History in Houston, 40 Years after Stonewall

STONEWALL TO HOUSTON Note: All Items & Pictures shown in this exhibit are property of The Gulf Coast Archive & Museum of GLBT History, Inc.

The Gulf Coast Archive and Museum of GLBT History, Inc. was formed in 1999. Their mission is to preserve the history of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community.

Stonewall is a pivotal point in our history. As an active museum, GCAM dedicates itself to keeping moments like this alive for future generations to understand the journey that has occured thus far.

But the question is, "How did we get here"?

A major building block in the GLBT History of Houston began in response to the "singing orange juice lady", Anita Bryant.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO ANITA SING!

In 1977 Anita Bryant was to appear in Houston, Texas for a singing engagement. Having previously demonstrated her disapproval of homosexuals, thousands of protestors took to the streets and began a march which has grown into what is now Houston's Pride Parade.

Houston Pride Parade

What began as a small unrehearsed march in Downtown Houston has resulted in one of the largest Pride celebrations in the United States. Each year Houston's pride festival brings with it a new theme. One of the most visible displays of this theme is the posters, t-shirts and flyers that are distributed throughout the city. Some of these flyers are listed below:

• Houston Pride
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This momentum started in 1977 led to one of Houston's most significant GLBT movements, Town Hall Meeting 1.

The picture shown here is a from the June 25, 1978 meeting at the Astroarena.

What had started as a simple protest had now developed into a community voice. Houston's GLBT community was outraged! We had seen Stonewall and now it was our turn to speak out also.

Another powerful moment is captured in records from the 1977. Lesbians campaigned for visibility through a dramatic release of colored balloons during the 1977 National Organization of Women meeting in the Astrodome.

Our voice was becoming louder!

In 1984 the Klu Klux Klan staged a march in Montrose, the heart of Houston's gay community.

Letters from concerned Houstonians

"Click to enlarge and read"

Although terror might have been expected to grip the residents of Montrose, once again they stood strong. With the help of the police department the 15 minute march ended with no casualties.

Neither Anita Bryant nor the Klu Klux Klan could stop us!

Fueled by the power of Stonewall, Houston's GLBT community could no longer be silent! Even the local media captured the feeling. This cartoon was printed in the Houston Post on Friday, January 18, 1985.

The 80's proved to be a difficult time for Houston. The AIDS epidemic hit the city at its core. Each week the obituary columns grew larger. A magizine called "This Week in Texas", known as the "twit" provided the state with a very strong realization. Gay men were dying at a very fast rate.

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In 1985, Mayor Louis Welch, who while running for re-election, made a famous gaffe by saying inadvertently on microphone that his solution to HIV would be to “shoot the queers.” Once again the GLBT community of Houston spoke out. T-shirts were made with the caption' "Don't shoot me Louie!" and You missed Louie!

1998 was extremely emotional year for the GLBT community of Houston! The case before the United States Supreme Court was "Lawrence vs Texas". In Lawrence vs. Texas, two gay men say the state of Texas deprived them of privacy rights and equal protection under the law when they were arrested in 1998 for having sex in a Houston home.

A neighbor had reported a "weapons disturbance" at the home of John G. Lawrence, and when police arrived they only found two men having sex. Lawrence and another man, Tyron Garner, were held overnight in jail and later fined $200 each for violating the state’s Homosexual Conduct law. The neighbor was later convicted of filing a false police report.

Garner and John Lawrence challenged homophobic sodomy laws after they were arrested for having consensual sex in Lawrence's Houston home. The case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that Texas's "Homosexual Conduct" law, which criminalized gay sex, was unconstitutional.

"Because Tyrone Garner and John Lawrence had the courage to challenge homophobic sodomy laws, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized that love, sexuality, and family play the same role in gay people's lives as they do for everyone else," said Kevin Cathcart, executive director of the legal advocacy group Lambda Legal, which argued Garner and Lawrence's case. "That's a colossal legacy and one for which his community will forever be thankful." (The Advocate)

All sodomy laws in the US are now unconstitutional and unenforceable when applied to non-commercial consenting adults in private.

As the GLBT community in Houston continued to experience the "strength of Stonewall", another name came to the forefront, Brenda Thomas.

Brenda Thomas, executive director of the Houston Transgender Unity Committee and a longtime HIV/AIDS activist and educator, was selected for the OutSmart People To Watch list in 2005 ["12 Worth Watching," January 2005 OutSmart].

