DOCSLIB.ORG

Vito Russo's Secret Papers Unsealed!

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Vito Russo's Secret Papers Unsealed! ESSAY Vito Russo’s Secret Papers Unsealed! MICHAEL SCHIAVI HEN I STARTED working on Vito secrets needed 25 years’ protection? I used to joke that the five Russo’s biography in 2007, I had home- boxes would reveal Russo as a transgender Nazi sympathizer. But town access to his papers at the New I also worried that they might reveal gaps in my knowledge of his York Public Library (NYPL). Arnie life that made it into my published biography. One day, I vowed, Kantrowitz, his best friend and literary I’d return to the NYPL for the full truth. executor, had deposited them there in W1995. Along with the 200 interviews I conducted of Russo’s sur- THAT DAY FINALLY ARRIVED in July 2016. Boxes 1 to 5 of the Vito viving friends and family, the NYPL archives would tell his full Russo Papers were now unsealed and available for public view. story. I hoped. But there was a problem. Russo’s will stipulated I opened Box 1 with trembling hands. The first letter, dated that five boxes of his papers would remain sealed until 25 years March 25, 1969, came from a friend bemoaning that the after his death, which would be November 7, 2015. What could “Stonewall is going to pieces”— three months before the famous be hidden in those boxes? Arnie kindly interceded for me with the Riots. This news is followed by chatty correspondence from Bette head of NYPL’s Manuscripts and Archives division. As Russo’s Midler, underground gay filmmaker Kenneth Anger, and gay ac- literary executor, could he request early cracking of the five seals? tivists Pete Fisher, Morris Kight, and John Paul Hudson, who at- “Absolutely not.” tacked anti-drag lesbian feminists for their “failure to realize Vito Russo (1946-1990) is a name that may be familiar to [that] the right to dress as we choose is the core of the struggle— most readers of this magazine. Russo was a pioneering gay rights and that we are all transvestites of one kind of another.” This was and AIDS activist and the author of The Celluloid Closet: Ho- a hot controversy in 1973, but why did it have to be buried until mosexuality in the 2015? One might Movies (1981; re- ask the same about vised, 1987), which a lovely note from became the founda- Lotte Lenya, who tional text of gay in June 1976 de- and lesbian media nounced a “recent studies and later the Supreme Court de- inspiration for a cision which makes much-praised docu- private gay consent- mentary, The Cellu- ing adults subject to loid Closet (1995). criminal prosecu- A co-founder of tion.” Lenya con- GLAAD and ACT UP, sidered the decision he was also the a “form of treason” posthumous star of against democracy his own documen- and granted Russo tary, Vito (2012). permission to read This film and my her comments at the biography, Cellu- upcoming Central loid Activist (2011), give his full history, so I won’t recount it Park Gay Pride Rally, which he was co-hosting. here. But back to the sealed archives and the secrets they revealed More understandable, perhaps, was his embargo on a post- upon their opening late last year. card from his buddy Arthur Bell, a Village Voice columnist who The dilemma I faced was this: could I really tell Russo’s life described Kris Kristofferson as “stoned out of his skull” at a story without access to all of his papers? This question grew more Star Is Born (1976) concert shoot. Russo may have feared legal perplexing as I plunged into the available archives, particularly action if it went public. Bell also quoted Stockard Channing’s Russo’s journals, where he painted his indefatigable sex life in claim that director James Bridges was in love with John Tra- Technicolor detail. He wasn’t afraid to trash contemporaries, dis- volta, and he blasted Bette Midler, whom gays had “created.” cuss his love of pot and Quaaludes, or dissect his romantic fail- Now, he carped, “[s]he’s rich. We’re poor. I think I’ll give the ures. Given these revelations, what more could there be? What whole thing up and tour the provinces in Mame.” Funny, mildly provocative, but actionable? Michael Schiavi, professor of English at New York Institute of Technol- Russo tangled with columnist Liz Smith, who, long before ac- ogy, is the author of Celluloid Activist: The Life and Times of Vito Russo. knowledging relationships with women in her memoir, Natural November–December 2016 29.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • GLAAD Media Institute Began to Track LGBTQ Characters Who Have a Disability
    Studio Responsibility IndexDeadline 2021 STUDIO RESPONSIBILITY INDEX 2021 From the desk of the President & CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis In 2013, GLAAD created the Studio Responsibility Index theatrical release windows and studios are testing different (SRI) to track lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and release models and patterns. queer (LGBTQ) inclusion in major studio films and to drive We know for sure the immense power of the theatrical acceptance and meaningful LGBTQ inclusion. To date, experience. Data proves that audiences crave the return we’ve seen and felt the great impact our TV research has to theaters for that communal experience after more than had and its continued impact, driving creators and industry a year of isolation. Nielsen reports that 63 percent of executives to do more and better. After several years of Americans say they are “very or somewhat” eager to go issuing this study, progress presented itself with the release to a movie theater as soon as possible within three months of outstanding movies like Love, Simon, Blockers, and of COVID restrictions being lifted. May polling from movie Rocketman hitting big screens in recent years, and we remain ticket company Fandango found that 96% of 4,000 users hopeful with the announcements of upcoming queer-inclusive surveyed plan to see “multiple movies” in theaters this movies originally set for theatrical distribution in 2020 and summer with 87% listing “going to the movies” as the top beyond. But no one could have predicted the impact of the slot in their summer plans. And, an April poll from Morning COVID-19 global pandemic, and the ways it would uniquely Consult/The Hollywood Reporter found that over 50 percent disrupt and halt the theatrical distribution business these past of respondents would likely purchase a film ticket within a sixteen months.
