Gay Activists Alliance
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The Gay Activists Alliance was founded in New York City on December 21,1969 after the Stonewall riots, by dissident members of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) including Sylvia Rae Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson, Jim Coles, Brenda Howard, Christopher Charles and Altan Zimbabwe[1], who wanted to form a non-violent "single issue, politically neutral, militant organization" whose goal was to "secure basic human rights, dignity and freedom for all gay people."
The Gay Activists Alliance was most active from 1970 to 1974. They published the Gay Activist newspaper until 1980. GAA first met at the Church of the Holy Apostles (9th Ave. & 28th St.) Their next New York City headquarters (the Firehouse at 99 Wooster Street in Soho) was occupied in May 1971 and burned down by arsonists on Oct. 15, 1974. GAA eventually dissolved in October 1981.[citation needed]
GAA members performed zaps, (first conceived by Marty Robinson) public peaceful confrontations with officials to draw media attention. Their first president was Jim Owles. Some of their more visible actions included protests against an anti-gay episode on the popular Marcus Welby, MD television series, a zap of Mayor John Lindsay at the Metropolitan Museum and later at Radio City Music Hall, a zap against Gov. Nelson Rockefeller (the "Rockefeller 5"), a zap at the Marriage License Bureau demanding marriage rights for gays, a zap against Fidelifacts, which provided anti-gay information to employers, a zap at the NYC Taxi Commission (which required gay cab drivers to get an OK from a psychiatrist before being employed), and a zap at the NY Daily News, which printed a scurrilous editorial attacking "queers, lezzies, pansies, call them what you will."
The symbol of the Gay Activists Alliance was the lower case Greek letter lambda (λ) taken from physics where it represents "a complete exchange of energy." Other definitions of the symbolism of the lambda include balance or unity. A battle flag with the lambda was carried by the fierce Greek fighters, the Sacred Band of Thebes who marched into battle with their young male lovers.
[edit] See also
- List of LGBT rights organizations
- Gay Liberation
- Gay Liberation Front
- Socialism and LGBT rights
- Brenda Howard
- Sylvia Rivera
[edit] References
- ^ [http://gayactivistsalliance.org/the-lambda.html Gay Activist Alliance Intl. The LAMBDA - Chosen Symbol of the GAA
