Exploring Passion Beyond Crime: Patrick Hinds’ Advocacy for LGBTQ+ History

About Patrick Hinds Advocacy in Action: Patrick Hinds’ Co...

Exploring Passion Beyond Crime: Patrick Hinds’ Advocacy for LGBTQ+ History

An image of a rainbow flag to celebrate gay rights.

Photo by Patricia Luquet on Pexels

Each June, Pride Month celebrates the beautiful diversity of human life, but it’s more than just a celebration — it’s also a commemoration of the struggle to achieve the same basic human rights that non-LGBTQ+ people take for granted. Long ostracized from society and frequently subjected to acts of violence and oppression, gay people have been told lies about ourselves and denied the freedom to be ourselves.

Much progress has been made, and we now have the legal right to marry who we love (in the U.S. and 35 other countries). However, there have been setbacks along the way.

Last year, there were more anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed than in decades prior. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), in 2023 alone, more than 520 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in state legislatures.

It was record-breaking — and that’s the kind of record you don’t want to break. Clearly, the struggle for equality is still ongoing.

If you’re a True Crime Obsessed listener, then you know that my co-host, Gillian Pensavalle, and I are obsessed with true crime history. You might also know that I am passionate about LGBTQ+ history — especially the history of Pride Month.

Pride Month didn’t simply spring into being because a President signed a proclamation. It was forged from struggle through the heroic efforts of people like Craig Rodwell, Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Nancy Garden, Randy Wicker, Dick Leitsch, and countless others.

I believe it’s essential for all of us — those of us in the Pride community, our straight allies, and everyone who is reconsidering their biases — to understand our collectively shared history, as greater understanding can fuel continued advocacy and progress.

(And if you really want to win brownie points, you should consider joining my husband, Steve, and me in donating to important social causes that support LGBTQ+ rights.)

https://medium.com/media/fd5e76409adf66c17ba62b084033e5de/hrefA Few Words About My Hero

Every now and then, a special sort of person comes along who takes a look at the status quo and takes it upon themselves to disrupt it for the benefit of all.

I have so much admiration for these courageous individuals, especially Craig Rodwell — a true visionary who did so much to further LGBTQ+ rights.

Before diving into Rodwell’s past and accomplishments, I’d like to point out that the struggle for gay rights was carried out by countless individuals, the vast majority of whom are lost to history.

Thousands upon thousands of people right here in New York City and around the world have participated in acts of advocacy, like the Stonewall Riots, the Dyke Marches, and other Pride Marches. But a few people, like my hero Craig, stand out because they were the organizers and the instigators.

https://medium.com/media/f9485419a5fb0cf208fa33c64ecdd849/hrefCraig’s Origin Story

Craig was born in 1940. From age six to 14, he lived at an all-boys boarding school in a rural environment. There, he had uniquely affirming experiences that allowed him to develop his sexual identity and sense of self. While the school itself did not tolerate homosexuality, it did have a sizable population of young gays who were able to connect with each other without shame.

That, plus the school’s isolation from the outside world empowered Craig to grow up knowing that it was perfectly fine to be gay if that’s who you are.

In fact, during an interview reflecting on his early life, Craig said, “I thought the whole world was like me!”

Craig’s lack of shame regarding his sexual orientation was foundational to his sense of self, and it allowed him to carry out the work he would later do.

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At age 14, Craig went to Chicago to live with his mother, taking his well-developed sense of self with him. It was there that Craig first experienced strong and prevalent anti-gay sentiment. He was unabashedly out of the closet, and this created tension in his family life, causing a major rift to develop between his mother and his stepfather.

In Chicago, Craig also experienced his first major act of anti-gay discrimination. Instead of backing down, however, Craig used it as a motivator. He dreamt of moving to New York City, where he would be able to work with the people fighting for real change.

And indeed, his bold actions as an activist propelled our entire community forward.

Craig the Activist

Craig was a true visionary who was ahead of his time. Today, it’s far more common for gay people to be out of the closet, yet during the 50s and 60s, it simply “wasn’t done.” Craig was not only fearlessly out of the closet, but he also tried to eliminate the stigma in part by opening the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop.

Craig understood the importance of community, both for providing validation and support, as well as connecting people to resources and advocacy.

The Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop, opened in 1967, was the first openly LGBTQ+ bookshop anywhere on the East Coast.

Refusing to sell pornography as was customary for these bookshops at the time, Craig instead focused on elevating the works of both prominent and up-and-coming gay and lesbian writers.

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Craig intended it to be a community-focused space where LGBTQ people could gather openly, with no shame. For that reason, he insisted on finding a location that featured a large picture window that looked out onto the street. Oh, and by the way, Craig was just 26 when he opened it.

He was a visionary ahead of his time, and he fought to change the world to reflect the reality he wished he lived in.

The bookshop was one of Craig’s early accomplishments, but by no means was it his last. By that time, Craig was a member of the Mattachine Society — an organization dedicated to advancing gay rights. He played a front-and-center role in organizing protests and raising awareness.

In fact, as I describe in my video below, Craig and fellow activists Randy Wicker, Nancy Garden, and others launched the first-ever organized gay protest in U.S. history at a military recruiting station to protest the military’s discriminatory policies.

https://medium.com/media/7ffe6d1e5fdeb22d5a26db09537ea93d/href

Craig also co-organized the Sip In of 1966, which protested the law that made it illegal to serve alcohol to gay customers in New York.

