Tag Archives: Lesbian

WATCH: Bette Midler’s Final Performance At The Continental Baths in NYC. (1971)

In the late 1960’s Steve Ostrow opened the Continental Baths in the basement of the landmark  Ansonia Hotel, which at one time was home to such greats as Caruso, Stravinsky, and Toscanini.

Famous for its lavish accommodations, the Continental Baths was advertised as being reminiscent of “the glory of ancient Rome.” The impressive features of this bathhouse included a disco dance floor, a cabaret lounge, sauna rooms, an “Olympia blue” swimming pool, and clean, spacious facilities that could serve nearly 1,000 men, 24 hours a day. (And many patrons did!)

One gay guide from NYC in the 1970s described the Continental Baths as a place that “revolutionized the bath scene in New York.”

An extra added attraction at the Continental was the first-class entertainment provided by performers such as Melba Moore, Peter Allen, Cab Calloway, The Manhattan Transfer, John Davidson, Wayland Flowers, and Madame and Bette Midler, who began her career by performing there with Barry Manilow in 1972.

Despite Midler’s constant complaints about “that goddam waterfall,” her poolside performances were so successful that she soon gained national attention, beginning with repeat performances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Many of those who were fortunate enough to see Bette’s early bathhouse shows attest to the fact that her greatest achievement in show business took place the night she convinced the otherwise shy Barry Manilow to accompany her on the piano while wearing only a white towel, which was considered “proper bathhouse attire.”

As the popularity of the cabaret shows increased, a wide variety of entertainers were invited to “give it up” at the Continental Baths, including the soprano Eleanor Steber, who gave a “black towel” concert there in 1973.

The list of visitors to the Continental Baths read like a “who’s who” of the entertainment world, from actors, singers, artists, and producers, to the mafia and even the Metropolitan Oper. They all paid a visit either to see Bette or have some fun.

And for those unfortunate souls who never descended into that legendary basement bathhouse, the Continental Baths were able to come to them in the form of the highly popular Continental Baths towel, which was sold by Bloomingdale’s department store at the height of the club’s fame.

During this period even the mainstream news talk show The Pat Collins Show broadcast live from the club. In one segment, Pat sat by the pool and interviewed proprietor Steve Ostrow while nude men, apparently indifferent to the television cameras, went splashing  (WCBS-TV received only one complaint about the program.)

Below watch one of Bette Midler’s final performances in its entirety at The Continental Baths. (With Barry Manilow on the piano of course)

Apologies about the quality of the videos below but it’s a miracle that it exists at all

Setlist:

“Friends”
“Fat Stuff”
“Chattanooga Choo-Choo” (Andrews Sisters)
“Superstar”
“Empty Bed Blues” (Bessie Smith)
“Marahuana”
“For Free” (Joni Mitchell)
“Easier Said Than Done” (The Essex)
“Chapel Of Love” (The Dixie Cups)
“I Shall Be Released” (The Band)

TEXAS: Police Arrest Man Who Shot and Killed A Lesbian In Cold Blood in Shocking Hate Crime.

TEXAS: Police Arrest Man Who Shot and Killed A Lesbian In Cold Blood in Shocking Hate Crime.

An arrest has been made in Texas of a man who yelled homophobic slurs before shooting and killing a lesbian woman in a parking lot in Cedar Park, Texas over the weekend.

Via The Advocate: Akira Ross, 24, was gunned down outside a Circle K gas station in the evening of Friday, June 2. Police said they were called to the scene at 9:50 p.m. where they found Ross dead of a gunshot wound. Witnesses said a man started yelling homophobic slurs at Ross and the two exchanged words before the alleged assailant pulled a gun, shot her three times, and then fled the scene in his car. On Tuesday, authorities in Ingleside arrested Bradley Stanford, 23, and charged him with a single count of first-degree felony murder of Ross.

Two days later, police found Stanford in Ingleside, near Corpus Christi, and arrested him. He is now in the Williamson County Jail and is charged with murder.

Anthony Hill, Ross’ father believes this was a crime fueled by hate:

“And this was a hate crime because he was laying out slurs at her. She didn’t want any trouble,” Hill said. “I just want people to stop hating on people for whatever they decide to do in life. You know, because at the end of the day, we are the same. No one is better than the next. No one is worse than the next.”

