(1970) Huey P. Newton, “The Women’s Liberation and Gay Liberation Movements”

Researching events related to that is what led me to find this speech!

Here's the full Portrait section from the text for anyone who hasn't read it: https://en.prolewiki.org/wiki/Library:Trans_Liberation:_Beyond_Pink_or_Blue#Portrait:_Sylvia_Rivera_-_%22I'm_glad_I_was_in_the_Stonewall_riot%22

And here's specifically the part where she talks about meeting Huey P. Newton:

Later on, when the Young Lords came about in New York City, I was already in GLF (Gay Liberation Front). There was a mass demonstration that started in East Harlem in the fall of 1970. The protest was against police repression and we decided to join the demonstration with our star banner. That was one of the first times the star banner was shown in public, where star was present as a group. I ended up meeting some of the Young Lords that day. I became one of them. Any time they needed any help, I was always there for the Young Lords. It was just the respect they gave us as human beings. They gave us a lot of respect. It was a fabulous feeling for me to be myself- being part of the Young Lords as a drag queen - and my organization [STAR] being part of the Young Lords.
I met [Black Panther Party leader] Huey Newton at the Peoples' Revolutionary Convention in Philadelphia in 1971. Huey decided we were part of the revolution - that we were revolutionary people.
I was a radical, a revolutionist. I am still a revolutionist. I was proud to make the road and help change laws and what not. I was very proud of doing that and proud of what I'm still doing, no matter what it takes.

I was trying to find more info about the meeting but so far haven't found anything else that covers it in detail.

9 comments

Great timing, considering Sylvia's portrait in this weeks Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink and Blue reading thread!
- Researching events related to that is what led me to find this speech!
  Here's the full Portrait section from the text for anyone who hasn't read it: https://en.prolewiki.org/wiki/Library:Trans_Liberation:_Beyond_Pink_or_Blue#Portrait:_Sylvia_Rivera_-_%22I'm_glad_I_was_in_the_Stonewall_riot%22
  And here's specifically the part where she talks about meeting Huey P. Newton:
  Later on, when the Young Lords came about in New York City, I was already in GLF (Gay Liberation Front). There was a mass demonstration that started in East Harlem in the fall of 1970. The protest was against police repression and we decided to join the demonstration with our star banner. That was one of the first times the star banner was shown in public, where star was present as a group. I ended up meeting some of the Young Lords that day. I became one of them. Any time they needed any help, I was always there for the Young Lords. It was just the respect they gave us as human beings. They gave us a lot of respect. It was a fabulous feeling for me to be myself- being part of the Young Lords as a drag queen - and my organization [STAR] being part of the Young Lords.
  I met [Black Panther Party leader] Huey Newton at the Peoples' Revolutionary Convention in Philadelphia in 1971. Huey decided we were part of the revolution - that we were revolutionary people.
  I was a radical, a revolutionist. I am still a revolutionist. I was proud to make the road and help change laws and what not. I was very proud of doing that and proud of what I'm still doing, no matter what it takes.
  I was trying to find more info about the meeting but so far haven't found anything else that covers it in detail.
  
  Great job, comrade! Really shows the value in what reading threads can bring.
  If only the Capital reading threads weren't basically me talking about my own reading of Capital by myself, haha... seems everyone else dropped it