Home of the Screaming Queens who create the Compton's Cafeteria riot and one of the locations reported to be the origin of Vanguard.
Oral History Excerpt from the Original Vanguard, Adrian Ravarou. Interview by Joey Plaster 2010:
“Billy Garrison described himself as a hair fairy—which meant that the clothing he wore was heterosexual, you know, guys clothes—jeans and a shirt—but then he had his hair ratted up and hair sprayed so it was stacked like a beehive almost. And he then had on make-up eye, brow pencil, rouge, some lipstick, foundation, he did his nails. And one of the things that happened in the community was that, because people were looking different and didn’t pass as women, they would often get snide and rude comments, being called names and so-forth— and so Billy was talking about well—how can we overcome this? And I think it was over a period of about a couple weeks that we were talking [in the El Rosa hotel] that he pointed out that he had come from Seattle, and when he had been in Seattle he said he was a straight male—he was heterosexual—and he had been a member of a gang, he said he had been a leader in a gang. He said there were problems within a particular Seattle neighborhood between the community and the gang and that a particular minister had reached out to both communities, brought them together and created a dialogue and actually had some of the members helping each other so that it mitigated the friction and people began to understand one another and create tolerance, and to—programs around that. And Billy was wondering, is this something that we could do in the Tenderloin?”
Vanguard Magazine Reading: Vol. 1, Issue 9, 1967 [reading from video #2] This document was republished in our Vanguard Revisited Magazine in 2011. (click on the image to see it in a larger size) Contemporary Question: How do we have systems of support and community like at the El Rosa hotel today?
The answers of the young adults participating on 2/21/2011on were intentionally left out of the online tour, in order to protect their confidentiality. We encourage virtual participants of the Vanguard Tour to answer the contemporary questions in the comment section. You can post anonymously if you would like to protect your confidentiality.
* Tour materials collected by Joey Plaster with Mia Tu Mutch, Completed 2/21/2011 with the new Vanguard as a part of the LGBT Center's Youth Program. Vanguard Magazine appears here courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society.
The time is here to bring together the youth of the TENDERLOIN to form a more unified community among ourselves. We find that no one has room for us in their society, therefore we must work together to form our own society to meet our OWN needs. Our needs and goals are:
1)Coffee House and meeting center
2)Emergency Housing
3)Medical aid, area VD clinic, etc.
4)Employment counseling.
5)Police cooperation
6)Financial aid (if possible)
We are willing to work with interested groups, but, who can be more trusted and relied upon than ourselves. To find satisfaction we found one another.[1]
Citizens News Volume 3 #9 (2/10/1964) The Undesirables-- calls Jesus the ultimate undesirable. Talks about a move to enforce vice laws. “VICE should be defined as anything that does not fit into the picture of those that are too old to engage in such things; or activities that seem to be too much fun for those who in engage in them; or anything that does not add to the economic wealth of the ‘civic-minded citizens.’” “There is always a group of persons who have undesirable practices, beliefs or traits. These are the people who indulge in VICE. Now those in the Establishment may do the same things as the undesirables, but since they are responsible members of the Community it is never thought of as VICE. There is a difference.” He goes on to call Jesus, Ben Franklin, and others undesirables. “We, the undesirables of 1964, are prone to forgive the people who would deprive us of our freedom. We remember that the most famous undesirable of all time also had forgiveness in his heart, for did He not say: ‘Forgive them for they know not what they do.’”
Citizen News Volume 4, #4 (Jan 1965???)
You Fellahs Should be Discreet
San Francisco News Call-Bulletin, Guy Wright, article on hair faeries. Quoting from article: “Today’s column is addressed to the homosexuals of our city. Its message is simple: Please, gentlemen, try to be a bit more discreet. The other day at a magazine stand on Market Street I encountered a young male wearing women’s ski pants and a woman’s car coat. His hair was tinted a pinkish blonde unknown to nature….it seems to be that this unfortunate was taking a delicious pleasure in the distaste which he caused among the other customers.” “It has become almost common-place to see young men holding hands as they stroll down the street. One section of the Tenderloin has been taken over by homosexuals.”
