Month: March 2012

I found this article denying the importance of trans involvement at Stonewall which states, in part:

This point does not deny that drag queens participated in the riot. They did. It only makes the point that their centrality to the event likely has been exaggerated, probably for ideological reasons.

Finally, these historical disputes have no bearing – either way – on whether “gender identity” ought to be included in gay civil rights legislation. Even if Stonewall was the single casus belli of the gay struggle, and even if transgenders were the only people there kicking shins and uprooting parking meters, so what? And even if no drag queens were present that night, what difference would it make now?

and was pretty surprised. It may be old, but as the comments are closed, and have been, it seemed a reply to it was needed. So I talked to Susan Stryker, who explains:

The thing is, the historical part is largely accurate in its details. What I find fascinating–and frustrating–is that Carpenter can then say “facts don’t entirely support the popular myth,” therefore throw trannies under the bus. Or even: understanding history is hard, make no recourse to the past when staking a political position in the present.”

and further clarifies:

What I find particularly misleading about the Stonewall myth is the idea that the riot was instigated primarily by the bar’s patrons. The whole question of “who frequented the Stonewall Inn?” is kind of a red herring, particularly when used to deny the salience of understanding the role of gender-noncompliant people in the act of resistance. The riots started when kids on the streets–and there are pictures of them–started taunting the cops who were making the arrests. It was a street fight, not a bar fight. And it should definitely be pointed out that many, perhaps most, of the instigators were what at the time were called “gay kids” or “hair fairies,” that is, male-bodied people with non-masculine but not necessarily transgender presentations and identities: gender queers. But it seems clear that drag queens and trans women were also involved.

So there you have it. Record corrected.

If you’d like to read more about the importance of bars in the context of Pride, Slate did an article last pride highlighting some of the other bars that were notoriously gay in one way or another.