1971 Tranniversary: Rupert, Lenny
In 1971 LGBTQ News, across the US folks were protesting and demonstrating against police brutality and entrapment of homosexuals. The Gay Rights Bill was proposed in New York City, the first of its kind in the nation. The gay rights bill was meant to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations. After 15 years of grassroots activism and strident opposition, the bill, known as local law Intro. 2, passed in City Council in 1986 by a vote of 21 to 14, making New York the 51st city in the country to pass such a measure. It wasn’t until 1973 that the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in the DSM-II (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
Paula Grossman was fired in Bernardsville, New Jersey after announcing her identity as a woman and transitioning openly. She was a junior high music teacher. Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) was started by Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson as a space for the transgender community to organize and discuss issues.v The term "transgender" was coined, while "transvestite" originated in 1910 and "transsexual" in 1949. An excerpt from Drag magazine describes the Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade in 1971, and how the trans* and drag communities felt left behind by the gay rights movement.
Top movies included Fiddler on the Roof, Shaft, Diamonds are Forever,The French Connection, A Clockwork Orange, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and Escape from the Planet of the Apes. Patton won the best picture Academy Award.The Oscar for best actress went to Glenda Jackson who starred in “Women in Love”. George C. Scott won the best actor award for his role in the movie Patton.
Marvin Gaye released his single “What’s Going On”, which highlighted police brutality. The Tom Jones single, “She’s a Lady” went gold. American singer Mariah Carey and rapper Tupac Shakur were born in New York City. Rapper Snoop Dog was born in Long Beach, CA. American musicians Louis Armstrong and Jim Morrison passed away.
In sports news, baseball phenom Willie Mays hit his 638th homerun, setting the national league record with 1950 runs scored. Satchel Paige became the 1st Negro League Player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In boxing, Muhammad Ali’s 31-fight winning streak was ended by Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden, New York City. The fight was called the “Fight of the Century.”The supreme court overturned the draft evasion conviction of heavyweight boxing champion, Muhammad Ali with a vote of 8-0.
The Baltimore Colts defeated the Dallas Cowboys to win Super Bowl V. Chelsea won the 11th European Cup Winner's Cup against Real Madrid 2-1 in Athens. Belgian’s Eddy Merckx won his third straight Tour de France. Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors won their first matches at the US Open Tennis championships. Billie Jean King beat her doubles partner, Rosemary Casals, to win the championship. Stan Smith won his first career tennis Grand Slam. Adrienne Beames set the marathon world record with a time of 2:46:30. The New York City Marathon had its inaugural women’s race that was won by Beth Bonner. Canadian traveler Fran Phipps became the first woman to reach the North Pole. The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Baltimore Orioles to win the baseball world series.
After the passing of the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act in 1970, cigarette advertising was banned on television and radio in the US. Charles Manson and three of his followers were convicted for the Tate-LaBianca murders. Manson was sentenced to death (later communted to life in prison). The second largest stock exchange, the NASDAQ, was established in New York City. Apollo 14, the third crewed mission to land on the moon, was launched. Evel Knievel jumped over 19 cars to set a new world record. An amendment was approved by the US Senate to lower the voting age to 18. Starbucks Coffee was founded in Seattle, Washington. The US Supreme Court unanimously upheld busing as a means of achieving racial desegregation in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. An unforgettable event in this 1971 timeline is the march on Washington D.C., by around 500,000 anti-Vietnam war protesters. Another 125,000 march in San Francisco. It became the largest demonstration against a United States war in history. The Amtrak Railroad began operations in the US.
Anti war and anti racism protests in the US resulted in tens of thousands of arrests. Excerpts from the Pentagon Papers were published by The New York Times. The Pentagon Papers were classified documents that carried information on the United States’ involvement in Vietnam. A secret taping system was installed in the White House by President Richard Nixon, who later this year declared a War on Drugs.The National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) was established in the United States by women such as Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm and Gloria Steinem.
Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida and became the most visited vacation resort of its kind. An unidentified man, going by the name of Dan Cooper as seen on his plane ticket, hijacked a Boeing 707 aircraft between Portland and Seattle. He extorted $200,000 ransom before parachuting out of the plane, disappearing for good and his fate unknown. The case remains the only unsolved skyjacking case.