Sexual orientation. We call this wall once rejected now embraced because now you see how attitudes have changed toward lgbtq americans. They are influencers, politicians, activists, actors, journalists. These are people who are much ad hired for who they are and what they do. Here it is our mission to promote understanding of the importance of the free press and the First Amendment. We hope more people come and visit this exhibit because stonewall, the events of stonewall and rise up the lbgtq Rights Movement tells the story of how every day americans use their First Amendment freedoms, freedom of press, freedom of religion, freedom of petition, freedom of speech to rise up, act up, push back, and advocate for change. That is what were all about at the newseum to explain the story of the First Amendment. This movement the story of the lbgtq Rights Movement really embodies everything about the First Amendment. We hope people come here to experience it as well as movies and interactives and many more stories we tell here in this exhibit. You can watch this or other american artifacts programs at any time by visiting our website cspan. Org history. First ladies. On American History tv. Examining the private lives and the public roles of the nations first ladies through interviews with top historians. Tonight we look at the first two first ladies, martha washington, and abigail adams. Watch first ladies, influence and image tonight at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on American History tv. On cspan 3. And now on American History tvs look at the history of gay rights in the United States the pioneering gay films of lil lilli vincenz and a conversation about those films with the Mattachine Society a Gay Rights Group founded in 1950. A portion of the 1968 film the second largest minority by producer and director lil lilli vincenz and joining us in our studios in washington is the president of the Mattachine Society of washington, d. C. , which is what . We are an lgbt history society. We find old materials that have been forgotten, sealed, or just basically deleted, and use those materials to talk about gay civil rights and the ongoing struggle for gay civil equality. Well show you both films in their entirety in a couple minutes. One is 7 minutes and the other is 12 minutes here on cspan 3s American History tv and reel america. Your connection to the films is what . We were honored to be chosen by the creator, producer, director of these films. She chose us to bring together all of her archives of 10,000 items including these films and donate them to the library of congress. Thats what we did. They now belong to the American People thanks to the generosity of lilli this vicenz. Where is she now . She is still with us but not well enough to do interviews like this so i am honored to pitch hit for her. You brought along a prop, an rca 16 millimeter projector. Millennials may say, what is that . Well, millennials may think it is a weird science fair project of some kind but it is a 16 millimeter vintage rca projector that belonged to lilli and she would use it to show the two films you are going to show today. She would show the films to groups, and individuals, and independent film festivals and charge 15 for rental. The importance of this projector as a symbol is the fact that it shows what a Community Operation this whole thing was. There was no kcnn, no cable television, no documentary film producers, no friendly networks. There was nothing. No oprah or anderson or anybody. Lilli said okay. Were going to make a movie. She borrowed a 16 millimeter film camera, took a film class, and hit the streets and did these two films. The first one youll see is at Independence Hall in philadelphia in 1968. The second one is the first ever pride parade in new york. No networks to help. No one there. Lilli shot them, edited them, put them together. This projector was her distribution system. No company would distribute these films. You used the u. S. Mail and you leaned on the First Amendment of the constitution to tell your story. But at that time in the late 60s,early 70s you had abc, nbc, cbs. Did any of the Major Networks consider covering this . No. If they did it would be utterly hostile. I dont need to name names but if you do your home work youll see the networks were total antis bordering on insulting. And the great thing about what she did is she made her own film to tell the story as a joyous story, as a cultural watershed, marching on the First Anniversary of the stonewall riots from christopher street to central park where they had a gayin. You could not have gotten that out of any media in those days. They would have treated you as aliens from a foreign planet if not outright perverts. You brought along these two pamphlets the homosexual citizen and one of them states what to do if you are arrested. Yeah. This is a time when our very lives are illegal. Lilli was the editor of this publication called the homosexual citizen and it was published by the Mattachine Society. She published it under a pseudonym because you valued your privacy as an individual in those days so she used a phony name, lilli hansen. This is a powerful publication of ideas. But youll see it is like 1966 or 1967 and they are doing a piece on what if you are arrested . And it is very, you know, old school, you know, ask for an attorney. Write a letter. its not at all part of