The Cedar Park police will not state at this time if this is being investigated as a possible hate crime, but the department could only confirm that an investigation is ongoing.

*NOTE: The Advocate titled their piece: “Texas Police Arrest Man Who Allegedly Shot Queer Woman In Cold Blood”. We’d like to remind fellow journalists that this is lazy and an incorrect headline unless the reporter knew for a fact that Ms. Ross openly identified as “queer”. Most people in our community do not. For that fact, we referred to Ms. Ross as a “lesbian”.

And ADVOCATE: Do better.

PRIDE 2023: WATCH - "Before Stonewall" (1984) Full Documentary.

PRIDE 2023: WATCH – “Before Stonewall” (1984) Full Documentary.

Learn your history.! It may come in handy one day.

“Before Stonewall” is a groundbreaking documentary released in 1984, directed by Greta Schiller and Robert Rosenberg, which explores the history of LGBT+ life in the United States before the Stonewall Riots of 1969. Through interviews, archival footage, and personal stories, the film paints a vivid picture of the struggles, triumphs, and resilience of the LGBT+ community in the face of discrimination, oppression, and invisibility.

The narrative then traces the early gay rights movements, exploring the establishment of clandestine gay organizations, such as the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis, which provided spaces for community building and political activism. The film highlights key figures like Harry Hay, founder of the Mattachine Society, and Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, pioneering lesbian activists.

The documentary also examines the role of LGBT+ individuals in the arts and entertainment industry. It explores the lives of openly gay artists and writers who defied societal norms and pushed boundaries, including poet Allen Ginsberg, novelist Ann Bannon, and playwright Tennessee Williams.

As the documentary nears its conclusion, it portrays the events leading up to the Stonewall Riots of 1969, a pivotal moment in LGBT+ history. The uprising, sparked by a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York City, marked a turning point in the fight for LGBT+ rights, igniting a wave of protests, demonstrations, and the birth of the modern LGBT+ rights movement.

Before Stonewall” is a powerful documentary that illuminates the hidden history of LGBT+ life before the Stonewall Riots. Through personal stories, historical context, and interviews with key figures, the film sheds light on the struggles, triumphs, and contributions of the LGBT+ community.

You can watch the full documentary below and Happy PRIDE!

*Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. 

*HAPPY PRIDE! – Buy us a beer for PRIDE or make a small donation to keep not-for-profit independent LGBT journalism and history alive!
It’s also good KARMA and always appreciated!
PAYPAL will@back2stonewall.com – VENMO @Will-Kohler-1 
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH 2023! Including a VERY SPECIAL MESSAGE from Matt Bomer!

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH 2023! Including a VERY SPECIAL MESSAGE from Matt Bomer!

A Happy PRIDE MONTH 2023 to all including our FANTASTIC LGBT STR8 Allies!

Pride Month is a month-long celebration and recognition of the LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and others) community. It is observed in June each year and is marked by various events, parades, parties, and activities that promote LGBT+ rights, equality, and diversity.

It’s important to note that Pride month is not just a celebration, but also a reminder that there is still so much work to be done to achieve full equality and acceptance for the LGBT+ community.

Remember: PRIDE Month is not to be confused with LGBT History Month which falls in October.

To celebrate PRIDE 2023 we are playing the cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “People Like Us” by Matt Bomer and Alan Mingo Jr. from HBO’s “Doom Patrol”.

And after all the abuse the LGBT community has taken these past 2 years the message is clear.

Get Angry, protect each other, fight, and stay the course!

Our lives depend on it.

“Hey, everybody loses it
Everybody wants to throw it all away sometimes
And hey, yeah I know what you’re going through
Don’t let it get the best of you, you’ll make it out alive

Oh, people like us we’ve gotta stick together
Keep your head up, nothing lasts forever
Here’s to the damned to the lost and forgotten
It’s hard to get high when you’re living on the bottom…

Hey, this is not a funeral
It’s a revolution, after all your tears have turned to rage
Just wait, everything will be okay
Even when you’re feeling like it’s going down in flames.

