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They were against cutting the trees.'Ĭhicago gays chose to challenge the status quo in the courts instead of the streets. Kelley, 'The New York Times ran at least three days of stories, one editorial and one letter on the subject. When word from New York finally reached here, it was recorded in July's Mattachine Midwest Newsletter with the same emphasis as was given to the item on vigilante residents of the borough of Queens who, in a campaign against homosexuals reportedly frequenting a neighborhood park, had cut down dozens of its trees. A few local gay papers existed around the country, but there wasn't any real national gay press. The riot was not immediate national news. īut in Chicago, the events of that June day in 1969 barely made a ripple. It conjures up a vision of bar-raiding Greenwich Village cops terrorized inside the Stonewall Inn by a bunch of angry queens outside, tossing rocks, bottles, a Molotov cocktail and shouts reminiscent of Network ( 'I'm not going to take this anymore!' ).
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In the 21st century, 'Stonewall' is the accepted buzzword for the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the United States. Pictured: A police arrest during the riots outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention ( photo courtesy of the Chicago History Museum ) and David Stienecker in 2008 ( photo by Tracy Baim ). A companion book, Out and Proud in Chicago: An Overview of the City's Gay Movement, edited by Tracy Baim, will be published this summer by Surrey Books. Velvet Rope Lounge was seen boarded up Monday morning, and Elliott said he plans to rebuild.The following article was written for the Chicago Gay History Project, a Web site launching later this summer. "They put it out, nobody got hurt, they did a great job," said Oak Park Deputy Fire Chief Ken Klemm. No one was inside at the time, and no injuries were reported. "It's damage, but we're a lot better off than Velvet Rope and Flat Top Grille," he said. He said he hopes to reopen as soon as possible.
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It was amazing," said store owner Eric Masoncup of what he saw when he arrived after being told of the fire. "Pure shock when I saw what was there to see - four engines and firemen everywhere. Geppetto’s Toy Box was likely going to be closed for several days while crews fixed water and smoke damage. "My safe was still there in one piece and no one touched anything, so they weren't there for the money," Elliott said. The fire gutted the lounge, and next-door businesses Geppetto’s Toy Box and the Flat Top Grille also were damaged. Sunday when someone in the area smelled smoke. "It is suspicious and it is being investigated as an arson," said Oak Park Police Commander Phyliss Howard. Police say they are investigating the incident with the derogatory messages in mind. "There were a lot of sayings or something on the walls, but they were all removed by the detectives," Elliott said.
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The owner of a gay nightclub destroyed by fire early Sunday in Oak Park calls the incident "suspicious."įrank Elliott said derogatory messages were found after the fire on one of the walls inside Velvet Rope Lounge, the only gay bar in Oak Park.