the real world of stonewall where theyre throwing you into paddy wag ons, so a different era. But if you are arrested reminds us all this was when we had sodomy laws and to be openly homosexual was a crime. As our viewers watch these films lets better understand who she was. Born in hamburg, germany she came to the u. S. When and what was her early years like here in the u. S. . She was born in hamburg, germany in 1937 when it was nazi germany. Her parents brought her to the United States in 1949. She went to columbia to study literature. She joined the Womens Army Corps. In the Womens Army Corps in a gay purge which they frequently had in the Womens Army Corps she got booted. And it was one of the greatest things that ever happened to her because she was able to shed all the pretense and be who she was as an openly gay pioneer activist. Growing up in a German Family there was a word kicked around in her house a lot when she was growing up. She felt like she wanted to be that german word, which means a life artist. Someone who looks at their life as a work of art. Someone who masters the art of living. And she became, i believe, just that. And that was part of her german heritage. The 1970 film titled gay and proud how did this come about . This is an amazing film she decided to make on the First Anniversary of the stonewall riots documenting the first parade. It was called the christopher street liberation day parade. It was from Greenwich Village to central park. Stonewall was in 1969 and it was a gay bar that was raided as bars were in those days and this was the straw that broke the camels back with the gay, lesbian, and trans patrons of this bar. They rioted and refused to get into the paddy wagon. They refused to follow the advice of if you are arrested be polite. It was a three day riot that shook the world. The major media didnt cover it at all or very slight. Nicholas von hoffman in an article for the Washington Post called it faggot riots up in new york. That was nicholas von hoffman. But lilli did this film. This film is epic because there is nothing like it because she was the only one. Here is a portion from 1970, gay and proud. At first i was very guilty and then i realized that all of the things that are taught you not only by society but by psychiatrists are just to fit you in a mold and i just rejected the mold and i was happier. Independent organizations across the country somewhere between 60 and 75 independent groups across the United States, maybe more now but they keep growing up overnight o. This is a unified effort on the part of somewhere between 20 and 30 organizations on the eastg pr the gay Rights Movement . It was a generational change. The old school mattachine where when they would picket they would wear jackets and ties and skirts and dresses to the new era that happened almost overnight after stonewall in 1969 and she caught that change in gay and proud from the old School Second largest minority to gay and proud explosion of a cultural change from old mattachine to gay liberation. And i feel that spirit welling up today with new interest in this movie, one of the marshals of the coming pride parade in new york, billy porter, he said this is not going to be an fing parade. It is going to be a march. I feel he in that comment captures the spirit of this first christopher street parade filmed by lilli. Finally, explain the significance of what our viewers are about to see. The significance is saying actually the texture of history, the joy in the streets, the youth, the new spirit of we are not going to take this anymore. And then its a lot of fun. Theyll enjoy the whole 60s gayin moment you see so clearly in central park. Charles francis, thanks very much for joining us from the Mattachine Society in washington d. C. And from film mark lil lilli vicenz two films the first one seven minutes titled the second largest minority and the second one titled gay and proud. Two very similar things. That we are a homosexual human being and homosexual american citizen. Everybody always remembers the first word in both of those phrases, homosexual. And very conveniently overlooks the second and third words in each of those phrases. American citizen and human being. All that goes with it, rights, dignity, with being a human being and american citizen. Any minority or any group, any classification, i dont care whether it is foreigner or what have you. You be cant lump them together in one group. You have to take them individually. We are seeking recognition, equality, our Human Dignity, our equality and acceptance as the homosexuals we are and have a right to be. Who is denying you this Human Dignity . I as a citizen, if the homosexual had the same i didnt hear that. Say it again. If the homosexuality had the visibility the negro does, if you knew people were homosexual there would be 15 million unemployed homosexuals. If you dont bring things out in the open how is anyone going to know anything about it . This way they can get their rights in society like everyone else. Everybody can get a chance to live their life the way they wish. Gathering momentum. A movement such as this takes time. Unless it started somewhere and it has been started in a group has been started and now they are going forward. My homosexuality, i have lived for audiotape months on 20 cents worth of food a day. This is a time when people in my profession were in higher