In addition to her volunteer work for years with the Houston Transgender Unity Committee, Thomas served several other prominent local transgender organizations. She founded the group Helping TransGenders Anonymous and was a past facilitator of the local Tau Chi chapter of Tri-Ess, The Society for the Second Self. Thomas was also editor of the Tau Chi newsletter. Through her personal website, which she maintained until recently, Thomas helped educate countless individuals seeking information on transgender issues. In 2002, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Houston Transgender Unity Committee Banquet; at the same time, she received a proclamation from the mayor declaring the date Brenda Thomas Day in Houston.

In 2004, the International Foundation for Gender Education presented Thomas with the prestigious Trinity Award, which honors transgender heroes. In 2005, she was named one of the co-chairs of the U.S. Conference on AIDS, which was to be held in Houston until the threat of Hurricane Rita led to its cancellation. Thomas worked for the City of Houston in the Bureau of HIV/STD Prevention as the Coordinator of Transgender Services.

Thomas was frequently asked to speak to groups about transgender and HIV issues. These groups, as well as her many friends, valued Brenda for her candor and wit.

As her friend and fellow transgender advocate Cristan Williams wrote for OutSmart in 2001,

" Brenda Thomas shoots from the hip. Her entire demeanor suggests seniority. She has been there, bought the T-shirt, worn it, thrown it away, and already bought a new one."

One on the most recent events in the history of Houston is the closing of our oldest gay bar, "Mary's Naturally".The picture below is the mural that was painted on the outside of building.

The spark that was ignited in our heart by Stonewall shines brightly every year as the crowd would gather to watch the Pride Parade at Mary's Naturally. Roof top was the best view in town!

• Mary's Naturally - Click on any Picture to enlarge
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During its prime, Mary's Naturally was a hub of excitement! Everything from drag shows to dog shows. Mary's Naturally became the "Stonewall" for Houston. The community would gather to organize demonstrations for local causes or to speak out against city government. It was located in the exact center of the GLBT community. "On a Friday night you could experience your favorite fetish out back, and on Monday you could attend a rally to support AIDS funding."

It was rumored that this motorcycle, which was in the back patio, belonged to Janis Joplin, however it is very unlikely.

The following story was printed in the Houston Press in late November 2009.

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Please visit the Facebook for additional thoughts and pictures. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Marys-Naturally-Closed/172134376922

This Facebook page is an effort lead by the Houston GLBT Community Center, and supported by our local GLBT archives - GCAM, TG Archive, and Houston ARCH.

It's mission is to save the 39 years of Houston GLBT history represented by Mary's Naturally. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

2010 marked another first for Houston. Annise Parker became the first openly gay mayor.

Annise Danette Parker was elected mayor of Houston, winning her seventh consecutive city election and becoming both the first contender in a generation to defeat the hand-picked candidate of Houston's business establishment and the first openly gay person to lead a major U.S. city.

Parker, who first emerged in the public arena as a gay rights activist in the 1980s, defeated former Houston City Attorney Gene Locke on an austere platform, convincing voters that her financial bona fides and restrained promises would be best suited in trying financial times. Parker, 53, replaced the term-limited Mayor Bill White on Jan. 1.

Her victory capped an unorthodox election season that lacked a strong conservative mayoral contender and saw her coalition of inside-the-Loop Democrats and moderate conservatives, backed by an army of ardent volunteers, win over Locke, a former civil rights activist who attempted to unite African-American voters and Republicans.

In complete but unofficial returns, Parker coasted to a comfortable victory with 52.8 percent of the vote to 47.2 percent for Locke. Turnout was 16.5 percent.

“..... the voters of Houston have opened the doors to history,” she said. “I acknowledge that. I embrace that. I know what this win means to many of us who thought we could never achieve high office. I know what it means. I understand, because I feel it, too. But now, from this moment, let us join as one community. We are united in one goal in making this city the city that it could be, should be, can be and will be.”

Parker harkened back to her earliest days of involvement in civic issues, “Hear me: The city is on your side,” she said. “I learned about the problems and the needs and hopes of our city at the neighborhood level. I understand what needs to be done to move us forward.”

After introducing her family, including her partner, Kathy Hubbard, and their three children, she made a post-campaign promise to those who live in Houston.

“I promise to give to citizens an administration of honesty, integrity and transparency,” she said. “The only special interest will be the public. We are in this together. We rise or fall together.”

The courage, determination, and unity found for many people at Stonewall, still shines brightly in Houston! We cannot be silent! We will not be silent! The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community of Houston speaks....and the world.....listens!