Willson L. Henderson, founder of Stonewall Veterans Association, joins Cheddar News to discuss the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

Between Bells

Founder of the Stonewall Veterans Association Talks Anniversary of 1969 Uprising

Welcome back to Between Bells in the early morning hours, june 28th, 1969. The new york city, L G B T Q plus community was changed forever. A slew of spontaneous protests broke out by members of the gay community in response to a police raid that early morning at the historic Stonewall Inn in Greenwich village. The riots are widely considered the watershed moment that helped transform the gay movement for L G B T Q plus rights here in the U. S. And around the world. And joining us now to talk more is Wilson L. Henderson, founder of Stonewall Veterans Association, You created this group shortly after that 1969 rebellion. And a lot has happened since then. I'm wondering how do you feel about the progress that this community has made since those initial protests? Well, it's come a long way but still have a long way to go. Mhm. Yeah, truer words have never been said. Yeah, so I also go ahead. Yeah, it's just you're you're still using the journalistic popular term, exciting term riots. But we object to that uh description because riots is a legal term denoting criminal behavior. And the participants, the community in the Stonewall rebellion were not criminals. They were americans standing up for their right to socialize in public, not criminals. I'm glad that you mentioned word choice because that's really important, especially when we talk about the L G B T Q Plus community. The choice of words is so important when it comes to the treatment of members of this community and tomorrow marks the anniversary of the stonewall uprising, the remembrance of this day. How do you feel on this anniversary, Especially after a weekend when we saw a lot of these pride marches across the country. Turn more serious. Yeah, events move on. And and as I said, it shows we still have a lot of work to do as the late gay jewish poet Allen Ginsberg. That Gonna keep my queer shoulder to the wheel. So even me at 73, I keep going and hopefully God willing and medical and social care, like an at least last another 20 or more years to keep the work continuing and in that were dedicated to preserve and extend the genuine, authentic heritage and history of the many gay communities as I say, the uh, the symbol, the rainbow flag and the symbol of a rainbow community because it's many different elements in in the gay community, but that that's it, where inclusive and and universal. Yeah. And how do you think that stone walls legacy impacts this community not only from years ago when this first happened, but even today, Well, they brought the uh idea of gay rights and gay. Well being up onto the radar screen Of America's popular consciousness. You know, I can remember 60 years ago when I was a baby gay. It was there was a taboo a subject with which it was silence on. It was a great event from the people if a couple of times a year. the new york times had articles mentioning homosexuality and maybe if once a year, the new york times, Sunday book review magazine had a book review for on the subject of homosexuality. Now, since the Stonewall rebellion brought the gay rights agenda up onto the radar scheme of american popular, it's ubiquitous everywhere. So, uh people who have still a cultural adjustment too, It's a little overwhelming. So, and I have to hopefully readjust their uh idea perception of it, you know, to get, get a handle on it. So that's a great educational mission to raise the consciousness of both are gay community members and the general society out there. You know, the the poor squares are uh so beset by the changing events and the changing society, changing demographics of the United States over the past half century. Yeah, Wilson, just about 30 seconds left here, I'm wondering how and where you want to see people honoring the stone a stonewall rebellion this year? Well, as we say, we hope to provide enough uh insight and education into bring forth uh like a truth and reconciliation commission for the authentic, genuine history of the Stone will not the revisionist artificial is the popular trendy fake news of urban legends of of stuff that didn't happen. That that is uh journalistically used as uh things that are interesting copy for for news editors. You know, we we are the remaining survivors who were there and saw what happened and then the real things not be bogus, synthetic plastic things that are being managed. And so please people wanting to contact, do it to cheddar. Or let me give our website, w w Stonewall, that's the s t dot dot org. Please contact us. We have a tremendous website, gets millions of visits a year, so please reach out and find out. And you're all welcome with our wide umbrella of inclusion for the Rainbow Community. Thank you so much for joining us, Wilson. Al Henderson, founder of Stonewall Veterans Association.