Gay Activists Alliance

Writer, gay rights activist, and professor of English at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York. Officer of the Gay Activists Alliance (1970), Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee (1976) and cofounder of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (1985), Kantrowitz is the author of the memoir Under the Rainbow: Growing Up Gay (1977) and many essays in the gay press.

From the guide to the Arnie Kantrowitz papers, 1958-1995, (The New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division.)

The Gay Activists Alliance was founded in New York City in December of 1969 by dissident members of the Gay Liberation Front who sought to form a militant, non-violent organization dedicated exclusively to the attainment of civil and social rights for gays.

During its most active period (1970-74) it lobbied for the passage of a gay rights bill in the City Council of New York, for the enactment of fair employment and housing legislation, for the banning of police entrapment and harassment of gays, and for the repeal of state laws respecting sodomy and solicitation. In achieving its goals it habitually employed aggressive tactics such as picketing, sit-ins and what it called "zaps" or the unexpected confrontation with persons in power. It also encouraged the development of a new gay culture and at its headquarters sponsored dances, cabarets, consciousness-raising meetings and other events. It published a newssheet GAY ACTIVIST. Serving as its presidents were Jim Owles, Richard Wandel, Bruce Voeller, Morty Manford, and David Thorstad. The organization was dissolved in October of 1981.

From the description of Records, 1970-1983 [microform]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 84165507

The Gay Activists Alliance was founded in New York City in December of 1969 by dissident members of the Gay Liberation Front who sought to form a militant, non-violent organization dedicated exclusively to the attainment of civil and social rights for gays.

During its most active period (1970-74) it lobbied for the passage of a gay rights bill in the City Council of New York, for the enactment of fair employment and housing legislation, for the banning of police entrapment and harassment of gays, and for the repeal of state laws respecting sodomy and solicitation. In achieving its goals it habitually employed aggressive tactics such as picketing, sit-ins and what it called "zaps" or the unexpected confrontation with persons in power. It also encouraged the development of a new gay culture and at its headquarters sponsored dances, cabarets, consciousness-raising meetings and other events. It published a newssheet GAY ACTIVIST. Serving as its presidents were Jim Owles, Richard Wandel, Bruce Voeller, Morty Manford, and David Thorstad. The organization was dissolved in October of 1981.

From the description of Gay Activists Alliance records, 1970-1983. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122346209

Administrative History

Jim Owles, Marty Robinson, Arthur Evans, and others disenchanted by the lack of structure and focus of the Gay Liberation Front and the rigid hierarchical structure of the Mattachine Society of New York formed the Gay Activists Alliance, GAA. The founders sought to avoid conflicts that had plagued other civil rights organizations by democratically electing an executive committee, holding regular membership meetings, observing parliamentary procedure, and focusing on a single issue, gay and lesbian rights. In December 1969, Owles, Robinson, Evans, Arthur Bell, and eight others (which according to some sources included Kay Tobin, Vito Russo, and Morty Manford) gathered in Bell's apartment to begin the process of forming a new organization. The GAA focused on exclusively on gay and lesbian rights issues, such as the end of discriminatory practices in housing and employment, the repeal of the consensual sodomy statue, and the end of police harassment. The group specialized in direct confrontational actions, "zaps," challenging homophobic comments and politicians to take a stand on issues concerning gays and lesbians. The leadership of GAA attempted to plan their "zaps" to leverage the power of the gay and straight media. What little media coverage GAA received provided some protection against police abuses, increased awareness of gay and lesbian rights issues, and fueled the expansion of the GAA organizational model to other cities across the United States and Canada.

Beginning in 1971, weekly dances held at the organization's headquarters, a rented firehouse on Wooster Street in SoHo, a neighborhood in Manhattan, attracted new members and provided a regular source of income until an arsonist struck in 1974. While the group contributed to the successful campaign of Bella Abzug to the United States Congress and Mayor Lindsay's executive order to end discrimination in city hiring, the passage of a bill to end discriminatory practices in housing and employment in the city would not pass until the 1986. Overtime people splintered from GAA, many women left to form Lesbian Feminist Liberation in 1972 and in the next year, others formed what would become the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. GAA members would also contribute to the organization of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, PFLAG and Lambda Legal. While the group continued its "zaps" membership dwindled. In 1977, Anita Bryant's "Save Our Children" campaign spurred membership. However by 1981, there had not been a regular meeting in years, and unauthorized letters on the organization's stationery began appearing. The veterans and the last remaining active members called a meeting to pass the necessary resolutions to dissolve GAA.

Bell, Arthur. Dancing the Gay Lib Blues: A Year in the Homosexual Liberation Movement . New York: Simon and Schuster, 1971.

Branson, Lindsay. Gay Activists Alliance Out History.org, May 01, 2010 [cited June 30, 2010]. Available from http://www.outhistory.org/wiki/Gay_Activists_Alliance.

Hogan, Steve and Lee Hudson. Completely Queer: The Gay and Lesbian Encyclopedia . New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1998.

Kantrowitz, Arnie. "The Day Gay Lib Died." New York Native, November 2-15, 1981, 1, 14-15.

Kennedy, Joe. Summer of '77: Last Hurrah of the Gay Activists Alliance . Westport, CT: PPC Books, 1994.

Marotta, Toby. The Politics of Homosexuality . Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1981.

Rapp, Linda. Gay Activists Alliance glbtq, Inc., January 15, 2007 [cited June 30, 2010]. Available from www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/gay_activists_alliance.html.

