by Evelyn Bailey
Excerpted from the June 29, 1971 issue of the Empty Closet
GAY PRIDE WEEK in New York City began on Friday, June 18 and consisted of 10 days of plays, movies, workshops, dances, suppers and marches.
Thursday, June 24 a candlelight march to City Hall was held in support of the City Council bill for fair employment for gay people. Several people were arrested.
Friday, June 25 several dances and a community supper were held.
Saturday, June 26 workshops were held all day at public-school 41. In the afternoon a street fair was held in front of the Gay Activists Alliance Firehouse (the name of the new community center). Besides the numerous booths featuring entertainment, information and refreshments, there was dancing in the street until 7 p.m. A potluck supper at the Firehouse was served. This was followed by dances held by the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis.
Sunday, June 27, Christopher Street Liberation Day, the parade formed on Christopher Street west of Sheridan Square between noon and 2 p.m. The crowd consisted of dozens of groups from all over the East Coast and thousands of individuals with brightly colored dress, signs and balloons. At 2 p.m. the march proceeded along Christopher Street past the Stone Wall where it all began two years ago. The parade went north on 6th Ave. for some 50 or 60 blocks to Central Park. There seemed to be very little hostility exhibited toward the marchers but a lot of curiosity or perhaps amusement. In Central Park the marchers, plus hundreds who didn't march, assembled in Sheep Meadow where they ate picnic lunches made love or just walked around in the blazing heat.
About 20 Rochester people and some Buffalo people marched under the Rochester banner and just as in the March on Albany last spring contributed an excellent cheering section to the parade. Most observers estimated that this year’s crowd was in excess of 10,000.
Let’s make Rochester Pride 2009 the largest celebration ever!!!