Randy Wicker Talks The Mattachine Society and Living with Marsha P. Johnson
"I was always considered the bad boy of the gay rights movement."
Late last year I went to New Jersey to interview Randy Wicker, an activist who occupies a long, sturdy place in LGBTQ+ history.
Now 86, Randy was one of the most prominent activists in the U.S. during the pre-Stonewall era when relatively few people were willing or able to be out publicly. When a radio or television show would call the Mattachine Society asking to interview someone, it was often Randy who they’d send over.
In 1964 (five years before Stonewall!) Randy organized the first gay rights demonstration in the U.S.
And in 1966, along with Dick Leitsch, Craig Rodwell, and John Timmons, Randy took part in the now-infamous sip-in at Julius’ in New York City (pictured below; Randy is on the far right facing the bartender).
This sip-in is personally meaningful to me, not just because of my love of martinis (gin and slightly dirty, if you’re wondering), but because this action and the resulting lawsuit caused the N.Y. State Supreme Court to declare that it was unconstitutional to deny service to homosexuals. Julius’ is still open and is one my favorite places in the city.
Activism aside, Randy’s raison d'être is the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson who lived with Randy for over a decade until her death. We recorded our interview in the room where she used to sleep. The apartment is a shrine to Marsha—every wall, every door, every shelf holds her image as you can see below.
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Happy New Year. Thank you for listening.
Much love,
Jeffrey
@jeffmasters1
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