Teal, Donn. The Gay Militants . New York: Stein and Day, 1971.

Tobin, Kay and Randy Wicker. The Gay Crusaders . New York: Paperback Library, 1972.

From the guide to the Gay Activists Alliance, New York collection, Bulk, 1970-1974, 1969-1998, (ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives)

The Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) was founded in New York City in December of 1969 in the aftermath of the Stonewall riots. Its founders were dissident members of the Gay Liberation Front who sought to form a militant, non-violent organization dedicated exclusively to the attainment of civil and social rights for gays. In the words of its first president (Jim Owles), its ultimate goal was "to secure basic human rights, dignity, and freedom for all gay people". Open to all persons in the metropolitan area regardless of sexual orientation the GAA quickly achieved recognition as a leader in the gay liberation movement and it became a model for the creation of similar groups in other cities.

By its constitution a "single issue", politically neutral organization, the GAA scrupulously avoided endorsing candidates for public office, or involvements in causes not directly related to gay rights. By doing so, it hoped to avoid internal, partisan disputes among its members, and to attract persons of all political persuasions. By focusing its energies on gay rights it hoped to avoid what it regarded as the mistake of other organizations such as the Gay Liberation Front which embraced a variety of New Left causes unrelated to the gay liberation movement. By the term "activist" it wished to emphasize its commitment to the use of more aggressive tactics than those employed by the homophile movement before the Stonewall riots of 1969.

During its most active period (1970-74) the GAA lobbied vigorously for the enactment of fair employment and housing legislation, for the repeal of state laws respecting sodomy and solicitation, and for the banning of police entrapment and harassment of gays. It also sought to encourage the development of a new gay culture free from the habitual constraints and role playing forced upon gays by a sexist society. At its headquarters, the "Firehouse", on Wooster Street in Greenwich Village it sponsored dances, cabarets, film and fashion shows, musical and theatrical events and consciousness-raising meetings. By rallies, demonstrations, picketing, sit-ins, and what it called "zaps" - the unexpected confrontation with persons in power - it sought to dramatize its cause, and to convince those in positions of authority of the need for taking immediate steps to end specific instances of legal, economic and political oppression of gays.

Its audacious, confrontational tactics frequently resulted in the physical abuse of its officers and members and in their arrest and indictment on charges of criminal trespass. Included among its many acts of civil disobedience were a sit-in (Oct. 1970) at the editorial offices of Harper's Magazine which had published an article which GAA considered to be defamatory of homosexuals and which refused to allow the publication of a rebuttal article; a sit-in (1971) at the New York City Board of Examiners in protest against the Board's policy of refusing teaching licenses to persons it suspected of being homosexual; the occupation (Aug. 1971) of the offices of the District Attorney of Suffolk County in protest against police harassment of homosexuals on Long Island; and the disruption of public ceremonies and cultural events attended by Mayor John V. Lindsay, including the occupation (1972) of Lindsay's presidential campaign headquarters and of his mayoral office by members who chained themselves to his desk in protest against what the GAA considered to be his failure to provide adequate support for the gay civil rights bill (the Clingan-Burden-Scholnick-Weiss Bill) which was then deadlocked in the General Welfare Committee of the City Council.

The passage of a bill for gay rights in the City Council and in the state legislature was one of the major concerns of GAA. Together with the Mattachine Society, Inc. of New York, Daughters of Bilitis and other groups it fought for the passage of William Passannante's Fair Employment Bill which sought to amend the State's Executive Code to prevent discrimination against homosexuals in employment, housing, and public accommodation. Although it was defeated (May 1971) the bill represented the first attempt in America to enact legislation at the state level for the protection of human rights of homosexuals. The GAA also initiated (Oct. 1971) public hearings concerning fair employment for homosexuals before the New York City Commission on Human Rights.

The GAA was instrumental in pressuring political candidates to take stands on issues affecting the gay community. During the electoral campaigns of 1970 and 1972 it polled (by questionnaire) the principal candidates from the metropolitan area on their attitudes towards gay issues, receiving from several candidates (including Senator Charles E. Goodell, Richard J. Ottinger, Arthur Goldberg and Edward Koch) public statements of support for gay rights. In 1972 GAA and the Chicago Gay Alliance organized the first national gay convention which adopted a platform on gay rights and voted to conduct demonstrations at the Democratic and Republican party conventions.

The GAA also produced weekly programs on cable television in Manhattan, issued a newssheet the Gay Activis t and aided in the preparation of the International List of Gay Organizations and Publications compiled by Robert Alan Roth.

Although its initial application for incorporation was rejected by the Secretary of State of New York on the grounds that its corporate purpose was improper and its title inappropriate for a corporation, GAA subsequently secured the reversal of the ruling by an appellate court. Serving as its presidents were (in order) Jim Owles, Rich Wandel, Bruce Voeller, Morty Manford, and David Thorstad.

After 1976 the organization became increasingly inactive. Deprived of its headquarters building by a fire-bombing (in October of 1976) it was forced to abandon many of its social and revenue-producing activities and suffered as a result a loss of membership and income. Public support for its "zaps" also declined. Its strength was also dissipated by internal feuding and by the rapid turnover of its executive staff (it had five presidents in the span of only four years). Gay Activist ceased publication in June of 1980. In October of 1981 its remaining members voted formally to dissolve the organization.

From the guide to the Gay Activists Alliance records, 1970-1983, (The New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division.)