Set Your Wayback Machine

To the year 1971

On the internet archives there are old volumes of Drag Queen posted on the site and I just started reading them and some of the things they wrote about are interesting look into the past. Volume 1 Issue 3 I just started and one of the items that popped out at me was an article about a gay man’s arrest and having his driver license revoked.

New London CONN
A homosexual backed by the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union, is going to court to challenge the State's refusal to reinstate his drivers' license. (ED, This could be enforced against transvestites, hetero or homo, that's why we must unite for greater strength.)

You got that? They took his driver’s license because he was gay!

How would like to pay only $220 for Gender Confirming Surgery?

LONDON:
Sex change operations costing $220 each --paid for by taxpayer -- are on the increase in Britain, an expert in treatment of sexual deviants said. He was commenting on a disclosure by a Sunday newspaper that seven men have been changed into women in Britain during 1970.

A senior official of the Albany Trust, a charity organization which works with homosexuals, said, "There are a growing number of people with transsexual problems seeking medical advice. It would be outrageous if such operations were only available privately."

Not bad… but surgery has come a long ways since 1971.

And marriage has always been an issue, even back in 1972.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
Two homosexuals who want a marriage license were refused a court order for one in Hennepin County District Court. Jack Baker and James Michael McConnell, who are challenging the constitutionality of a state law, has also been denied in an earlier court action for a license. Mr. Baker recently won the presidency of the Student Council at the University of Minnesota. One of the campaign ads pictured him sitting with his legs outstreched, wearing women's white high -heeled shoes. The caption was Put me in your shoes. He won the office overwhelmingly.

And the battle to pass legislation in New York was going strong back in 1971!

MARCH ON ALBANY
Seek Statute to Legalize Crossdressing!

Grant us the courage this hour, stung the drag queens, tv's and homosexuals attending the church services prior to the march on the State Capital in Albany, Sunday, March 14th. The march was in support of the bills currently before the legislators in behalf of liberalized laws on homosexuality. Amongst them are bill for the repeal of impersonation laws, according to the Gay Activists Alliance news release.

This is the first time in the history of the homophile movement that the gay organizations have publicly acknowledged as one of their goals the legalization of female impersonation.

Queens Liberation Front supporters, S.T A.R (Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries) and their guests went to Albany on one of the four buses chartered by the NY GAA, slowly marched out of the church with the song still ringing in their ears and tears in their eyes. . . "Grant us courage for the facing of this hour…"

Albany is known for its small town attitudes so the demonstrators didn't know what their reaction would be to the three thousand invaders.

Would they allow the gays to demonstrate without any trouble? Would the drag queen and tv be arrested? How did they feel about the invasion? According to one of the NYC newspapers, "Well, they loved Lee Brewster, anyway. . . Lee displayed 'her' womanly charms to stupefied [sic] firemen and their hardhat buddies. " The Albany KNICKFOCHER NEWS reported the demonstration and speeches in their article, "We're not afraid anymore", the signature line of the Rev. Troy Perry. Womens Lib Leader, Kate Millet, Lee G. Brewster of QLE and the Rev, Troy Perry were quoted in the article.

Amongst the QUEENS delegation was Bunny Eisenhower who explained to passersby why he dressed. His wife was with him and contributed to his defense and the two enlightened many. Bobbie, who gives drag balls and dances and his friend carried the QUEENS banner during the entire march. The town was stunned but no trouble occurred [sic].

After the demonstration the participants returned to New York feeling a spirit of unity and satisfaction.

So when you hear people say that the trans community are just a “Johnny Come Lately” in demanding their rights, well it is not true! We have always been there, way before the Stonewall Uprising.