By: Patty Winsa News reporter, Published on Sat Jun 27 2015
In February 1976, two gay activists were arrested at the corner of Yonge and Bloor Sts. for kissing each other. They were charged with indecency and later convicted. In response, gay organizations staged a “kiss-in” at the same intersection. Tim McCaskell, Gerald Hannon and Ed Jackson were among the protesters. Their interviews have been condensed and edited.
Why did you stage the kiss-in after the arrest and charges against the two men?
Tim McCaskell: The two arrested men were part of this “Alternative to Alienation” collective, which was kind of flaky. They weren’t particularly a gay group, but they were sexual liberation, psychological stuff, anti-capitalist. It was all this primeval muck of that 1970s period.
But when it actually came down to it, (the men) hired a lawyer who said we don’t want any kind of politics around this at all. So they were found guilty. And they said they were going to appeal. And they didn’t appeal, just paid the fine. And it was over. But for those of us in the gay liberation movement, that left this precedent on the law books that two men kissing in public was a crime, because they hadn’t fought it. So in order to be able to try to challenge that, we organized a kiss-in.
Gerald Hannon: It was the perfect emblem. The two men were arrested and charged and fined for their kiss. It makes perfect sense to flaunt it after that, and say, we dare you to do something this time. (The police) didn’t, of course. And it was so important to be public in those days. It’s hard to imagine now, when it’s pretty easy. You were supposed to be ashamed of yourself. This was a good way of showing that we weren’t.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE @ THE TORONTO STAR!
President Barack Obama Speaks on Marriage Ruling. President Obama declared Friday that the Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide is “a victory for America.” Obama: ‘A big step in our march toward equality’ – WASHINGTON — President Obama ‘s first reaction to the Supreme Court decision requiring states to recognize same-sex marriage came, of course, in a tweet. President Barack Obama declared Friday that the Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide is “a victory for America.”From the White House Rose Garden, he said that social progress sometimes is slow, “and then there are days like this, when that slow, steady effort is rewarded with justice that arrives like a thunderbolt.” “America should be very proud,” he said.
Meet The Man Who Created The Rainbow Flag by Ben Reininga for REFINERY29
A big rainbow flag flaps lazily outside the gay community center in Manhattan’s West Village. It’s a rarity, hand-sewn and oversize, with eight colored stripes. I’m there to meet its creator, Gilbert Baker, a gay rights icon who created the pride flag nearly forty years ago, and is the force behind its adoption as the now ubiquitous symbol of the LGBT rights movement.
As we walk inside, he points above our heads — “That’s one of mine” — and then leads us up to a classroom (he’s an active volunteer at the center and greets several people on the stairs) to tell me how the pride flag came about.
It was 1978. Anita Bryant, the beauty queen turned conservative activist had just finished her nationwide anti-gay rights crusade. Baker was living in San Francisco, which had become a haven the gay community fleeing less tolerant locales. “It was a wonderful time,” he says. “Harvey [Milk] hadn’t been murdered yet and gay artistic empowerment — you had gay chorus, gay band, gay theater, gay film, all of this stuff — was just flowering.”
It was Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in the states, who invited Baker to make a flag for a gay rights march he was organizing — just months before his assassination that fall. “Because I loved to sew, my role in the movement became to make banners,” Baker says. “That’s really how I ended up making the first flag — I was the guy who could sew it.”
cum on australia you follow the USA its about time you got your head out of the mud to see things clearer. Come on abbott open your eyes and make australia a better country
Thank you Prez Obama
AND OF COURSE the first pick is about cock and NOT about pride. SMH
I dunno….I’d say it’s a cock to be proud of!!
Obama should not take credit for this. He is the worst President in history!
up your ass placentiadewd Obama did more for us than any Bush
placentiadewd you’re an idiot. Go stick your head up Sarah Palin’s ass, at least it would be out of yours for a change.
I am speechless. I’m almost 50 and I never thought SCOTUS would do that in my lifetime. It would of been nice if all 9 justices had gotten on board.
And a personal THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to the thousands of people who have worked on this over the decades. I’m in tears typing this. It is truly remarkable for America to take this, imo enormous, step forward.
About time!!!
It is amazing to see the White House in rainbow colors, and see all the outpouring of support for equal rights and marriage equality.
Religions , dictatorship and communist countries are homophobic.
USA and Australia are not secular countries and shame on them .
It seems to me that me as a gay person that the people should be on watch and cherish this that that we have fought for years. This should not be have to do with any party .it is up to us to take this well fought for law and pass it down to the generations still to come. so they can enjoy the rest of their life with there life long love. i lost the love of my life of 35 years to a stroke. a love like we had is rear and far between.
PS here in Florida ST.Pete has one of the biggest Pride party about 250,000 or more this year.
Congrats to the fellow-GLTB in the States! At last equality. We can marry who we love in The Netherlands for about fifteen years now. Glad that ‘the land of the free’ followed. Which country is next?
Yes, the first pic is more about cock than about Pride but why not!!! It’s a beautiful tasty looking cock with great balls……..and those tits are fucking gorgeous……great big hard nipples to lick too!!!!!
It was so strange. I was up way earlier than normal Friday. I saw a few breaking news alerts the decision was coming. I came back a few minutes later and saw the news. My eyes welled up. I don’t think I’m the marrying type, I’m very happy single…for several reasons. But knowing my brothers and sisters now could was awesome.
It was incredible to see a piece of history happen. The bigots are out in full force. But fuck ’em…its law now assholes! And placenta (yeah, that’s deliberate) You’re a narrow minded douche! Clearly Faux News has warped you.
placentiadewd how quickly you forget the reign of Bible
placentiadewd sorry to say but Bush has gone down in history as “THE worst president of the US EVER”
At least when the Iowa supreme court met this issue a few years ago, that all people had equal rights and protections, the court was unanimous in it’s decision!
yes the first pic is of cock, but let’s face it, as men, love of cock is what makes us gay…and its a fine cock…pride is the opposite of shame, and i’m not ashamed to say i love cock…so, to me, its a perfect symbol of Gay Pride…and about the legalization of gay marriage all i can say is Hallelujah! and its about time…
How many of you guys will be getting married now that you can in the US of A?
Placentiadewd sure picked the WRONG forum to trash Obama didn’t he? Obviously an idiot along with all the FAUX News lunatics, who actually voted for Bush……before he STOLE the election from Al Gore. We need to be diligent, and pay attention….there’s another election coming soon, we can never let the “conservative radicals” steal another election.