GAY POWER- CIRCA 1973

GAY POWER- CIRCA 1973-

On June 28th, 1969, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera led the Stonewall riots, which were the catapult for the contemporary LGBT rights movement.

Four years later, Sylvia and Marsha were pushed out of the movement and had to fight for the right to have space in Gay Pride parades. Sylvia fought her way on stage at the 1973 Gay Pride march in NYC to deliver a speech that denounces the liberal white gay rights "revolution" and demanded and ACTUAL revolution, one in which QTPOC, specifically, Trans women of color, were centered.
I think of this today, and anytime we talk about Pride™️: how far have we really come when Queer and/or Trans People of Color still have to fight to be heard in greater LGBT spaces?

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The upload deleted the captions so here's the transcript:

[crowd noise: booing and yelling]

Sylvia: Yall better quiet down!
I've been trying to get up here ALL day for your gay brothers and your gay sisters in jail! that write me every motherfuckin week and ask for your help. and you all don't do a goddamn thing for them. Have you ever been beaten up? And raped? and jailed?
Now think about it.
They've been beaten up and raped
And so they have to spend much of their money in jail to get their self home and try to get their sex change. The women have tried to fight for their sex changes, or to become women, of the women's liberation.
And they write S.T.A.R., not the women's group.
They do not write women.
They do not write men.
They write to S.T.A.R., because we're trying to do something for them.
I have been to jail!
I have been r*ped!
And beaten. Many times!
By men!
Heterosexual men, that do not belong in the homosexual shelter.
But: do you do anything for them?
No! You all tell me to go and hide my tail between my legs.

I will not no longer put up with this shit.

I have been beaten, I have had my nose broken,
I have been thrown in jail, I have lost my job,
I have lost my apartment,
for gay liberation.

And you all treat me this way??
What the fuck's wrong with you all??

Think about that!

[crowd noise: applause]

I do not believe in a revolution, but you all do.
I believe in the gay...power.
I believe in us getting our rights
or else I would not be out there fighting for our rights.

That's all I wanted to say to you all people.

If you all want to know about the people that are in jail, and do not forget Bambi L'Amour, Andora Marks, Kenny Messner, and other gay people are in jail, come and see the people at S.T.A.R. house on 12th street on 640 E. 12th Street, between B and C, Apartment 14. The people there are trying to do something, for ALL of us, and not men and women that belong to a white middle class white club!

And that's what you all belong to!
REVOLUTION NOWWWWW!!
Gimme a G! [crowd: G!]
Gimme an A! [crowd: A!]
Gimme a Y! [crowd: Y!]
Gimme a P! [crowd: P!]
Gimme a O! [crowd: O!]
Gimme a W! [crowd: W!]
Gimme a E! [crowd: E!]
Gimme a R! [crowd: R!]
Gay... [voice cracks] [more quietly] Gay power.
[crowd noise: applause]
Sylvia: Louder GAY POWER!!
[crowd noise: whistling]