    [Show full text]
  • Homosexuality and the 1960S Crisis of Masculinity in the Gay Deceivers
    Why Don’t You Take Your Dress Off and Fight Like a Man? WHY DON’T YOU TAKE YOUR DRESS OFF AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN?: HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE 1960S CRISIS OF MASCULINITY IN THE GAY DECEIVERS BRIAN W OODMAN University of Kansas During the 1960s, it seemed like everything changed. The youth culture shook up the status quo of the United States with its inves- titure in the counterculture, drugs, and rock and roll. Students turned their universities upside-down with the spirit of protest as they fought for free speech and equality and against the Vietnam War. Many previously ignored groups, such as African Americans and women, stood up for their rights. Radical politics began to challenge the primacy of the staid old national parties. “The Kids” were now in charge, and the traditional social and cultural roles were being challenged. Everything old was old-fashioned, and the future had never seemed more unknown. Nowhere was this spirit of youthful metamorphosis more ob- vious than in the transformation of views of sexuality. In the 1960s sexuality was finally removed from its private closet and cele- brated in the public sphere. Much of the nation latched onto this new feeling of openness and freedom toward sexual expression. In the era of “free love” that characterized the latter part of the decade, many individuals began to explore their own sexuality as well as what it meant to be a traditional man or woman. It is from this historical context that the Hollywood B-movie The Gay Deceivers (1969) emerged. This small exploitation film, directed by Bruce Kessler and written by Jerome Wish, capitalizes on the new view of sexuality in the 1960s with its novel (at least for the times) comedic exploration of homosexu- ality.
    [Show full text]
  • Gay Activists Alliance by Linda Rapp
    Gay Activists Alliance by Linda Rapp Encyclopedia Copyright © 2015, glbtq, Inc. Entry Copyright © 2004, glbtq, inc. Reprinted from http://www.glbtq.com The Gay Activists Alliance was formed in 1969 with the goal of working through the political system to secure and defend the rights of gay men and lesbians. The founders of the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) were members of the Gay Liberation Front who had become dissatisfied with the direction that the organization had taken. The Gay Liberation Front had allied itself with the Black Panther Party and was active in the movement against the war in Vietnam. Its leaders preached a radical political agenda, including the overthrow of capitalism. Arthur Evans, Jim Owles, and Marty Robinson were among the first activists to consider a break with the Gay Liberation Front. In December 1969 they convened a group of approximately twenty people in the New York apartment of Evans's lover Arthur Bell and organized their new association. Other original members included Kay Tobin Lahusen, Vito Russo, and Morty Manford, whose parents, Jeanne and Jules Manford, founded P-FLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). A central tenet of the GAA was that they would devote their activities solely and specifically to gay and lesbian rights. Furthermore, they would work within the political system, seeking to abolish discriminatory sex laws, promoting gay and lesbian civil rights, and challenging politicians and candidates to state their views on gay rights issues. Owles was chosen to be the first president of the GAA. The political tactics of the GAA included "zaps"--public confrontations with officials that sought to draw media attention.