Oh, people like us we’ve gotta stick together
Keep your head up, nothing lasts forever
Here’s to the damned to the lost and forgotten
It’s hard to get high when you’re living on the bottom.

They can’t do nothing to you, they can’t do nothing to me
This is the life that we choose, this is the life that we bleed
So throw your fists in the air, come out, come out if you dare
Tonight we’re gonna change forever

Listen to the lyrics my children. And FIGHT!

Gay History – January 2, 1857: Martha Carey Thomas Feminist Lesbian Educator and Suffragist Born

Martha Carey Thomas was born in Baltimore, Maryland January 2, 1857.

Thomas an American educator and suffragist went on to become the dean and later president of Bryn Mawr University.

Growing up, Thomas was strongly influenced by the staunch feminism of her mother and her mother’s sister Hannah Whitall Smith who became a prominent preacher in their Quaker religion. Her father, a physician, was not completely happy with feminist ideas, but his daughter was fiercely independent and he supported her in all of her independent endeavors. Though both her parents were orthodox members of the Society of Friends, Thomas’ education and European travel led her to question those beliefs and develop a love for music and theater, both of which were forbidden to Orthodox Quakers.

Thomas went to Sage College, a women’s school at Cornell University.

She graduated from Cornell University in 1877.  Cornell offered her both the position of professor of literature and dean of Sage College, but she did not consider either.

She did graduate work in Greek at Johns Hopkins University but withdrew because she was not permitted to attend classes. She did further graduate work at the University of Leipzig, but that university did not grant degrees to women. She then went to the University of Zurich and earned a Ph.D. in linguistics, summa cum laude, in 1882 for her dissertation which was a philological analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This dissertation continued to be highly regarded by specialists eighty years later.She was the first woman and the first foreigner to receive such a doctorate from the university. She then spent some time in Paris, where she attended lectures by Gaston Paris at the Sorbonne, and then went back home to the United States.

In 1882, Thomas wrote a letter to the trustees of Bryn Mawr College, requesting that she be made president of the university. However, she was not granted the position as the trustee were concerned about her relative youth and lack of experience.  Instead, Thomas entered in 1884 as the dean of the college and chair of English.

Continue reading Gay History – January 2, 1857: Martha Carey Thomas Feminist Lesbian Educator and Suffragist Born

Original Stonewall Participant and Longtime Gay Activist Fred Sargeant Attacked By Trans Activist @ Burlington Pride

Original Stonewall Participant and Longtime Gay Activist Fred Sargeant Attacked By Gender Identity/Trans Activist @ Burlington Pride

Fred Sargent is an original. He is one of NYC’s original gay activist. He alongside with boyfriend Craig Rodwell and others started NYC PRIDE (Christopher Street Liberation Day Protest) A member of GLF, GAA and almost any other homophile organization Sargent participated in the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City (verified unlike some others) And to this day he continues to fight. Just now a bit differently.

Sargeant, 74, was attacked after holding a sign with a red line through the phrases “Woman Face” and “Black Face” and “Gay Not Queer” at the 39th Burlington Pride Parade in Vermont.

Yes. Vermont.

Sargeant is against the recent “gender” ideology movement’ which he says is “homophobic and exclusive.” and some say are out of control. Especially the UK version of the Human Rights Campaign called “Stonewall”

Out of control perhaps by assaulting a 74 year old man at PRIDE?

Describing the incident on his Facebook account, Sargeant said, “Mugged at Burlington Pride. So, I went to Pride to protest their misogyny, homophobia, exclusionary policies and divisiveness. I was met by screaming, multiple assaults, ageist comments, shoving, slaps to the back of my head, pouring coffee on me and repeated attempts to steal my signs Being unsuccessful in their attempts to disrupt my protest and drive me away, the mob pushed me to the ground as the parade ended, further injuring me.” 

