THE GAY LIBERATION FRONT

The New York City Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was a radical political organization formed in New York City in July 1969, just weeks after the historic Stonewall Riots on June 28, 1969. As the first radical LGBTQ+ organization and the first to use the word "Gay" in its name, the GLF marked a revolutionary turning point in history. From the original group in New York, Gay Liberation Fronts quickly formed across the country. These groups all rejected the cautious, assimilationist tactics of earlier homophile organizations—such as the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis—and instead championed a militant, intersectional, and liberationist approach to civil rights. Prior to gay liberation, homophile groups preached that assimilation equaled acceptance; gay liberation was about complete freedom.

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The GLF’s core philosophy was rooted in the belief that true liberation could not be achieved without dismantling broader systemic oppressions. This led them to form coalitions with the Black Power, anti-war, and feminist movements of the era. Famous for popularizing the slogan "Out of the closets and into the streets!", Gay Liberation Fronts fundamentally transformed queer activism before disbanding in the early 1970s. However, their momentum lived on, giving rise to essential groups like the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA), Radicalesbians, the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), and countless other gay liberation groups.

 

The LGBTQ History Project takes pride in serving as the largest repository of interviews with pioneers from the different Gay Liberation Fronts that sprang up almost simultaneously across the United States. This was a magical time. Out of nothing came a gay liberation revolution that left no stone unturned.