    [Show full text]
  • Vito Russo B
    VITO RUSSO b. July 11, 1946 d. November 7, 1990 FILM HISTORIAN In the early 1970s, he “I never once, not for a second, started research for believed it was wrong to be gay.” “The Celluloid Closet” Vito Russo was a gay rights activist, a film historian and an author best known for his (1981), which entailed book, “The Celluloid Closet,” a groundbreaking chronicle of gays and lesbians in film. watching hundreds A New York City native, Russo grew up in East Harlem. As a young boy, he would sneak of films that included into Manhattan to go to the movies. From an early age, Russo knew he was “different.” gay content and A cousin remembers him always talking about Rock Hudson rather than Ava Gardner. stereotypes. After graduating from New York University, Russo joined the Gay Activists Alliance. In the early 1970s, he started research for “The Celluloid Closet” (1981), which entailed watching hundreds of films that included gay content and stereotypes. What originated as a lecture with film clips became one of the most informative books about gay people and pop culture. Diagnosed with HIV in 1985, Russo was a frequent protestor with ACT UP. In 1986, Russo lost his longtime partner, Jeffrey Sevcik, to AIDS. Outraged by the media’s inadequate and inaccurate coverage of the pandemic, Russo cofounded GLAAD, an organization that monitors LGBT representation in the media. In his memory, GLAAD created the © GETTY IMAGES Vito Russo Media Award to recognize out LGBT media professionals who have made a significant difference promoting equality. Russo appeared in the 1989 Academy Award- winning documentary, “Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt,” about the life and death of Sevcik and the quilt Russo made for him.
    [Show full text]
  • LGBTQA+ History Resource Guide
    LGBTQA+ History Resource Guide CW: The following resources contain discussions of Videos homophobia, transphobia, White Supremacy, “LGBT History: What’s The Point?” – Novara racism, colonialism, hate crimes, violence, policing Media and police violence, and sexual assault. “Black History Month: Gay Edition” – NoMoreDownLow Looking for more information or resources about LGBTQA+ history? “Pioneering Icon Paris Dupree Explaining the History of the Harlem Drag Ball Scene” Note: These resources are primarily focused on LGBTQA+ history in the United States. “Mexico’s Dance of the 41 Is a Lesson in Queer History” – Hornet Articles “Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, “Being Two Spirit: A Brief History of Queer Transgender, and Queer History (LGBTQ Native Culture” – Splinter Video History) in the United States” – Leisa Meyer and Helis Sikk “LGBT History by the Decades: The Roaring Twenties” – AreTheyGay “LGBTQ History” – GLSEN “LGBT History by the Decades: The World At “The History of Queer History: One Hundred War” – AreTheyGay Years of the Search for Shared Heritage” – Gerard Koskovich “LGBT History By The Decades: Age of Conformity” – AreTheyGay “Breathing Fire: Remembering Asian Pacific American Activism in Queer History” – Amy “LGBT History By The Decades: The Golden Sueyoshi Age” – AreTheyGay “Timeline of Asian and Pacific Islander diasporic “LGBT History By The Decades: Before LGBT history” – Wikipedia Stonewall” – AreTheyGay “A Forgotten Latina Trailblazer: LGBT Activist Sylvia Rivera” – Raul A. Reyes Sylvia Rivera and “Black LGBT
    [Show full text]
  • WNYC-TV Moving Image Collection
    NEW YORK CITY MUNICIPAL ARCHIVES 31 CHAMBERS ST., NEW YORK, NY 10007 Guide to the moving images of WNYC-TV, circa 1943-1998 Collection REC 0047 Initial processing done prior to 2017 by MJ Robinson. Updated by Danielle Nista, Harvey Ngai, Abbey Wilson and Rachel Greer (2017-2019), Caroline De Oliveira (2019-2020), and Alexandra Hilton and Chris Nicols (2019-present). NYC Municipal Archives Guide to the moving images of WNYC-TV, circa 1943-1998 1 NYC Municipal Archives Guide to the moving images of WNYC-TV, circa 1943-1998 Summary Record Group: RG 093: New York City municipal broadcasting organizations Title of the Collection: WNYC-TV moving images Creator(s): New York (N.Y.). Municipal Broadcasting System; WNYC-TV (Television station : New York, N.Y.) Date: circa 1943-1998 Abstract: This collection consists of moving image materials produced by WNYC-TV from about 1943-1998. Collection #: REC 0047 Extent: 503 cubic feet Language: English Physical location: Materials are stored onsite at 31 Chambers St. Repository: New York City Municipal Archives, Department of Records and Information Services, 31 Chambers St., New York, NY 10007 Immediate source of acquisition: The films and a small number of tapes were transferred from the Municipal Broadcasting System (WNYC) to the Municipal Archives in 1984 (ACC-1984-025) and 2013 (ACC-2013-042). The bulk of the videotapes were transferred from the Department of Citywide Administrative Services in 2001 (ACC-2001-048) with additions received from WNYC Radio (now New York Public Radio) (ACC-2005-043 and ACC-2006-045), the Tamiment Library (ACC-2002-028) and through private donation (ACC-2013-057).