Via Gaynrd.com: This isn’t the first time that lesbians and gays have faced vitriol from trans activists at Pride. Lesbians have been intimidated, shouted at, surrounded and unceremoniously thrown out of Pride events in London and Cardiff. In Paris, smoke flares were thrown at lesbians who insisted that the definition of lesbian doesn’t include people with male bodies. Sargeant is also a target because he is able to call out trans activists for their attempts to rewrite gay history. It is now fashionable to erase boring old gays and foreground trans activists instead. For instance, it is now claimed that the pivotal role at the Stonewall riots was played not by gay people, but by ‘trans’ activist Marsha P Johnson. This is despite Johnson being on the record admitting that he was actually a drag queen and not trans, and that other than being a part of the hundreds and hundreds of rioters that night he played no significant part in the events.  But it is worthy in itself that Johnson was there and in the thick of it with 100’s of others

But. Marsha Johnson (or Syliva Rivera) did not start or lead the Stonewall Riots. AND THAT IS A FACT,

Differing opinions and ideologies should not be met with violence within our community. Go fight a Republican. Someone who REALY hurts you. But the fact that they attacked a 74 year old man gay man, be he a longtime gay activist or not is vile and disgusting. It also proves many of the negative things said about the trans movement right now.

Oh. And don’t forget about Bette!

Indiana High School Sued Over Not Allowing The Words "Gay", "Lesbian" "GSA", or “Gay-Straight Alliance” for School Group

Indiana High School Sued Over Not Allowing The Words “Gay”, “Lesbian” “GSA”, or “Gay-Straight Alliance” for School Group

There is a gay-straight alliance at Leo Jr. Sr. High School in Allen County, Indiana. but you wouldn’t know it because the school has banned all descriptive words words that can be used to name it.. Instead only permitted to refer to itself as a “Pride Alliance.”, BUT the “Pride” in its name is not allowed to refer to LGBT Pride. Instead the group is  required to be used as a reference to an a common school acronym: “Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diligence, and Excellence.”

ACLU Indiana is suing the school on the student groups behalf.

Via The Daily Beast:

“There is a lot of language policing,” Ken Falk, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, told The Daily Beast, but it may go well beyond that, too, according to the complaint, filed at the end of November in U.S. District Court.

The ACLU of Indiana’s complaint alleges the Leo Pride Alliance is treated differently from other extracurricular clubs at the school, claiming that it is “not allowed to meet outside of a single classroom,” that it is barred from participating in school fundraisers, and that it can only put up a bulletin board “if members performed community service outside of the school, a requirement not imposed on any other club.”

Other clubs, by contrast, are reportedly allowed to host activities outside of their regular meetings.

According to the complaint, the Leo Pride Alliance has been in existence for two years and now boasts over 30 members. The lawsuit alleges that Leo Jr. Sr. High School staff have told the GSA that it can’t even use terms like “gay” or “lesbian” or “queer” in its advertising—terms that would help LGBT students understand the club’s purpose of providing support and community.

Falk states that denying a GSA its full name not only violates the First Amendment but also sends a potentially damaging message to LGBT youth, many of whom are in early and potentially vulnerable stages of coming out.

The complaint also alleges that the Leo Pride Alliance’s faculty advisor “is required to send a list of all club members to all faculty”—and that no other clubs are required to follow this protocol.

There are currently over 4,000 GSAs in the United States and court cases have repeatedly upheld both their right to exist under the federal Equal Access Act and their right to call themselves “gay-straight alliances” rather than something more euphemistic. The Equal Access Act, passed in 1984, requires schools that allow extracurricular clubs to treat them fairly.

 “This is our fourth GSA case [in Indiana], and the law in this area seems to be pretty much settled but yet we keep coming back to it.”

An East Allen County, Indiana Schools spokesperson said, “We take the rights of our students seriously. We are looking into this matter.”

Yeah right.

Federal Court Rules That The Civil Rights Act DOES NOT Protect Against Anti-Gay Discrimination

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this week that a lesbian employee was not protected from anti-gay workplace discrimination under the Civil Rights Act’s prohibition on sex-based discrimination prohibition, thus ignoring a Supreme Court precedent.

Jameka Evans said that she was harassed, and effectively fired from her job at Georgia Regional Hospital, for being a lesbian. But the three-judge panel on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals which included notoriously anti-gay Judge William Pryor who was on President Donald Trump’s short list for the Supreme Court, ruled 2-1 that Title VII does not cover anti-LGBT discrimination. And while the panel allowed the complainant to amend her case to alleged discrimination based on sex stereotyping, it ultimately found that “she did not provide enough factual matter to plausibly suggest that her decision to present herself in a masculine manner led to the alleged adverse employment actions.”

