The S.V.A. leads the 2001 NYC Gay Pride Parade and views the W.T.C. Twin
Towers
[Photo by Williamson Henderson]
| The STONEWALL
Rebellion Veterans' Association ("S.V.A.") leading
the
32nd annual New York City Gay Pride
Parade shown above on Lower Fifth Avenue
just below West 8th Street -- in front of former NYC Mayor Ed Koch's
residential
co-op
building -- and nearly at
Waverly Place, where the parade gay-ly turns right to "Go West".
That title "Go West" is a gayly-named song of The
Village People. Basking in the
beautiful
sun and the packed crowd's applause, shown in back views are the
following: Dave West,
S.V.A. Public Relationist (left, holding a rainbow Gay pride flag);
Shelli
Vannelli,
S.V.A. Executive Committee (right, wearing rainbow hair); and walking
ahead of
them is Electra O'Mara, S.V.A.
Recording Secretary (wearing print
dress, parade heels and a funny cone-shaped
straw hat). Directly ahead in this captivating photo is the
historic, landmarked,
locally-symbolic
Washington Square Arch. And, literally 'framed' looking through
the famous arch, you
can clearly
see -- nearly two miles south -- both of the even more famous
and universally
symbolic World Trade Center's scenic, stately and spectacular Twin
Towers!! |
*
NYC Pride Parade Pause in Gay Greenwich Village
[Photo
by Leigh McManus]
| Shown above in and with the 1969 Cadillac DeVille "Stonewall
Car" are
(l-2-r):
Keith
D. Lonesome, S.V.A. 2nd Vice-President (walking
alongside the
far side
of the car, wearing white shirt and dark cap); Terri Van Dyke, S.V.A.
Treasurer
(riding 'shotgun', partially obscured by the sunny glare on the car's
huge windshield);
Ray McCaffrey (from New Jersey),
S.V.A. Financial Secretary (driving "Big Blue", wearing white
sports cap and shades); Rev. Magora
Kennedy, S.V.A. Chaplain (standing
proudly in the "S/W Car", wearing light beige African gown,
beige headband and sunglasses);
Conni Briana (also from NJ),
Imperial QUEENS & Kings of Greater New York official
(sitting atop back seat, wearing rainbow boa); and
Williamson Henderson,
S.V.A. President (standing next to the classic
convertible). FYI, Conni does great stage
performances of famous singer Connie Francis -- also from New Jersey -- and particularly her #1
Gay anthem song "Where The Boys Are"! Walking behind the car and not shown are Leigh McManus, Rusty Rose and Ramon Bellido. |
*
SVA's "Leader-of-the-Pack" Williamson
[Photo by Princess Jenni June of IQKNY]
After several STONEWALL
Rebellion
Veterans' Association ("S.V.A.") members momentarily exited the
"Stonewall Car" to stretch their legs, Williamson
L. Henderson ("WLH") takes
a
brief "tea break" from his "Leader of the Pack" directorial and
cheer-leading responsibilities, after
traditionally walking the entire parade route (and continuing to
do so). Notice that WLH was still smokin' B&H then! (Good that
he quit within about two years or so later.) The location
above is on Christopher Street, just
south of Bleecker Street. To WLH's left with the red roses
appears to be Queen Allyson
Allante. The black memorial
ribbon on
Williamson's shirt was tied there by New York Police Department
("NYPD") and Gay Officers'
Action League ("GOAL") official
Ann
Cregan in honor of the heroic Gay NYPD Sergeant Erin J.
O'Reilly,
who died
suddenly at age 41 at home -- exactly the Sunday before
on June 17th.
Erin was an well-known avid "Friend-of-SVA" and a big fan of the
famous and police-blue "Stonewall Car", which was specially
driven by Williamson to her
funeral in Franklin Square, Nassau County, Long Island. GOAL's
Chaplain,
Reverend Pat
Morgan, and a few
other GOAL police officers marched half the parade with the Gay
Officers' Action League and
the other half
with the STONEWALL Veterans' Association!
|
*
Why Gay Pride Still Tickles Us
by David Chun
This personal and interesting Gay Pride story features an iconic photo from
the popular website of the STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association!
www.HuffingtonPost.com/entry/Why-Pride-Still-Tickles-Us_2001
27 January
2019
*G*L*B*T* "STONEWALL-50"
*
=====2019:
50th Anniversary of
the Gay Stonewall Rebellion=====
[Friday night, June 27 ~through~
Thursday evening, July 3, 1969, Manhattan, New York City]
|