    [Show full text]
  • HBO Documentary Films, Automat Pictures and PRO-FUN MEDIA Present VITO
    HBO Documentary Films, Automat Pictures and PRO-FUN MEDIA Present VITO ©2011, Automat Pictures Inc. / PRO-FUN MEDIA GmbH TIP SHEET Title Vito Genre Documentary Running Time 93 Minutes Format HDCam Copyright 2011 Producer / Director Jeffrey Schwarz Executive Producer Bryan Singer Co-Producers Philip Harrison, Lotti Pharriss Knowles Editor Philip Harrison Director of Photography David Quantic Composer Miriam Cutler Associate Producers Jon Glover, Adam Robitel, Taryn Teigue Logline The story of Vito Russo, founding father of the gay liberation movement, author of “The Celluloid Closet,” and vociferous AIDS activist in the 1980s. Short Synopsis In the aftermath of Stonewall, a newly politicized Vito Russo found his voice as a gay activist and critic of LGBT representation in the media. He went on to write “The Celluloid Closet,” the first book to critique Hollywood’s portrayals of gays on screen. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Vito became a passionate advocate for justice via the newly formed ACT UP, before his death in 1990. Contact Info PRO-FUN MEDIA GmbH Rödelheimer Landstr. 13 A D-60487 Frankfurt am Main Tel.: +49 69 707677–0 Fax: +49 69 707677–11 E-Mail: [email protected] ©2011, Automat Pictures Inc. / PRO-FUN MEDIA GmbH VITO SYNOPSIS On June 27, 1969 a police raid on a Greenwich Village gay bar called the Stonewall took a surprising turn when patrons decided it was time to fight back. As a riot erupted on Christopher Street, a new era in the Gay Rights Movement was born. Vito Russo, a 23-year-old film student, was among the crowd.
    [Show full text]
  • VITO RUSSO (1946-1990) LGBT Activist and Film Historian Lesson Plan
    VITO RUSSO (1946-1990) LGBT Activist and Film Historian Lesson PLan “I DON’T KNOW WHAT WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT THE WAY I WAS RAISED OR THE WAY I REACTED, BUT I NEVER ONCE, NOT FOR A SECOND, BELIEVED THAT IT WAS WRONG TO BE GAY, THAT IT WAS A SIN, THAT HOMOSEXUALITY WAS EVIL.” – Vito Russo Pioneering journalist, lecturer, and author Vito Russo’s activism began in the early years of gay liberation following the Stonewall riots. His ‘Movie Nights’ screenings of camp films were cultural touchstones for the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA), a gay rights organization founded in late 1969. A charismatic speaker and film buff, from 1973 to1990 Russo traveled throughout the United States and to several European cities delivering lectures about ‘The Celluloid Closet’ – with accompanying film clips – at college campuses and at assorted venues. Russo’s presentations, as well as his 1981 book The Celluloid Closet, explored the history of gay and lesbian representation in film, explaining how such depictions in movies were surprisingly open before the advent of the Hays Hollywood Production Code in 1930 and viciously demonized thereafter. In 1983 Russo wrote, produced and co-hosted a WNYC-TV public television series focusing on the gay community called “Our Time”. In 1985, the same year he was diagnosed with HIV, the defamatory and sensationalized coverage of the AIDS epidemic by ‘The New York Post’ prompted Russo to co- establish the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). The organization continues to monitor LGBT representation on television, in print, and in film and still presents an annual award in Russo’s honor.
