA Opening Plenary 663 Hannele Lehtikuusi
March 1, 1995. Prix EGALITE 1995 Speech 665 Claudia Roth
April 3, 1995. A Victory for Common Sense 668 Gerry Studds
October 19, 1995. Honoring an American Hero 671 Gerry Studds
November 16-19, 1995. The City, the Country, the World: Not What They Used to Be 673 Douglas Sanders
1996. Introduction to the Film Stonewall 681 Barbara Gittings February 27, 1996. Philadelphia Gay News Celebrates Twenty Years of Service 683 Thomas M. Foglietta April 16, 1996. Gay and Lesbian Activist Alliance 25th Anniversary 684 Eleanor Holmes Norton May 20, 1996. On Striking Down Colorado's Amendment 2 685 Suzanne B. Goldberg October 11, 1996. Remarks at Walk Without Fear '96 687 Richard Rosendall March 7, 1997. Log Cabin Republican Address 690 Jim Kolbe April 1997. Why Can't We All Get Together, and What Do We Have in Common? 700 Jim Kepner June 29, 1997. Press Conference Remarks at New York Gay Pride March 721 Barbara Gittings July 8, 1997. Gay and Lesbian Pride Celebration 1997 722 Barney Frank November 16, 1997. The Emerging Sex Panic Targeting Gay Men 724 Eric Rofes January 28, 1998. Congregation Beth Simchat Torah 729 Eliot L. Engel March 5, 1998. Why a Millennium March on Washington? 730 Troy Perry May 22, 1998. A Celebration of Jim Kepner's Life 733 Franklin E. Kameny May 22, 1998. Remembering Jim Kepner 735 Barbara Gittings
October 23, 1998. Introduction to the Documentary Out of the Past 131 Barbara Gittings
November 13, 1998. Building a Movement for Sexual Freedom During a Moment of Sexual Panic 739 Eric Rofes
February 5, 1999. Why We Are Going to the Millennium March on Washington for Equality 752 Troy Perry
May 6, 1999. First Annual GBLT Memorial Day 755 Jerrold Nadler
June 7, 1999. The Spirit of Stonewall 756 Carolyn B. Maloney
June 17, 1999. Gay and Lesbian Democratic Club 25th Anniversary 758 Carolyn B. Maloney
June 19, 1999. Jacksonville, Florida, Gay Pride Rally Speech 760 Barbara Gittings
July 29, 1999. A Gay Men's Health Movement Is Born 764 Eric Rofes
September 1, 1999. Australia's First Openly Gay Senator Speaks 773 Brian Greig
October 14, 1999. 20th Anniversary of the First National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights 780 Malcolm Lazin October 14, 1999. Celebrating the Memory of Matthew Shepard 782 Mark Udall
October 18, 1999. The Tragic Death of Matthew Shepard 783 Nancy Pelosi
November 16, 1999. Recognizing Amnesty International-USA for Its Leadership in Promoting LGBT Human Rights 785 Tom Lantos
SECTION VII: 2000 February 20, 2000. Speech at the Dedication of the Leather Archives and Museum 789 Joseph Bean
March 8, 2000. Human Rights Violations Based on Sexual Orientation 792 Tom Lantos March 9, 2000. An Open Letter to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community 798 April 25, 2000. The GLBT Movement at a Crossroads 801 Elizabeth Toledo
April 30, 2000. Keep the Flame Alive for Rights 804 Tammy Baldwin
April 30, 2000. Remarks at the Millennium March for Equality 807 Troy Perry
May 2, 2000. Honoring Dr. Franklin Kameny and the GLAA 811 Eleanor Holmes Norton
July 5, 2000. Boy Scouts of America Rally 813 Ken South July 19, 2000. What Is a Healthy Gay Man? 816 Eric Rofes September 16, 2000. Accepting the SPARC Lifetime Achievement Award 824 Barbara Gittings September 30, 2000. The Future of Leather 830 Joseph Bean October 10, 2000. The Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Lesbian/Gay Community Service Center of Cleveland 838 Dennis J. Kucinich Copyright Acknowledgments 841 Index 847