By having a homosexual couple. Say something to the press. How do you feel about being here today . I feel it is beautiful. Its fantastic. How many years have you been a homosexual . I was born homosexual. It is beautiful. Has the new movement given you added pride or incentive . Yes. I was sorry not to see though there was not some politician or something here with us today. I think he should have made it a point to be here today as well as possibly some of the gay Movement Organizers themselves. At least they might have been here but they didnt speak out to us and they should have. Also i think this should have been the United States flag at the beginning of the flag which i didnt see but i think people were very well behaved, very well mannered. I think the police respected us. And i think it was a showing that we are really making it. Because if two homosexuals can live together and thrive and be constructive rather than destructive to each other and themselves without legal bonds,
He manages the department lesbian gay transsexual and bisexual department. And mr. Trust thought. Were looking forward to learning a lot, and looking back through your eyes and perspectives on where we were 50 years ago. It is kind of hard to believe. I would like to start with you if we can. What was new york like what was america like, for gays and lesbian and transgender citizens before the stonewall riots. What was it like for the Lgbtq Community. It is really counter intuitive, because there is a common tendency in this country, to assume you dont for the we go back in history the worst things are going to be. But in the whole history of the entirety of the u. S. History, the sixties and fifties were probably the very worst time for lgbt people. That is because, there have been a period of liberalization in the 1920s, and you know it was generally a liberal period in the 1920s. With the Great Depression coming along, that seem to begin a clamp down on and i will use the term gay p
Award. Also with u. S. Today is detective brian downy, the president of the Gay Officers Action League goal of new york which is addressing the needs and issues and concerns of the Lgbt Community. Also on hand with us today is lieutenant brett parson, district native. How many years on the force . Almost 26. 26 years. And he manages, you should know, the departments lesbian gay, bisexual transgender liaison unit here in d. C. And mr. Prescott, a journalist, novelist, screen writer as well and columnist for salon. So thank you all for taking part in this today. Im looking forward to learning a lot and looking back with you through your eyes and perspectives on where we were 50 years ago. Its kind of hard to believe. David, i would like to start with you, if we can. What was new york like . What was america like, for gay, lesbians, transgender citizens before the stonewall riots . What was it like for the Lgbt Community . Well, its really counterintuitive because theres a common tendency
Up next, a discussion on the 1969 police raid on the Stonewall Inn and how it sparked the gay rights movement. This is from the National Law Enforcement museum in washington, d. C. Well, its my pleasure and honor to be back with you and back with as we stream as well. Were looking back on 50 years, where we were 50 years ago at the stonewall riots and how far weve come, the changes that have been made and the changes still to come, too. Before we get started, i would like to introduce our esteemed panel, if we can. Starting with david carter, the author of stonewall the riots that sparked the gay revolution, the basis for american experience, the film stonewall uprising which won a peabody award. Also with u. S. Today is detective brian downy, the president of the Gay Officers Action League goal of new york which is addressing the needs and issues and concerns of the Lgbt Community. Also on hand with us today is lieutenant brett parson, district native. How many years on the force . Al
Science and precision is starting precisely at 2 30 and zero seconds. That is an auspicious way to begin this discussion. Earlier this year, on one of the hottest nights of the summer, nearly a half Million People crowded onto the national mall. They werent there for a protest or to celebrate a national holiday. And they werent there for a concert or to watch a fireworks show. No, instead a half Million People went there, drenched in sweat, to watch the story of the apollo 11 mission as it was projected onto the Washington Monument, commemorating the moment 50 years ago when Neil Armstrong and buzz aldrin took that giant leap for mankind. As everyone in d. C. Knows, if there are a half Million People on the mall and it aint a protest, Something Big is going on. And landing the first humans on the moon and returning them safely to earth marks as one of the epochal moments in the history of mankind. As we look out over our space landscape today, what we see is very different from the lan