demand than in all of Human History and i could not get a job because of sexuality. I am not alone. I know many people who have the same, careers ruined, lives destroyed for no other reason. These were people with a great deal to offer to society and society was prejudiced against them and would not allow them equality of opportunity. Regardless of how well you have served in the military you will get a less than honorable discharge. No matter you wont be taken in. Although the next situation is changing rapidly it is still a valid generalization that a person known to be a homosexual cannot get an education in this country. Schools will not accept them on any level at all. This is all theyre asking, just that very same right, not to be interfered with what they want to do in private. You will find in this country different and diverse groups in Society Without in any way threatening. You see this in antisemitism in this country. With regard to the negro this is happening, taking its time. It will be a while before it happens unfortunately but it is evolving in the same direction. Diversity doesnt happen by threat. Having to lie, i feel, is the sad it and the ugliest part of being homosexual when you have your first bad love experience for instance and you cant go to your brother or your sister and say, im hurting. At first i was very guilty and then i realized that all the things that are taught you not only by society but by psychiatrists are just to fit you in a mold and i just rejected the mold and when i rejected the mold, i was happier. Even mostly independent organizations across the country, somewhere between 60 and 75. Maybe more now. They keep growing up overnight. This is a unified effort on the part of somewhere between 20 and 30 organizations in the east coast. There are differences primarily of approach and tactics. Certain groups for example tend to emphasize very militant, confrontation tactics. Other groups will emphasize a more educational approach, going out into areas where there are what you might call middle American People who dont know very much about homosexuality. And other people emphasize different things. Some groups, most groups in fact provide some kind of services for our own people. Help for people in need. This is a minor part of the effort. The major effort today is to change the social institutions. [ chanting ] gay and proud [ chanting ] [ chanting ] what is the worst incident that has ever happened to you since youve been gay as far as being gay . I guess my parents, you know, them finding out was the worst. [ chanting ] you have to be accepted as a human being and as a woman. Right . Theyve come together to find out their common denominators which are very strong because most of the beliefs of heterosexual women and homosexual women are the same. If nothing else were good for the population explosion. Can you tell me what you feel about the movement . I think it is great. Really dynamite. I think the only way to achieve it is through force and marches like this. [ chanting ] [ chanting ] can you tell me what you thought about Charlie Brown the sodom and gomorrah guy carrying the American Flag . He is a closet queen and you can find him in Howard Johnsons any night. What color underwear does he wear . Pink. Thank you. Im surprised. Do you recommend it . Absolutely. Thats where i think its at. What do you think . Great. Do your thing, man. Hey hey what do you say hey hey what do you say what do you think . I think it is disgraceful and disgusting. Definitely appalling. It is to separate the people. Theyve done it with the italian movement. Theyve done it with the jewish movement. Now theyre doing it with the gay movement so to speak. This is what hitler did in germany. Always the used the frustrated homosexuals as the gestapo. Gaygay all the way. Gay gay all the way since you are not homosexual obviously why are you in the parade today . What is your motivation . Well, i knew some people here and they convinced me to go. Do you think homosexuality should be legalized completely . Definitely. Definitely. Would you ever marry a girl who had been a homosexual . You know, i think it would be more interesting. Gay, gay all the way gay, gay, all the way [ chanting ] do you think the added stress of being a homosexual in a heterosexual society causes a lot of torment in the homosexual relationships with women . Yes, it does. A lot of women seem to think that if theyre with women because they have rejected men in that sense but if they come to realize theyre with women because they want to be and have rejected a role then they wouldnt be guilty. Anybody have any idea how long . Hey. As far as this thing today is concerned, its all right to say what you feel as long as you keep it at an intellectual level. I mean, all of this orgy stuff, i think it is kind of ridiculous, you know . If straight people can do it why cant we . If straight people can do this Holding Hands and kissing in the park why cant we . They aint no better than i am. Im not talking about kissing and Holding Hands in the park but im talking about some guy dropping his pants. All right . I mean that doesnt mean we have to do it. It gives us a bad name. We should have the right if they can do it we should be able if we want to. If we want to get a bad name for ourselves, right. It means the heterosexual record is nine hours and were attempting to break the record