1974: GAP, GAS and the First Women's Fesitval
Gay Awareness in Perspective, GAP, (1974 – 1978) was the first formal gay rights organization in Richmond. It was a natural progression from the less formal GLF and it formed after a speech by Rita Mae Brown in early 1974 at VCU’s Rhoads Hall. Rita Mae Brown was brought to town by 3 VCU students: Frances Stewart, Dottie Cirelli, and Brenda Kriegel. Brown’s talk was “followed by a lively group discussion in which someone brought up a proposal for a gay organization. A paper was passed around for names and phone numbers. ‘There were cheers, spontaneous clapping, the sharing of experiences and hot discussion,’ wrote a reporter from VCU’s Commonwealth Times.” The organization started several weeks later, meeting at Pace Memorial Methodist Church in April of 1974; it should be noted that although VCU students and staff were instrumental in the organization of GAP, GAP was not a VCU organization.
Stephen Lenten, the Assistant Dean of Student Life at VCU at the time and who help set up the meeting and guide the organization, recalled in a 1988 article: “It was jam-packed, with a diverse group of men and women.” GAP made a few attempts at educating the straight public and at political activity, but as early as the spring of 1975 GAP saw itself as “dedicated to improving and solidifying our gay society.” In the same article, Bruce Garnett noted: “It developed mainly into a rap session type organization. We discussed things like coming out problems with the family, problems with religions…” (“Author/Wit Rita Mae Brown Inspired First Organization,” Bob Swisher, Our Own Community Press, June 1988, Volume 12, Number 8, pp 6-7.)
The Gap Rap was the first news and information medium distributed to Richmond’s lesbian and gay community. It was edited by Butch Chilton and was distributed almost monthly from April 1974 – April 1978. Dr. Frank Kameny again spoke to the LGBTQ community this time under the auspices of GAP. When Kameny spoke to GAP in 1974, he wore a button with one of the first well known positive gay affirmations: “Gay is Good.”
GAP was mostly a social group in many ways, becoming a rap session type group, but they were also beginning to be activists. About 50 members of the GAP group attended the NYC Pride parade on June 29, 1975. GAP board member, Stanley Kelsey, was one of the attendees. Kelsey, who was known as Aunt Bee, went as his drag persona wearing her GAP First Lady sash. Most members wore red lettered GAP t-shirts, and the GAP contingent led the Virginia contingent leading with the “GAP Richmond Virginia” banner.
Several other major events occurred in 1974. Richmond’s first Women’s Festival was held in Monroe Park on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) on July 13, 1974. This Festival was organized by women’s organizations from Richmond and across Virginia and included speakers Margaret Sloan, Florence Kennedy, founder of the National Black Feminists, and novelist and activist, and Virginia resident, Rita Mae Brown. The Richmond Women’s Festival was not specifically lesbian, but it was the first outdoor public festival with a sense of lesbian or gay pride in the city. In many ways, the gay rights movement in Richmond was greatly nurtured by the women’s liberation/feminist movement. (Marschak and Lorch, p. 42)
In addition to being the location of the first Women’s Festival, one of the first student groups in Virginia started at VCU, with a generous cross section of organizers from the GAP. The Gay Alliance of Students formed at VCU and in the fall of 1974, they requested funds and meeting space at VCU and were denied by the governing board. In October 1974, the GAS president, Walter Foery, and other members filed a lawsuit claiming a violation of their civil rights accorded by the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. The lawsuit was filed against Dr. Alfred Matthews and the VCU Board of Visitors. The local courts found in favor of the school, and the students appealed to the lower federal courts which upheld the decision. Supported by the National Gay Task Force (NGTF), which was later to add lesbian to become the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the ACLU, the student organization appealed to the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals. The ruling by the 4th Circuit Court in “Gay Alliance of Students v. Matthews, et al” came in November of 1976, and the school was ordered that the student group be given the same space and same rights as other university groups. This was a major landmark ruling for the lesbian and gay community since it was at the Circuit Court level and, therefore, affected all student groups in 10 Southern states; it gave gay student groups the same rights to assembly and support as any other student group.
A major figure in the early 1970s, was Stephen Lenten. Lenten was the assistant dean of students at VCU. He moved to Richmond in 1970 and was a key activist until his death of complications related to AIDS in 2001. He was the advisor and helped start GAS in 1974. Lenten risked his job with university by fighting with the students in the court case “Gay Alliance of Students v. Matthews, et al.”
Lenten was also involved in GAP and helped set up the first meeting in April 1974. He also was involved in future organizations the Gay Rights Association (GRA) and Richmond AIDS Ministry (RAM). He left VCU in 1980 and went into private practice as a counselor, served on parish committees of the Catholic Diocese including Sexual Minorities Commission. He was also a member of Mulberry House, a commune which was a family of members allowed to be open with themselves and each other. Mulberry House was one of the best examples of gay and straight people living and interacting socially, lasting for 14 years. Later Stephen Lenten was to say that Mulberry House was just one of the ways he tried to build “intentional family.” (The Richmond Pride,
