Craig Rodwell
Picture: The Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop opened in 1967 on Mercer Street in Manhattan. The name says it all, as Craig was determined to make his shop identifiable as a gay bookstore. He sought to make the store a place where people did not feel intimidated, over-sexualized, manipulated, or used. The book store was a success and was a meeting point for many organizations fighting for human rights.
Born on October 31, 1940 in Chicago, IL
American Gay Rights Activist
Founded the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop on November 24,1967
-first bookstore dedicated to gay and lesbian authors
As a boy, many described Craig as a sissy.
In junior high Craig experienced his first same sex relationship.
In his late teens, Craig discovered the Mattachine Review, a publication distributed by The Mattachine Society, one of the earliest homophile organizations in the US.
In 1962, Rodwell had an affair with Harvey Milk who went on later to become one of the first openly gay politicians elected to high office. It was Rodwell's first serious relationship. Rodwell's relationship with Milk ended in part due to Milk's conflicted reaction to Rodwell's early activism and his introduction to Milk of "strange new ideas that tied homosexuality to politics, ideas that both repelled and attracted the thirty-two-year-old Milk." Milk believed that Rodwell had been responsible for Milk contracting an STD. After Rodwell's arrest and incarceration when picked up cruising in Washington Square Park, Milk ended their romantic involvement. Shortly after, Rodwell attempted suicide.
in 1967, Rodwell began the group Homophile Youth Movement in Neighborhoods. Rodwell conceived of the first yearly gay rights protest, the Annual Reminder picketing of Independence Hall held from 1965–1969, Homophile Youth Movement rallies in 1967, and was present at the Stonewall Riots in 1969. He was active in the Mattachine Society until April 1966 and in several other early homophile rights organizations.
Riot veteran and gay rights activist Craig Rodwell says: "A number of incidents were happening simultaneously. There was no one thing that happened or one person, there was just... a flash of group, of mass anger."
Craig Rodwell concludes: "There was a very volatile active political feeling, especially among young people ... when the night of the Stonewall Riots came along, just everything came together at that one moment. People often ask what was special about that night ... There was no one thing special about it. It was just everything coming together, one of those moments in history that if you were there, you knew, this is it, this is what we've been waiting for."
Born on October 31, 1940 in Chicago, IL
American Gay Rights Activist
Founded the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop on November 24,1967
-first bookstore dedicated to gay and lesbian authors
As a boy, many described Craig as a sissy.
In junior high Craig experienced his first same sex relationship.
In his late teens, Craig discovered the Mattachine Review, a publication distributed by The Mattachine Society, one of the earliest homophile organizations in the US.
In 1962, Rodwell had an affair with Harvey Milk who went on later to become one of the first openly gay politicians elected to high office. It was Rodwell's first serious relationship. Rodwell's relationship with Milk ended in part due to Milk's conflicted reaction to Rodwell's early activism and his introduction to Milk of "strange new ideas that tied homosexuality to politics, ideas that both repelled and attracted the thirty-two-year-old Milk." Milk believed that Rodwell had been responsible for Milk contracting an STD. After Rodwell's arrest and incarceration when picked up cruising in Washington Square Park, Milk ended their romantic involvement. Shortly after, Rodwell attempted suicide.
in 1967, Rodwell began the group Homophile Youth Movement in Neighborhoods. Rodwell conceived of the first yearly gay rights protest, the Annual Reminder picketing of Independence Hall held from 1965–1969, Homophile Youth Movement rallies in 1967, and was present at the Stonewall Riots in 1969. He was active in the Mattachine Society until April 1966 and in several other early homophile rights organizations.
Riot veteran and gay rights activist Craig Rodwell says: "A number of incidents were happening simultaneously. There was no one thing that happened or one person, there was just... a flash of group, of mass anger."
Craig Rodwell concludes: "There was a very volatile active political feeling, especially among young people ... when the night of the Stonewall Riots came along, just everything came together at that one moment. People often ask what was special about that night ... There was no one thing special about it. It was just everything coming together, one of those moments in history that if you were there, you knew, this is it, this is what we've been waiting for."
