Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Landmarks
The LGBTQIA+ sanctuary we now know New York City to be is the result of decades of advocacy, protest and community care led by individuals at the most vulnerable intersections of LGBTQIA+ identity. Beyond the resilience and pride that often define LGBTQIA+ people, we want to honor the vibrant NYC LGBTQIA+ community that helps power NYC's ethos and its people. Not surprisingly, our Marcella team is continually inspired by the LGBTQIA+ voices that surround us. In honor of NYC Pride’s 2024 theme, “Reflect. Empower. Unite,” we take a moment here to recognize iconic NYC LGBTQIA+ historical sites that have been critical in the ongoing American journey towards equal human rights.
THE NYC MAP OF LGBT HISTORICAL LANDMARKS
The Catalyst
The Stonewall Inn stands proudly as the first LGBT site listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its role in catalyzing the LGBT rights movement in the United States. The Greenwich Village bar has long been a safe location for LGBT New Yorkers to gather - but was the subject of frequent discrimination and police raids from police. In 1969, patrons decided to stand up against the routine raids in what was later known as the Stonewall uprising. It was a “rallying cry” for LGBT people around the world, inspiring major steps in acquiring equal human rights for the decades to come.
The “Future Is Female”
“The Future is Female,” that iconic phrase, found its beginnings at Labyris, the first-ever feminist bookstore in NYC. In the ‘70s, public spaces to gather, educate one another and engage in LGBTQIA+ activism were few and far between but they expanded rapidly after the Stonewall Uprising in 1969. Labyris was run by lesbians from 1972-1977 and offered a safe environment for all to discuss ideas about gender equality.
Kooky’s
Kooky’s Cocktail Lounge was another site of activism that emerged after the Stonewall Uprising. Since the end of prohibition in 1933, many gay bars were run by members of the mafia - resulting in often oppressive environments with unfair management practices. Lesbian patrons within the Gay Liberation Front were inspired by the actions at Stonewall and organized against the management and existing conditions of Kooky’s.
The Right To Gather
Just days before the Stonewall Uprising, over 30 trees in the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park were cut down to prevent gay men from congregating and cruising there. The event made it to the front page of the New York Times, New York Post and even the San Francisco Chronicle. In solidarity, the New York chapter of Daughters of Bilitis, a pre-Stonewall lesbian rights group, organized a march where the trees had been chopped down and shared uplifting speeches. The demonstration was the first known public event for LGBTQIA+ rights in Queens and inspired greater conversation about homosexual gathering spaces in the city.
Lesbian Lit
In 1967, Craig Rodwell of the Mattachine Society, a pre-Stonewall gay rights group, opened a gay and lesbian bookstore and gathering space named after Oscar Wilde, the famous writer who'd once proudly and publicly discussed his LGBTQIA+ identity. The bookstore acted as a community center and housed literature that framed gay and lesbian life in a positive way.
Love And Let Love
In 1967, the first-ever public demonstration for LGBTQIA+ rights occurred. Organized in front of the U.S. Army Building in Lower Manhattan, it was led by the Homosexual League of New York (HLNY) and the New York City League for Sexual Freedom (LSF), two organizations that disagreed with the military’s unfair rejection of gay people and, additionally, the military's practice of sending gay men’s draft records to employers without consent. The protest received little to no response from the media at the time but it inspired more confidence going forward in the practice of picketing demonstrations for LGBTQIA+ rights.
A Home For All
We are proud to share additionally that one of our Marcella offices is located in the wonderful community of Northampton, MA; a city not far from NYC that both embraces LGBTQIA+ culture and helps foster its growth. A viral newspaper article in the 1990s coined Northampton as “Lesbianville,” causing many lesbians to pack their bags and join a new safe haven for the community in Western Massachusetts. Both past and present, our LGBTQIA+ loved ones and team members have been instrumental in creating our brand and inspiring its efforts towards promoting a better world.
With great admiration for those who helped shape the LGBTQIA+ community we’re continuously inspired by, we wish you safe travels and triumphant celebrations this Pride Month!
Your Marcella Team