    [Show full text]
  • LGBTQ America: a Theme Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer History Is a Publication of the National Park Foundation and the National Park Service
    Published online 2016 www.nps.gov/subjects/tellingallamericansstories/lgbtqthemestudy.htm LGBTQ America: A Theme Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer History is a publication of the National Park Foundation and the National Park Service. We are very grateful for the generous support of the Gill Foundation, which has made this publication possible. The views and conclusions contained in the essays are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government. © 2016 National Park Foundation Washington, DC All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced without permission from the publishers. Links (URLs) to websites referenced in this document were accurate at the time of publication. THEMES The chapters in this section take themes as their starting points. They explore different aspects of LGBTQ history and heritage, tying them to specific places across the country. They include examinations of LGBTQ community, civil rights, the law, health, art and artists, commerce, the military, sports and leisure, and sex, love, and relationships. LGBTQ 16BUSINESS AND COMMERCE David K. Johnson As the field of gay and lesbian studies first began to take shape in the 1980s, writer and activist Dennis Altman called attention to the central role that commercial enterprises played in the development of LGBTQ communities. “One of the ironies
    [Show full text]
  • Historic Context Statement for LGBT History in New York City
    Historic Context Statement for LGBT History in New York City PREPARED FOR MAY 2018 Historic Context Statement for LGBT History in New York City PREPARED BY The NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project: Jay Shockley, Amanda Davis, Ken Lustbader, and Andrew Dolkart EDITED BY Kathleen Howe and Kathleen LaFrank of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation PREPARED FOR The National Park Service and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Cover Image: Participants gather at the starting point of the first NYC Pride March (originally known as Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day) on Washington Place between Sheridan Square and Sixth Avenue, June 28, 1970. Photo by Leonard Fink. Courtesy of the LGBT Community Center National History Archive. Table of Contents 05 Chapter 1: Introduction 06 LGBT Context Statement 09 Diversity of the LGBT Community 09 Methodology 13 Period of Study 16 Chapter 2: LGBT History 17 Theme 1: New Amsterdam and New York City in the 17th and 18th Centuries 20 Theme 2: Emergence of an LGBT Subculture in New York City (1840s to World War I) 26 Theme 3: Development of Lesbian and Gay Greenwich Village and Harlem Between the Wars (1918 to 1945) 35 Theme 4: Policing, Harassment, and Social Control (1840s to 1974) 39 Theme 5: Privacy in Public: Cruising Spots, Bathhouses, and Other Sexual Meeting Places (1840s to 2000) 43 Theme 6: The Early Fight for LGBT Equality (1930s to 1974) 57 Theme 7: LGBT Communities: Action, Support, Education, and Awareness (1974 to 2000) 65 Theme
    [Show full text]
  • CENTERLISTINGS January/February/March 2018
    CENTERLISTINGS January/February/March 2018 The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual EVENTS & Transgender Community Center CENTER ARTS 208 W 13 St, New York, NY 10011 & CULTURE Visit gaycenter.org/boxoffice for show (Between 7th & 8th Aves.) times, ticket sales and more information. gaycenter.org CENTER NATIONAL HISTORY ARCHIVE TUE, JAN 23, WED, FEB 21, WED, MAR 21 7 P.M. Telephone Opened in 1990, the archive collects NEWFEST AT THE CENTER Main: 212.620.7310 personal and organizational materials, and is The Center and NewFest present our Main Fax: 212.924.2657 available to all who want to delve into LGBTQ ongoing film series, featuring narrative Center Services Fax: 646.486.9381 history. Information and collection listings and documentary stories giving voice to can be found at gaycenter.org/archives. those segments of our community often unheard. Films TBA. $15. Building Hours PAT PARKER/VITO RUSSO CENTER LIBRARY Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sun 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Center’s lending library welcomes ROOM 210 browsers and borrowers at the days and Visit bgsqd.com for Think Coffee Hours times noted in Center Listings. More event listings. Daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. information at gaycenter.org/library. [email protected] CENTER LIBRARY BOOK David Bohnett CyberCenter DISCUSSION GROUP Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. A free, friendly group always open to new HOURS: TUE-SUN 1-7 P.M. Sun 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. members. Pat Parker/Vito Russo Center Library TUE, JAN 2, 8-10 P.M.
    [Show full text]
  • Don't Know Much About History: the LGBT History
    Don’t Know Much About History: The LGBT History & Culture Extravaganza Background: Thank you for participating in this PFLAG National/Straight for Equality learning session! In this document you’ll find a few questions to continue the discussion started during the class. You’ll also find several recommended resources that will help you continue to learn more about LGBT history and culture. As with any effort focused on history, there are many ways to understand the past, and the approach used in this session is just one of those ways, so please remember that this is not an exhaustive list of all resources, but a few that influenced this session. Want to learn more about PFLAG and Straight for Equality? Visit www.straightforequality.org to get started. Discussion Questions: Did anything that you learned in the session surprise you? Why? Were there any parts of the class that challenged or reframed what you thought you knew about LGBT history? How do you think understanding more about the stories of people who are LGBT from the past might help you better understand the LGBT community and its challenges today? Some people argue that as LGBT culture becomes more visible (and “out”), the idea of an LGBT culture – meaning something distinct from other groups – is starting to erode. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why? If there was one thing from the class that you’d like to learn more about now, what is it? Why? (Continued) Updated April 2015 Selected Resources: Please remember that this is not the only list of resources to use to learn more, but a selection of a few of the items that were mentioned in the session.
    [Show full text]