Weinstein Hall Occupation

The Weinstein Hall occupation was a building occupation organized by gay liberation activists to protest the cancellation of gay dances at the Weinstein Hall residence building at New York University. The occupation, which occurred in the wake of the Stonewall riots, saw the takeover of the Weinstein Hall sub-basement. Occupiers discussed various topics, chanted, danced, sang folk songs, and played games from September 20–25, 1970, with connections forming between lesbians and street queens.

The occupation ended when members of a police tactical unit confronted the occupiers, threatening to shoot them if they did not vacate the premises. A march through Greenwich Village ensued, after which the occupiers dispersed. After the occupation, further protests took place at NYU's Loeb Student Center, leading the university to eventually permit gay dances at Weinstein Hall. Later, several protesters who took part in the occupation founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), which provided shelter for unhoused transgender youth through its STAR House initiative.

Background

Between 1890 and 1940, a distinct gay culture emerged in New York City. Gays in New York organized male beauty pageants in Coney Island and drag balls in Harlem. They also founded gay bars in Greenwich Village, which were often the targets of police raids. Among these was the Stonewall Inn, which was founded on Christopher Street in the 1930s. It had established a reputation as a gay bar by 1967. At the time, Greenwich Village was home to a diverse community of artists, bohemians, immigrants, and LGBTQ people. On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn and attempted to arrest several patrons, including cross-dressers and sex workers. In response, several patrons of the bar began pelting the police with various objects, including bricks, marking the beginning of the Stonewall riots. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera are often credited with starting the riots, though their actual role in the riots is debated. Soon after, gay rights activists founded various advocacy organizations, including the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA).

Occupation

In September 1970, the administration at New York University canceled several upcoming dances organized by the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee at Weinstein Hall after learning that they would be "homosexual" events. According to Rivera, several wealthy families were offended at the idea of queer dances and feared that their "impressionable children were going to be harmed". In response, beginning on September 20, 1970, members of several activist organizations occupied the hall's sub-basement. These included the GLF, the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee, Gay Student Liberation, Gay Youth (GY), Red Butterfly, NYU Women's Liberation, NYU Liberation Front, and Transcendental Students. Johnson and Rivera also participated. The occupiers discussed various topics together, chanted, danced, sang folk songs, and played games such as charades and spin the bottle. The number of occupiers varied throughout, from 10 during the morning hours to hundreds during the day.

According to occupier Karla Jay, most residents were initially "horrified" because "they had been in New York for less than a week and they were being overrun by radical faggots and dykes". However, after the occupiers canvassed in the dorms, the residents came to support them, bringing them food from the university cafeteria. Residents of the hall voted to support the protesters by a 2-1 margin, and all residents unanimously agreed to prevent police intervention. Straight students occasionally interacted with occupiers in the hall's laundry room, with the occupiers explaining their lifestyles and distributing literature.

Initially, occupiers slept in various places depending on their sexuality and gender presentation, with street queens sleeping on couches in the back of the basement while lesbians slept on pool tables in the front. The street queens were tasked with cooking, cleaning, and fundraising. On the night of September 21, several of the occupiers showered in the hall matron's bathroom. By the night of September 24, the street queens and lesbians had begun mingling, playing cards together, and exchanging makeup tips. At some point during the occupation, activist Arthur Bell suggested that the occupiers seek the assistance of the relatively conservative GAA. This suggestion was "loudly booed". However, several members of the GAA did eventually join the occupation.

On September 25, a police tactical unit armed with riot control gear confronted the occupiers, threatening to shoot them if they did not vacate the building. While Rivera attempted to initiate a chant in response, the occupiers were ultimately evicted to the steps outside the hall. Some occupiers, including Rivera, initially wanted to start a riot. However, they ultimately led a march down 8th Street towards Sheridan Square, then to the site of the Stonewall riots, then back to Weinstein Hall before finally dispersing.

Aftermath and legacy

Soon after the occupation's end, Rivera published a flyer titled "GAY POWER—WHEN DO WE WANT IT? OR DO WE?" The flyer was published under the alias "Street Transvestites for Gay Power". It discussed the Weinstein Hall occupation, claiming that it was "lost when we left on request of the pigs". It also claimed that the "next demonstration" was going to be more difficult. Some argue that the publication of this flyer represented the founding of a new organization called Street Transvestites for Gay Power. However, others, such as Bebe Scarpi, claim that Rivera was "defining herself as a street transvestite gay liberation advocate", not declaring the foundation of a new organization.

A group called Street Transvestites for Gay Power later organized protests at NYU's Loeb Student Center and Bellevue Hospital. At NYU, they demanded the creation of a gay community center, open enrollment for gay people, and the right to be openly gay with fear of retaliation. At Bellevue, they demanded an end to psychiatric abuse and compulsory sterilization, as well as free, community-controlled health and dental care. NYU responded by allowing gay dances to take place at Weinstein Hall. Later that year, Johnson and Rivera founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), which academic Samuel Galen Ng claims emerged from Street Transvestites for Gay Power. With the assistance of the GLF and Gay Youth, STAR created STAR House, a free shelter for transgender youth in the East Village, Manhattan.

During Stonewall 50 in 2019, NYU acknowledged its cancellation of queer dances on its website, as well as in a press release, which discussed the police's role in ending the occupation. An event was also held at NYU on its 50th anniversary. The event was attended by several activists who were present for the occupation and featured an anniversary ceremony, as well as a panel discussing the occupation. Later, a commemorative plaque was placed at Weinstein Hall.

Notes

References

Sources

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* NOTE: This interview was presented as part of the ''Making Gay History'' podcast.
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NOTE: This book is primarily a collection of primary source documents. No editor is credited, but activist Tourmaline claims to have uncovered much of the archival material. Se
"Street Evangelists and Transgender Saints: Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson, and the Religions of the Afro-Americas"
by Ahmad Greene-Hayes, p. 46.
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1970 in LGBTQ history
1970 in New York City
History of LGBTQ civil rights in the United States
LGBTQ civil rights demonstrations in the United States
LGBTQ history in New York City
Occupations (protest) in the United States
September 1970 in the United States