The North American Conference of Homophile Organizations was held in San Francisco in late August 1970. The meeting was attended by all of the major gay movements in the area, and in an already tense environment, the event demonstrated the contradictory goals and methods of the “Gay Establishment” and the new radical Gay Liberation movements.

The event erupted in conflict because of already existing tensions between the two strains of organizations. The ongoing strike at Macy’s, led by GayLib groups, was promised support from SIR and the Tavern Guild, but they failed to mobilize.

By Leo E. Laurence Gay Pig Nation crumbled before a series of Gay-Lib assaults last week in San Francisco. The Gay Liberation Front invaded NACHO, forced the national conference to rip off its racism with an endorsement of the Black Panther Party, and set up machinery for "National Gay Strike Day.” NACHO, the '-'North American Conference of Homophile Organizations,” was organized nearly five years ago in Kansas City to pull gay groups together into a "national movement.” But it has been controlled by a predominence of political reformists of the Gay Establishment, and has all but ignored the mushrooming political revolutionaries of the Gay Liberation Front. INVASION About 30 members of NACHO’s "Radical Caucus” invaded the four-day conference last Friday, just two hours before adjournment. The invasion broke an impasse between the Gay Establishment and Gay-Lib by forcing NACHO to open its proceedings to all gay groups. It was a complete turn-about from actions throughout the week when NACHO had barred "unauthorized” Gay-Lib delegations who couldn’t afford to pay the NACHO $45 ’’accredition” fee. NACHO was meeting at the hub of the Bay Area Gay Establishment, the SIR Center (Society for Individual Rights), 83 Sixth street, in San Francisco. It was Gay Pig Nation. White, racist, rich, and male chauvinist. "It looks like an American Legion convention,” a black KQEDTV photographer told me last Wednesday. NACHO’s first shake-up occurred when militant GLF lesbians blasted NACHO as “polite liberals,” using the words of Cherie Matisse of GLF-Los Angeles. ‘You cannot ASK for your rights, you have to TAKE them” Cherie told the’-accreddited” NACHO delegates on Women’s Lib Day last Wednesday. RACISM NACHO politely adopted a resolution supporting Women's Lib, and the “struggle for freedom of all oppressed people,’ ’ but specifically deleted any mention of the Black Panther Party. That racist vote, passed by a 2 to 1 margin, infuriated the nonaccredited “GLF Radical Caucus.’ ’ On Thursday, radicals served notice that NACHO MUST OPEN ITS PROCEEDINGS TO ALL HOMOSEXUALS ON ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE BASIS, OR THE GLF WOULD TAKE ITS RIGHTS ... BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY! Brother Huey P. Newton of the Black Panther Party, with a recent Statement endorsing and supporting Gay-Lib and Women’s Lib, had inspired the ultimatum. (Full text of Brother Huey’s letter to all revolutionaries is published in the Black Panther newspaper, Aug. 21; and in the BARB, Aug., 28, ’70.) NACHO dragged its heels on Friday through hours and hours of parliamentary bullshit. A guard on the door kept GLF “unaccredited” homosexuals out. With help from KMPX-FM broadcasts, the GLF Radical Caucus mobilized. ASSAULT At precisely three pm, after NACHO had defeated by 47 to 41 a vote to open its meeting to all homosexuals, the GLF broke through the NACHO security, and behind flags of revolution, took over the rostrum. NACHO’s Chairman hastily called a recess as the GLF chanted "POWER TO THE PEOPLE!” (NACHO’s Press Agent said: "I wish I were a police-man, I’d toss all of them (GLF) into the Klink and leave them there!” After NACHO officials got their heads together, they did what could be expected of Gay Pig Nation. Speaking for SIR, who “rented” its SIR Center for the conference, Larry Littlejohn told the invaders: “You must leave the building, or we will call the police!” Rev. Troy Perry backed up these orders. He is the handsome pastor of the (gay) Metropolitan Community church ir. Los Angeles, He’s super-popular in the Gay Establishment and was recently featured in Time magazine. Some consider him a cultural radical, but political reformist. Eyes flashing with Pentecostal fire, "Brother” Perry shouted: “Yes, I want the police called!” Then he turned to attack me. “In one year, Leo Laurence,” he shouted, "you will be nothing! You will be nothing in one year,” he reiterated. "You will be shit!” The GLF ignored the threat of a pig confrontation, and stayed. CRUSHED "They (GLF) burst in here because NACHO is the oppressor,” delegate Austin Wade (NY) said after the GLF was seated. “This is a confession of our (Gay Establishment) bankruptcy,” Wade charged in an emotional speech after NACHO had reconvened with Perry & Company in-absentia. Taking the rostrum, Rev. Mikhail Itkin (Gay-Lib SF) pushed through several rapid motions putting NACHO on one-person, one vote basis. Gay Pig Nation has been crushed! Itkin then maneuvered motions to: (1) Affirm NACHO’s support of the Black Panther Party and its Ten-Point program. (2) Affirm support of Women’s Liberation. (3) Organize “National Gay Strike Day.” “Our curse,” says Jim Kepner, a veteran of Gay-Lib Los Angeles, “is that we can hide.” And he's right. While tens of millions of homosexuals are in every level of the Amerikkkan economy, too many prefer to hide in their closets rather than breathe the fresh air of liberation. GAY POWER "National Gay Strike Day” is a beginning. If sufficient numbers of the U.S. homosexuals refuse to work, call in sick, or cut production, “Gay Power” will rise as powerful as the AFL-CIO. And if it works in the U-S-A, it can work internationally. The specific date will be set by the people, for it is the people who will make it or break it. National coordination will be provided by the Institute for Homosexual Liberation, (temp, address: % Gay Switchboard, P.O. Box 4089, Berkeley 94704). Oct. 30th suggestion comes from Konstantin Berlandt of the new GayLib newspaper in Berkeley, “GAY SUNSHINE.” “It would make a fantastic Halloween weekend,” he says. Nov. 15th was also suggested to give more time to publicize "National Gay Strike Day,” and to hit the heavier pre-holiday business activity. Send your ideas to the I-H-L.