You’ll definitely want to watch the vid on this one — it was the protest that almost didn’t happen. (And have you ever noticed how so much of gay history involves alcohol? Seriously, don’t get between gays and our drinks.)

https://medium.com/media/5e7b5961789338cf4e984996f2b5cf8b/hrefThe Stonewall Uprising

Without a doubt, the most important protest Craig participated in was the Stonewall Uprising, often called the Stonewall Riots.

On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, NYC — a gay bar. It sparked six days of protests, including violent clashes with anti-gay cops. There had been plenty of police raids on gay bars for years prior to 1969, of course, but Stonewall was the last straw.

It didn’t start the gay rights movement, but it definitely galvanized it and gave it momentum. It was our day of liberation.

Together with fellow activists, Craig envisioned a commemoration of Stonewall upon the one-year anniversary.

He helped organize the very first Pride March, named the Christopher Street Liberation Day March. (Since gay bars were illegal at the time, The Stonewall Inn, like all gay bars in NYC, was owned and controlled by the Mafia. Naming the March after the gayest street — Christopher Street — in the city’s gayest neighborhood was an effort to move away from the association with the Mafia.)

The Pride March sparked sister marches throughout the world and forged the beginnings of Pride Month.

An image of the PRIDE flag at an annual pride parade.

Photo by Mercedes Mehling on UnsplashEvery Month Is Pride Month

Those initial Pride Marches created so much forward momentum and positive energy within the gay community and among our straight allies.

Since that time, annual marches have been held each June across the country and around the world.

However, it wasn’t until June 1999 that President Bill Clinton signed a proclamation that officially designated June as “Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.”

As all of you are undoubtedly aware, the Pride community is a diverse spectrum, and as fantastic as the official designation was, the name didn’t encompass the whole community. In June 2011, President Barack Obama addressed this issue by expanding the official designation to “LGBT Pride Month.”

Today, we usually just call it “Pride Month.”

Every June, Pride community members and our allies raise Pride flags to celebrate progress, validate our identities, and demonstrate our right to exist just like everyone else.

Of course, every June, there are always haters who vandalize Pride flags and politicians who seek to curb our rights.

In 2017, for example, former President Donald Trump discontinued federal recognition of Pride Month. (Thank goodness he at least recognized National Homeownership Month though, right?!?)

Fortunately, President Joe Biden resumed the official recognition of Pride Month, along with more concrete actions aimed at protecting Pride equality.

President Biden on X (formerly Twitter): "For generations, LGBTQI+ Americans have summoned the courage to live proudly - even when it meant putting their lives at risk. This Pride Month, we recommit to realizing the promise of America for all, to celebrating LGBTQI+ people, and to taking pride in the example they set. pic.twitter.com/d9cBiGoKCr / X"

For generations, LGBTQI+ Americans have summoned the courage to live proudly - even when it meant putting their lives at risk. This Pride Month, we recommit to realizing the promise of America for all, to celebrating LGBTQI+ people, and to taking pride in the example they set. pic.twitter.com/d9cBiGoKCr

Pride Month provides essential validation that gay rights are human rights; that everyone has the right to exist and love who they love.

For me, Pride Month has always been centered on understanding our shared history — our shared roots and our hard-fought rights. It’s about celebrating how far we’ve come. And it’s about our whole community, including our allies, coming together to celebrate the uniqueness of the LGBTQ+ community.

So much progress has been made, and yet society as a whole still has a long way to go. I maintain that every month is Pride Month. We need validation and equality all year long.

Activists & Allies for LGBTQ+ History & Human Rights

What I’ve discussed here is just the tip of the iceberg. If you’d like to learn more about LGBTQ+ history, I highly recommend checking out the Making Gay History podcast.

Founder and host of Making Gay History podcast, Eric Marcus, is a visionary who began interviewing gay rights pioneers in the 80s to preserve our history.

Steve and I had the honor of meeting him. We discovered Eric doesn’t use ads to produce his podcast (and it really costs an arm and a leg to produce a whole season). Raising funds is a challenge, so we decided to contribute to Eric’s mission and sponsor a season to help ensure that these essential stories will live on forever.

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You may have noticed the embedded YouTube vids on Craig Rodwell above. Another way I enjoy spreading the message about our history is by doing my own mini-series on social media. You can check out Gay History with Patrick Hinds to learn more.

I believe wholeheartedly that one’s gender, gender identity, or sexual identity should not limit one’s legal rights.

In addition to doing what we can to serve as advocates for our community, Steve and I are proud to support other progressive causes, such as women’s right to make their own healthcare decisions. It’s why I consider it the honor of a lifetime to serve on the board of A Is For — an organization committed to destigmatizing abortion care through art. I love the idea of using art as a powerful tool for social change.

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I encourage my readers out there to get involved in a cause, whether it’s promoting LGBTQ+ equality or fighting back against politicians who practice medicine without a license.

Giving back to the community is one of the most important things you can do with your life. I’m a poor kid myself — one of four raised in Section 8 housing by a single mother. We were fortunate to receive so much help and support, and now it’s my responsibility to pay that forward.

Here are a few other organizations Steve and I donate to regularly and wholeheartedly endorse:

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS LGBTQ+ Center End the Backlog Color of Change Humane Society Where Do We Go From Here?

The official Pride Month may be just about over, but again, every month can be considered Pride Month.

Your self-identity is something you should feel free to take pride in every single day.

In publishing this piece, I hope to not only draw attention to the complex history behind Pride Month, but also to encourage all of you out there to take the initiative to learn more.

The better educated we all are about where we came from and how we got here, the better able we are to become advocates for equality.

Whether you’re gay or straight, in the closet or out and proud, it’s important to learn from the past, to take inspiration from our heroes, and to let the haters know that love will always win in the end.