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Today's #LGBTQHistoryMonth 
spotlight is a guest post from @FredSargeant, & these are Fred's words about his associate, Jim Owles: "Jim Owles was a central figure & one of creators of the gay liberation movement that arose from the aftermath of the Stonewall riots. 1/9 #LGBHistory
spotlight is a guest post from @FredSargeant, & these are Fred's words about his associate, Jim Owles: "Jim Owles was a central figure & one of creators of the gay liberation movement that arose from the aftermath of the Stonewall riots. 1/9 #LGBHistory
Jim had been discharged from the Air Force due to his opposition to the Vietnam War and had just arrived in New York City when the Stonewall riots occurred. #LGBHistoryMonth #LGBHistory #LGBTQHistoryMonth 2/9
2/9
He immediately joined the Mattachine Action Committee which quickly morphed into what became the Gay Liberation Front where he was a part of the leadership. 3/9 #LGBHistoryMonth #LGBHistory #LGBTQHistoryMonth
Jim worked in GLF thru summer & fall of '69 but became disillusioned w/ the erratic focus of the group & its tendency to ally w/ other non-gay radical political elements, alienating less radical people in the gay community who wanted gay militancy to focus solely on gay issues. 4
In December, 1969 Jim helped to found the Gay Activists Alliance and began a years long political and laser focused gay militancy movement that has continued to influence New York Democratic politics to this day. 5/9 #LGBHistoryMonth #LGBHistory #LGBTQHistoryMonth
It wasn't easy. Gay Activists Alliance created 'zaps' of politicians that was later used by groups like ACT-UP and Jim paid the price by being repeatedly arrested and beaten. ('Zaps' are when you go to political functions and seize the mic or charge the stage.) #LGBHistory 6/9
In 1971, Jim wrote to the New York Legislature, "We do not ask for any respectability or sympathy from straight people. Others' opinions are of no interest to us except to the extent that these private bigotries are allowed to become public policy." 7/9 #LGBTQHistoryMonth
Jim didn't seek validation, he sought fairness. In 1973, Jim ran for Greenwich Village City Councilman as New York's first openly gay candidate. In 1974, he was a founder of the NYC Gay & Lesbian Independent Democrats club, the first such political organization. 8/9 #LGBHistory
In 1985, Jim was one of seven founders of Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The LGB community owes so much to Jim Owles for his focus and foresight." -- @FredSargeant, Oct. 2020. We're thankful for Jim's work, & your tribute, Fred. /end #LGBHistory #LGBTQHistoryMonth
What a shame that GLAAD has fallen so far now, and has since 2015 been telling us that the term 'homosexual' is offensive. Sadly Jim Owles died very young in 1993, but perhaps he's lucky he never saw this hijacking of his activism and hard work. https://archive.is/9V1lH