* Tour materials collected by Joey Plaster with Mia Tu Much, Completed 2/21/2011 with the new Vanguard as a part of the LGBT Center's Youth Program.
[1] “Exiles of Sin, Incorporated,” By Laurence Tate, Berkeley Barb, November 11, 1966
Tonight a ‘clean sweep’ will be made on Market St; not by the POLICE, but by the street people who are often the object of police harassment,” read a press release. “The drug addicts, pillheads, teenage hustlers, lesbians, and homosexuals who make San Francisco’s ‘MEAT RACK’ their home are tired of living in the midst of the filth thrown out onto the sidewalks and into the streets by nearby businessmen….This VANGUARD demonstration indicates the willingness of societies [sic] outcasts to work openly for an improvement in their own socio-economic power. WE HAVE HEARD TO [sic] MUCH ABOUT “WHITE POWER” AND ‘BLACK POWER’ SO GET READY TO HEAR ABOUT ‘STREET POWER.’” AP and KGO radio: JP MARAT said “we’re considered trash by much of society, and we wanted to show the rest of society that we want to work and can work.[1]
* Tour materials collected by Joey Plaster with Mia Tu Much, Completed 2/21/2011 with the new Vanguard as a part of the LGBT Center's Youth Program.
I say that the Vanguard youth were ahead of their time, even though the age of their members ranged from 15 to 35. The Rev. Ray Broshears was the oldest member of the organization. Larry Mamiya who was a Glide intern from Union Seminary and worked with the Vanguard youth,describes Ray as seemingly jealous that the youth did not choose him as their president. Instead it was the extremely intelligent youth or the really good dancers that were chosen to be the leaders.
Perhaps the reason the 35 year old Broshears was not elected to the leadership of the groups, was because he was behind the times. The Gay Liberation spirit that Vanguard was pioneering supported the more aggressive tactics of liberation, such as those employed by the Black Panthers.
This letter from Broshears to the Rt. Rev. Michael Itkin, about Itkin's recent visit to a Vanguard meeting can show the difference between the youth and Broshears:
It takes Broshears another 4 years before he begins to embrace the direction that the Vanguard youth were going in 1969. However, by the time Broshears gets to this space, Vanguard has already moved to a more transcendental space at a new location in the Haight Ashbury and disbanded completely.
This not only shows that the Vanguard youth are ahead of their time, but begs the question: What happens in Broshears life and ministry that moves him from opposed to organizations like the Black Panthers to recreating their organization? This Examiner article argues that it is attacks on Broshears (seemingly by youth) that pushes him over the edge.
If this is true, it would suggest that the catalyst for Broshears is the same as the Vanguard youth: vulnerability. The vulnerability of someone is a huslter, a runaway, throwaway, homeless, transgender in 1969 is very different then that of the pastors who attend their meetings. As Broshears begins to experience more vulnerability in his personal life, he seems to come to some of the same conclusions as the Vanguard youth.
As a pastor studying and hoping to possibly create the work done around Vanguard this is a call for me to see the ways that my power, privilege and ever changing vulnerability will limit what I can understand or be a catalyst moving me forward.
Pastors from the Council on Religion and the Homosexual
Photo Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon Papers, Box 192, Seven Angry Ministers CRH 1965
Rev. Charles "Chuck" Lewis, Board Missionary for the Lutheran Church in America (LCA), and pastor of the North Beach Mission (NBM), Chuck lead youth urban experiences, trainings for pastors and other professionals to learn about the issues of gay people and saw himself as a pastor to the gay social groups. In the late 60's Chuck became the president of the Council on Religion and the Homosexual (CRH) in 1968. Learn More - Oral History
Photo Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon Papers, Box 192, Seven Angry Ministers CRH 1965
Rev. Clay Caldwell from the United Church of Christ
Rev. William “Bill “ Black an Urban Specialist from from LCA and Pastor of Sunset Lutheran, Bill also served on the NBM committee.