Leo E. Laurence, “Gay Pig Nation Liberated,” Berkeley Barb, September 4-10, 1970, 9.

The conference had a forty-five dollar voting fee, which angered the various GayLib groups, because it meant that the majority of their members couldn’t vote. They demanded voting rights for everyone in attendance. The conference, in the eyes of the gay liberationists, the event represented the interests of the Gay establishment, in their words, 

It was Gay Pig Nation. White, racist, rich, and male chauvinist. (1) 

A coalition from the Women’s Gay Liberation movement lambasted the conference and called for radical change, including a resolution supporting Women’s Liberation and the Black Panther Party.

All hell broke loose when Women’s Gay-Lib blasted NACHO for being a “do nothing” convention of “polite reformists.” “You cannot ask for your rights, you have to take them,” charged Cherie Matise of LosAngeles GayLib, who proudly said she was “left, radical, and gay.” (2) 

That month, Huey P. Newton, upon release from prison, wrote an open letter to the Black Panther Party in support of the Gay Liberation and the Women’s Rights Movement, a meaningful act of solidarity and a call to action. 

Bitchy, frightened “Aunties” of the Gay Establishment this week refused to support the Black Panther Party when the Gay Liberation Front included the BPP in a Womens-Lib support resolution passed by NACHO meeting in San Francisco. NACHO (North American Conference of Homophile Organizations) is an alleged national homosexual "movement.” But voting and speaking privileges were restricted only to those paying a $45 fee at the door. “It’s a conference only for the rich, racist, male chauvinists of the Gay Establishment,” charged one angry Gay-Lib ‘observer,’” “That’s right,” said Foster Gunnarison, who was policing the front door, in a moment of unexpected candor. The SIR Center (hub of the Bay Area Gay Establishment) in San Francisco was thoroughly combed by straight newsmen trying to find out what was happening, a tough job since all they heard was blah out what was happening, A tough job since all they heard was blah blah blah as the conservative “homophile” leaders continually bitched about those “horrible” radicals in Gay-Lib. “They (Gay-Lib) have no part in this conference,” said a greying straight (?) woman, NACHO’s Press Agent. “They haven’t paid the price.” A black newsman with a natural (from KQED) caught on to what was happening: “This (NACHO) looks like an American Legion convention.” It’s fashionably hip here,” the photographer said. “Not many jeans or skaggy beards, not many women, not many blacks . . . maybe a few negroes.” All hell broke loose when Women’s Gay-Lib blasted NACHO for being a “do nothing” convention of “polite reformists.” “You cannot ask for your rights, you have to take them,” charged Cherie Matise of Los Angeles Gay Lib, who proudly said she was “left, radical, and gay.” “My family (decendent of the French Artist Henri Matise) would be willing to pay me off to shut my mouth,” Cherie told me later. “But I’m not going to prostitute myself as a human being.” Frightened by the Women’s Gay Lib confrontation on Wednesday, NACHO met Thursday in “closed” sessions that excluded most Gay Liberation Front participation. NACHO then became a small tit-tat of “homophile” (word “homosexual” is too blatant for their sensitive souls) leaders from around the country ego-tripping to each other, and ignoring the “real enemy, the fascist police state” on the streets, as Cherie put it. Student Gay-Lib groups got together at the SIR center the weekend before the NACHO “conference.” SF State GLF Chairman Charles Thorpe worked his ass off trying to mobilize a national student GLF program. Lots of rapping, but nothing startling. Talk behind the scenes revealed a few incidentals: Supervisor Diane Feinstein wants to meet with the Gay Establishment about certain “strange” statements made by SFPD officials, i.e. Macy’s picketing.

Leo E. Laurence, “Strait Gays Badrap Blacks.” Berkeley Barb, August 28-September 2, 1970 9.

However, the leaders of the NACHO Conference, passed a resolution in support of Women’s Liberation, but erased all mention of the Black Panther Party, angering the Gay Lib groups.

 

 

(1) Leo E. Laurence, “Gay Pig Nation Liberated,” Berkeley Barb, September 4-10, 1970, 9.
(2) Leo E. Laurence, “Strait Gays Badrap Blacks.” Berkeley Barb, August 28-September 2, 1970, 9.