Pryor surprisingly previously joined in a 2011 opinion finding that Title VII applies to transgender people. But he also wrote in support of upholding a ban on gay sex in 2003.

“But just as a woman cannot recover under Title VII when she is fired because of her heterosexuality, neither can a gay woman sue for discrimination based on her sexual orientation,” Pryor wrote. “Deviation from a particular gender stereotype may correlate disproportionately with a particular sexual orientation, and plaintiffs who allege discrimination on the basis of gender nonconformity will often also have experienced discrimination because of sexual orientation. But under Title VII, we ask only whether the individual experienced discrimination for deviating from a gender stereotype.”

Lambda Legal who argued on Evans her behalf that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, in a statement that it will seek redress before the Supreme Court.

“This is not the end of the road for us and certainly not for Jameka,” said Greg Nevins, Lambda’s employment fairness project director. “Keeping your job shouldn’t depend on whether or not you pass for straight. There is no way to draw a line between sexual orientation discrimination and discrimination based on gender nonconformity because not being straight is gender-nonconforming, period.”

Source: LGBTQNation

LGBTQIAPDexpialidocious! – GLAAD Makes The Decision All By Itself That We Will Now Be Known As LGBTQ

LGBTQIAPDexpialidocious! - GLAAD Makes The Decision All By Itself That We Will Now Be Known As LGBTQ

LGBTQIAPDexpialidocious!

GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation  (Remember them?  I know it’s hard they don’t do much these days.)  is releasing the tenth edition of its style guide, an utterly PC language bible for LGBT “journalists”  is now asking that all major media outlets to use LGBTQ from now on. The “q” by the way stands for queer, not questioning.

“On one level, it is just adding another letter,” says Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD’s president and CEO. “But really it is bringing a whole new definition to the way we describe ourselves. It’s the start of a bigger shift.”

Other changes to GLAAD’s style guide includes the more open-ended label “bi+.” There are inaugural glossary definitions for “intersex” and “asexual”  and will find the descriptor “non-binary” alongside the explanation of what it means to be “genderqueer.”

Gay activist  Vito Russo’s concern over how LGBT people were presented in the popular media led him to co-found the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), which is supposed to be a watchdog group that monitors LGBT representation in the mainstream media not oversee  acronyms.  In 2016 while we still have major problems with gay, lesbian,bisexual and transgender  representation in mainstream movies, television, literature and we are constantly fighting the #KillYourGays meme one would think that GLAAD might have better things to do like follow its original mission statement and stop making poor Vito rol in his grave.

 But since GLAAD waisted do much and money on their “stylebook” perhaps GLAAD should lead by example and change their name to the LGB+TQQIA-AAD.

Until then GLAAD can stick their elongated useless acronyms up their Funk & Wagnalls.

Bisexual Dating Site Erases Thousands of Gay and Lesbian Profiles. Oh The Humanity!‏

Bisexual Fish

The leading bisexual dating site BisexualFish.com has removed thousands of gay and lesbian profiles because it has decided that it will not allow gays and lesbians to be part of their dating community.

“We want to reiterate that our service is only for people who are attracted to both men and women,” said Marshall, founder of BisexualFish.com. “We just want to provide a place where everyone has the same orientation”

Unlike any other dating sites, BisexualFish.com doesn’t allow its members to select their “orientation”. The only option is for “bisexuals” to meet “bisexuals”, which means if you’re a member, you could only be bisexual.

“This isn’t about discrimination at all. As part of the LGBT community, we certainly know what it’s like to be prejudiced and no one wants feeling.” Marshall added, “However, we want to create a more dedicated platform for our members. I’m sure there are services that are for gay and lesbian only, where gay and lesbian will have a much bigger chance to meet that one.”

According to Marshall, any profile that claims to be homosexual will be deleted. “We will notify the member that BisexualFish.com isn’t a gay or lesbian dating site when we delete their profiles. We wish them all the best on other gay or lesbian dating sites.” said Marshall. 

Talk about erasure!

SOURCE - prweb.com