Photo Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon Papers, Box 192, Seven Angry Ministers CRH 1965
Rev. Ted McIlvenna The founder of the Council of Religion and the Homosexual, Ted became the Young Adult Minister at Glide after the National Council of Churches interviewed hitchikers to find out that they were all headed to San Francisco. Ted secured the foundational support to provide the funds for the Vanguard project and other work with young adults in San Francisco. Learn More
Rev. Bill Grace from the Presbyterian Church
Photo Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon Papers, Box 192, Seven Angry Ministers CRH 1965
Rev. Robert "Bob" Cromey – As an assistant to Bishop Pike, Bob was encouraged to work on civil rights issues. Bishop Pike sent Bob to the first meeting of CRH (which Bob ended up becoming a member of), in return Bob helped Bishop Pike change his mind about homosexuality, so much so that the Bishop actually tracked down the gay pastors he had pushed out of the ministry and found them ministerial jobs. Oral History -- Learn More
Glide Memorial Pastors
Rev. Ed Hansen, was an intern at Glide Memorial from Claremont Seminary. He served as Vanguard's initial contact at Glide. His return to school is lamented in the first issue of Vanguard. He went on to write his thesis on homosexuality and religion.
Rev. Ed Pete organized the older folk in the Tenderloin to protest to help the Tenderloin to become recognized as a poverty district.
Photo Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon Papers, Box 192, Armed Forces Protest 1966
Rev. Cecil Williams became the pastor of Glide Memorial Church in 1964. He encouraged the gay organizations to use Civil Rights organizing and nonviolence to organize and empower members of the Tenderloin, Bayview, Filmore and Haight Ashbury. Cecil was
Rev. Ted McIlvenna Ted was recruited by the National Council of Churches to serve run the Young Adult Program at Glide. Ted is the founder of CRH.
Rev. John Moore Was the pastor of Glide Church before Cecil Williams.His sermons on Homosexuality appeared on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Photo Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon Papers, Box 192, Seven Angry Ministers CRH 1965
Rev. Lewis "Lewie" Durham worked for Glide Foundation. Lewie was in charge of educating the board of directors so that they would be support the work that the Glide pastors were doing. At one point Lewie even had to respond to angry letters that were sent to Bishop Pike after a story was run about the Vanguard youth. Oral History
Rev. Lawrence "Larry" Mamiya was an intern from Union Theological Seminary in New York from the UCC tradition to Glide to replace the Rev. Ed Hansen. Called to ministry to the youth of San Francisco, Larry worked directly with Vanguard and also spent significant time with the psychedelic community in the Haight Ashbury. Larry helped to open the Haight Asbury clinic, Free Concerts and started both the Vanguard dances and the food programs at Glide.
Members of Vanguard
Mentioned Previously: Ed Hansen, Ted McIlvenna, Lewis Durham, Larry Mamiya
Photo Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society, Ray Broshears Papers, Carton 3
Rev. Ray Broshears Described as the oldest member of Vanguard, Ray writes an article on loneliness for the 4th issue, before moving to Contra Costa County. A pastor in a non-mainline denomination, Ray moves back to the city and becomes famous for being a key part of conspiracy theories about the death of JFK, creating the Lavender Panthers (an armed group to protect gay people from bashers), and for helping to start the San Francisco's Gay Pride Parade (though some people claim he was originally organizing a counter protest in hopes of stopping it).
Rev Keith A member of the Vanguard youth whom also seems to have been ordained in a non-mainline denomination (Universal Life Church).
