June 28, 2025

Stonewall Inn bar raid response observance (55th anniversary of event 56 years ago).

Kenosha County Courthouse 5:30 PM (From approximately 9 AM to 5 PM the Pride Flag will be displayed by volunteers on behalf of CUSH in protest of the County Executive’s order to eliminate its display at County offices during June Pride celebrations.)

Remarks by Len Iaquinta:

I’m 81 years old. Today we stand at the end of the first quarter of the 21st century. But our lives resemble too closely those of the 1950s. Since I was born in Kenosha, a year before the end of World War II, I’ve seen and read about a lot. I saw and learned about the segregated lunch counters in our region. I witnessed vicious anti-queer rhetoric from Wis. U. S. Senator Joseph McCarthy before he himself was disgraced. I read stories and saw photos of violent police raids of queer bars. We read of and saw depictions of horrifying experiments on us by so-called experts in medicine. We were treated like animals. Our former medical classification was deviant, disturbed, dangerous. We’ve come a good way forward to having basic civil rights, but nowhere near far enough. Not even close.

In 1969, Stonewall redirected my life: Two months before I moved from Wisconsin to New York City, …exactly 56 years ago…, trans and other queer patrons of the Stonewall Inn bar vigorously protested against a punitive police raid aimed at solely at their status – because they were queer or trans. Of course, I had read all about it and seen the photos and films before I arrived in New York City on Labor Day weekend of 1969. I was disgusted and frightened.

When I got settled, because of Stonewall, I got interested in becoming a part of the queer liberation activist community. I checked out the Gay Activists Alliance which converted an old firehouse on Wooster Street in Manhattan into offices and a community center. I attended a couple Gay Liberation Front meetings and ultimately became a board member of the Gay Alliance of Brooklyn in about 1971. Believe me: prejudice was so high at that time that we had to fight a court battle to be allowed to register our social organization with the New York Secretary of State. Our initial application was rejected because the name of our organization — the very word “gay”— was deemed obscene.

Each one of those at Stonewall who fought back against police raid oppression and violence is a hero. I’ll leave it to Cal to talk a little more about that history. Since then, my involvement with gay liberation — as we called it then — has involved activity in Fort Wayne, Indiana; Milwaukee; Chicago; and finally, here where I was born and raised in Southeastern Wisconsin, as most of you know. Today we must take inspiration from the Stonewall turning point as the forces of repression, cruelty, and hate blossom, stimulated and fanned ferociously by people who think they are better than everyone else. I feel we’re in the worst situation of my lifetime.

Where the pride flag flies is an important symbol. We boldly demonstrated that belief today. And that symbolism is vitally important, especially to our young people. But we must remain focused not only on symbols, but on the factors that affect our daily lives and survival. Laws must be changed. Health services must be available for everyone in our queer communities.

So, I appeal to my brothers and sisters to Work Together. Let’s stop the backbiting within our own community. The only times we have been truly successful are when we have united behind an issue and then pushed together to get the results we need. We each spend too much time jockeying to be first in line with our most important issue. Yes, every issue should proceed forward continuously. But some issues are more ready for success than others. And when we recognize that and work together across our communities, we succeed. I call out those who disrupt within our communities and don’t pull together for the good of all, and I do mean all. I am disgusted by the prejudice against each other within our queer communities. Let’s stop it and call it out every time. When you hear it, I beg you to condemn it on the spot to their face. We fulfill our destiny proudly when we work together and refuse to accept prejudice from within as well as from without.

Let us Look Forward my friends! Are you okay with getting erased from the government’s websites and documents….and having mention of us erased from universities and books? Are we?

(crowd response) NO!

Are you okay with getting pushed back 10 years on your rights? Are you?

(crowd response) NO!

20 years? NO!

To the last century? NO!

Then resolve with me today to push for equality and never let up. FORWARD! (gesture fist up)

Event background: This is the third year that the County Executive Kerkman has decided not to fly the LGBTQIA+ Pride Flag, after rescinding a previous County Executive order that the Rainbow Flag be displayed with other flags at the courthouse. Cal Miller is organizing the 3rd Annual Rainbow Forward Stonewall Event for the 55th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. This year will be the 2nd Annual Fly your Flag event in front of the County Court House, with the 3rd Stonewall Anniversary Event following. This year is one of our most critical years, and visibility is needed for so many of our LGBTQIA+Community Members. We are looking for volunteers who are willing to take shifts to Fly the Flag, with pride, love, and authenticity, at the County Courthouse from 9:00am-5:00pm on Saturday, June 28th, which will be followed by the 55th Stonewall Riots Anniversary Event, at 5:30pm. If you would like to volunteer contact Cal Miller (cal88miller@gmail.com).