Behind a Graffitied Door in Bushwick
and a raid that mobilized a community
Hope you enjoyed last week’s BCLF about my trip to Toronto! I bought a maple syrup candle while I was there and I’m currently burning it to make my apartment smell like syrup - big recommend. I’m not a big souvenir person, so aside from this candle all I brought home were a bunch of snacks that I can’t always find here in the US - all dressed and ketchup chips, chunky kit kats, and of course coffee crisp. Let me tell you, nothing hits like a coffee crisp; I don’t know why we don’t have these here. I’m deadass thinking of opening up a Canadian goods store just to import those and butter tarts, so if you’re looking to invest in something I’m currently accepting money.
We’re also somehow halfway through Pride Month and I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t done anything prideful(?) yet. Pride felt a little more exciting when I was still trying to figure myself out and now that I’m just…existing…I feel like I’ve lost some of my drive (privileged AF, I know). So I’m sorry for not bringing you as much LGBTQ+ history as last year, but I promise I’m working on it. This week, I want to highlight something that I read about on @keithyorkcity’s instagram a while ago - the Snake Pit Raid. And I’ve also got a recap of an event I attended a while back while I was on my writing hiatus. If you want to read about some past LGBTQ+ (and Juneteenth) coverage I’ve done, please check out the following posts:
The Snake Pit Raid March 8, 1970 213 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014
Most folks know about the Stonewall Riots that took place on June 28, 1969. Those riots are widely regarded as a pivotal moment in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. But in the aftermath of the riots, the activism continued - gay rights didn’t simply pop up overnight. Prejudice and raids on gay bars persisted in the months and years after those bricks were thrown and plenty of folks continued (and continue) to fight the good fight for equality. Another pivotal, but somewhat forgotten, event that would take place during that fight for equality was the raid on The Snake Pit on March 8, 1970, less than a year after the riots at Stonewall occurred.
At the time, many gay bars were still owned and operated by the Mafia. Because it was illegal to be gay at the time, it would follow that owning gay bars was also illegal, so various Mafia families ran these spaces and paid off the cops to prevent raids. When the cops were unsatisfied with the gayola they received, they would schedule raids anyways and the Police Comissioner at the time, Howard R. Leary, seemed to have a particular bone to pick with LGBTQ+ establishments. One of his officers, Seymour Pine, led the raid on Stonewall and in order to avoid another riot like that one, he went against standard police procedure when he raided the Snake Pit. Instead of only arresting those without proper ID, the police ushered all 167 patrons into police wagons and carted them off to the nearby 6th Police Precinct Station House.
One individual who was arrested was Diego Viñales, a 23-year-old Argentinian student. While waiting around at the police station, Diego began to panic because he was in the country illegally - his student visa had recently expired and it was also illegal to immigrate to the US if you were a homosexual. Adding to that panic was the chaotic scene inside the precinct, as those who were arrested were rightfully upset as the police hurled abusive epithets at the crowd. Although the police explained that IDs would not be checked and that those present would not have to post bail, Diego either didn't hear or didn't understand. He booked it out of precinct, ran upstairs, and tried to jump out of a window and onto a neighboring building. Unfortunately for Diego though, he didn’t make it across. Diego fell into the alley below and was impaled on an iron fence, sending spikes through his leg and pelvis.
[Scroll past the next photo if you get queasy easily]
An employee of the Snake Pit commented in an article in Gay Power, “I was at the window right after he landed on the spikes. The remarks the cops made after this happened were unbelievable. One cop said to a fireman, ‘You don’t have to hurry, he’s dead, and if he’s not, he’s not going to live long.’ …The remarks kept coming from the cops. They probably thought they were justified. Diego was a f*ggot, they said. They used the word f*ggot so many times it was unbelievable.”
Firefighters were called to the scene and they actually had to cut part of the fence and transport it along with Diego to St Vincent’s Hospital. Firefighters were even asked to scrub in and assist with the surgery because Diego was so tangled in the fence. Miraculously, Diego survived this incident while unbeknownst to him, others outside of the hospital walls were organizing on his behalf. Some folks who were in the precinct with him and saw what had happened managed to find an empty office and make a call to the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) and tell them what was going on. This was a real test of the GAA and the community’s organizing power and they rose to the occasion. By the next morning they had fliers made and organized a march for that afternoon, followed by a vigil outside of the hospital.
The raid at the Snake Pit may not have been the first, but it was still a pivotal moment in the fight for gay rights that had lasting repercussions. It would encourage a lot of folks to engage in activism who hadn’t gotten involved after Stonewall: future film historian Vito Russo, future GAA president Morty Manford, and educator Arnie Kantrowitz. Then Congressman and future NYC mayor Ed Koch pressured Police Commissioner Howard R. Leary to resign, citing his penchant for “harassing homosexuals.” And only a few months later, the first Christopher Street Liberation Day March would occur on the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots - a march that continues to this day. Not much is known about what happened to Diego after the raid, although I found some sources saying that he moved back to NJ for a time and then eventually returned to Argentina.
The beginning of the road to gay rights may have been paved with the bricks thrown at Stonewall, but it continued with every further injustice suffered by LGBTQ+ folks and got stronger every time they stood up and fought back.