Rev. Adrian Ravarour A founding member of Vanguard, On December 21, 1966, Bishop Mikhail Itkin ordained Ravarour as a priest in the Holy Catholic Synod of the Syro-Chaldean Rite, and to his Eucharistic Catholic Orders. Bishop Itkin consecrated Ravarour to the episcopate in the winter of 1967 to help with the founding and administration of San Francisco mission ministries.Learn more
Other Gay Friendly Pastors
Episcopal Bishop James Alan Pike (Diocese of California) Bishop Pike sent Bob Cromey to the first meeting of CRH (which Bob ended up becoming a member of), in return Bob helped Bishop Pike change his mind about homosexuality, so much so that the Bishop actually tracked down the gay pastors he had pushed out of the ministry and found them ministerial jobs.Bishop Pike recreated the recipe for oil that was given to Noah. After giving it to a group of conformation students he put it on his own head and discovered that the high it created was similar to marijuana use. Resigned as Bishop in ’68 and died after getting lost in the desert and falling off a cliff. Learn more about Bishop Pike
Methodist Bishop Tippett (as described by Lewis Durham):“I knew the Bishop would back me as long as I kept him informed.He didn’t like to be surprised.He didn’t want somebody calling up with something .. so I’d call him in the middle of the night mainly to let him know, you know, there’s going to be something happening.And he was an old war horse.He’d lost an eye and he lost it picketing in New York when they were shipping scrap iron to Japan and some union people who wanted jobs, you know,they wanted the shipping of scrap iron to Japan, beat him up.He lost an eye.So he was a fighter and he…I remember once.This was after, some guy, some conservative columnist did a story about our … we had Vanguard which was the gay prostitutes and they had a dance (p9) and this guy his four hundred newspapers, you know, with his column, you know, talking bout this awful thing that had happened in Glide where young men were dancing cheek to cheek and all that kind of … he really went into great detail.And by God, here came some telegrams from the Southern bishops, two or three from the Southern bishops and conferences in Texas and Alabama and all, asking Bishop Tippett to defrock us.And he just picked up the telegrams and the letters and said ‘Lewie, you answer them’ (laughs).‘I haven’t got time.’So he was a great support."
Photo Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon Papers, Box 192, Seven Angry Ministers CRH 1965
Rev. Fred Bird: A pastor who served as the chairman of the Central City Citizens Committee and fought for recreational spaces for the youth, seniors and other members of the neighborhood. In this role Fred regularly lobbied San Francisco politicians and created opportunities for members of the Tenderloin to share their concerns directly with their elected officials.
Rev Don Stuart: The first Night Minister, Don spent his time on the streets at night with whomever needed him. Regularly visiting the bars, Don lived the idea that wherever two or more are gathered, there Christ is.
Bishop Michael Francis Itkin was a Bishop of the Holy Catholic Synod of the Syro-Chaldean Rite doing missionary work in the Tenderloin who ordained several of the Vanguard youth as missionaries. Learn More
Rev. Laird Sutton: - A part-time sculptor, poet and film maker, Laird helped to create the sexually explicit movies that were used to help pastors and other professions to become desensitized to homosexuality.
Lay Leaders
Dr. Cliffard "Cliff" Crummey: President of the Northern California Council of Churches and a member of the Glide Foundation Board. Cliff was instrumental in supporting the Urban Specialist Pastors. When people tied to stop their work by withdrawing funding from local or national offices, Cliff would help to replace their donations. At one point when Chevron and several bank ceos threaten to take away their funds from the National Council of Churches unless the stop the pastors of Glide (whom that had no authority over), Crummey was able to replace their donations.
Joanne "Jo" Chadwick: From the Happy Dane tradition, Jo, was a member of the LCA and worked with Chuck at the North Beach Mission. In charge of young adult Christian education and ministry to single young adults, Jo was known among y the other pastors as "whats-her-name." Jo also served as a ghost letter writer for Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon to help them answer all the letters they recieved from across the country.
Mark Forrester: Hired as staff for the poverty program, Mark Forrester was an instrumental part of Vanguard and work to write articles and provide information through Federal Poverty Funds.
Photo Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon Papers, Box 192, Armed Forces Protest 1966
Del Martin: Founder of the Daughters of Billitis, Del Martin was a member of CRH.
Phyllis Lyon: Founder of the Daughters of Billitis, Phyllis was a member of CRH. Phyllis also served as Ted McIlvenna's secretary at Glide.
Photo Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society, Don Lucas Papers, Box 21-4, Portraits
Don Lucas: Member of the Mattachine Society, Don Lucas was a member of the CRH Board, who also participated in the conversations in the Episcopal Diocese about homosexuality.
