it's been too long ago to remember when I first saw or heard Judy Garland. I think "The Wizard of Oz" was the first film I saw. & I was totally caught up in "A Star is Born" before being a teenager. I was a diehard Judyist long before I knew I was gay. I saw her perform but once. 2 years before her death. at the Palace. a magic evening.
there was an article a while ago claiming Judy is not an icon to baby gays. maybe they never heard this:
yesterday Facebook was full of notices of her 95th birthday. most were from gay friends & I suspect gentlemen of "a certain age." but if the young now exclude her from our history they not only are missing a rare talent they are not reading history correctly. her connection to Stonewall is part of the record.
but last nite there was something else. I was walking under a gorgeous moon from one part of town to another. I got to Arenas before my friends. so I poppd into bars. I was delightd to see that Judy's birthday was being rememberd. bars on both sides of the street were showing clips from her films.
the street was blockd to traffic. not for a birthday celebration but for the somber business of remembering the Pulse massacre one year ago. Judy's birthday doesn't have the historic connection to what happend at Pulse to what did at Stonewall. but for someone who investigates the layers of history & makes connections I suddenly connectd her to Pulse.
it wd take a book to document Judy's role in the history of our community. maybe someday one of the baby gays will write that book.
there was an article a while ago claiming Judy is not an icon to baby gays. maybe they never heard this:
yesterday Facebook was full of notices of her 95th birthday. most were from gay friends & I suspect gentlemen of "a certain age." but if the young now exclude her from our history they not only are missing a rare talent they are not reading history correctly. her connection to Stonewall is part of the record.
but last nite there was something else. I was walking under a gorgeous moon from one part of town to another. I got to Arenas before my friends. so I poppd into bars. I was delightd to see that Judy's birthday was being rememberd. bars on both sides of the street were showing clips from her films.
the street was blockd to traffic. not for a birthday celebration but for the somber business of remembering the Pulse massacre one year ago. Judy's birthday doesn't have the historic connection to what happend at Pulse to what did at Stonewall. but for someone who investigates the layers of history & makes connections I suddenly connectd her to Pulse.
it wd take a book to document Judy's role in the history of our community. maybe someday one of the baby gays will write that book.
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| at Judy's new grave at Hollywood Forever |
1 comment:
funny but I also saw her at the palace in 67 I believe. there are many who have written about stonewall and indeed took part in it, don't give much credence that the riots happened because of her passing. I tend to go along with that. The street people who were the ones who started the riots could have cared less about Garland.
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