Queen of Hearts by Company XIV 383 Troutman St, Brooklyn, NY 11237 Neighborhood: Bushwick Price: $50 for standing room, $135+ for various seating options
Last month I was very fortunate to have my friend Michael invite me to attend Company XIV’s Queen of Hearts right in my backyard in Bushwick! I’ve passed by their venue a bunch and I love a good burlesque show, so this was truly kismet. The whole operation is the brainchild of Austin McCormick, a director, choreographer, and producer who combines opera, ballet, circus, and burlesque, to create spectacularly vibrant performances he calls “Baroque Burlesque”. You’d never guess that this is all behind a random graffitied door on Troutman St:
Or maybe you would guess that there’s an ornate baroque wonderland behind the dingy graffiti door because this is Bushwick. I certainly wasn’t prepared for what awaited me inside when I met Michael on the sidewalk, the unmistakable scent of patchouli wafting out of the door. Inside, I found myself in a room absolutely covered in flowers, twinkly lights, and the frilliest chandeliers you’ve ever seen in your life - I was truly in Wonderland. I really appreciated that, despite entering into the bar area, I was not pressured to get a drink. So many places like this are very pushy with ordering drinks and like I get it, that’s how they make money, but y’all need to chill. All of the drinks had whimsical names and there were a couple NA drinks on the menu; I think I ended up getting a sparkling NA rose something or other. My bartender made it for me while singing along to Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra before stopping and saying she needed to save herself for later…and I would soon learn what she meant!
If it wasn’t already clear, Queen of Hearts is a whimsical take on Alice in Wonderland with aerialists, can-can dancing, amazing cover songs, and lots and lots of nipple pasties. The ushers and bartenders are also the performers, as Austin McCormick said he wanted “to blur the lines between the front of house staff and the performers on stage.” I actually don’t know what to gush over first because every detail of this show was spectacular, but I want to give a particular shoutout to the costume designer, Zane Pihlström. Aside from having a badass name, Zane has created some of the most over-the-top drag and Baroque inspired burlesque costumes I’ve ever seen. Zane and Austin love to “incorporate images that are both sensual and grotesque, like sideshow horror with high-end glamour.” Add to that Company XIV’s incredible cast of performers of all body types, and the result is a visual fucking feast. The fact these performers can also, well, perform while wearing corsets and feather plumes the size of my torso makes it all the more impressive.
So what can you expect if you attend Queen of Hearts? Well I can only give you a taste because the show switches up musical numbers apparently on the whims of the Queen herself. You can expect multiple aerial acts, some right over the audience. Most performers get the chance to belt out a reimagined pop song and there’s even a choreographed number on roller skates. A belly dancer plays the part of the Caterpillar, a Cheshire Cat emerges from a tea pot, and Alice is often just as bewildered at what she’s seeing as the audience is. The musical arrangements are spectacular and I’ve learned that I actually do enjoy musicals when they aren’t the cliche type that every high school performs and if they possibly feature a song by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
I was incredibly lucky to attend this show for free and if I’m being honest, the steep price tag is probably what prevented me from attending it sooner. But let me get real with you - after being absolutely dazzled for 2 hours, I believe the ticket price is worth it. Do you need a couch with the champagne upgrade? Maybe not (although you do also get a surprise treat that drops from the ceiling in those seats, too). But if you want to see what performers can really do when they let their hair down, put their wigs on, and stop following the rules, then Queen of Hearts, or any show by Company XIV, will be worth your time and money.
There is so much going on this weekend I struggled to pick what to include here, let alone what I’ll be attending. However, I would love to offload a Laser Wolf res that I made by accident for this Sunday June 22. It’s for 4 people at 11:30am. Message me if you want it!
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade is this Sat June 21. This is an event that I would love to attend one day, but my dislike of big crowds will likely always have me watching IG coverage. It’s free to attend, but there is a ticketed after party that will feature burlesque and drag performances. And if you want some fun facts about the history of the parade, check this out!
I fucking love when Anania’s Gaydar show pops up on my feed and she’ll be performing and hosting Gaydar Pride on Thu June 26 at House of Yes. That’s another place that’s not my vibe because of the crowds, but I really really hope you go. Tickets are literally like $10.
I never thought my love for mini golf and punk would coalesce into a singular local event, but here we are. Maker Park has created a punk rock inspired mini golf course and will also have shows this and next weekend! Tickets are only $10 and yes, this event is located on Staten Island, but it’s a Staten Island Girl Summer so let’s fucking goooooo 🤘
If you saw Midsommar and thought “yes, I like this, but maybe less death” then perhaps you want to attend the much tamer Swedish Midsummer Festival this Fri June 20 at Rockefeller Park. There will be live music, flowers and floral crown making, a grand procession, children’s games, Swedish delicacies, and probably no one dressed up as a bear and locked inside a log cabin as it burns down.
I lowkey love Van Leeuwen (shoutout to my connect there who gifted me free scoop cards that I’m still living off of). This Fri June 20 you can pick up a cute keychain for $20 that’ll get you $3 scoops all summer. Now I haven’t done the math on this, but if you eat enough ice cream I’m pretty sure this will end up working out in your favor. And VL has some pretty great flavors, so I think this might be a good deal!
I’m never not clothing swapping and there’s a swap coming up this Sun June 22 at Boyfriend Co-Op in Bushwick. I’ve been wanting to stop by Boyfriend - it’s a Lesbian coffee/cocktail bar that’s completely employee owned and I love all of that. Leftover clothing after the swap will go to @wethepeople_nyc, a Black-led org uplifting communities through political education and direct action. We love.
I think everyone becomes a birder at some point in their lives, so if that’s where you’re at now then why not join one of two free birding experiences this weekend? There’s one in Central Park and on one Staten Island (#statenislandgirlsummer) and both are open to members of the LGBTQ+ community, allies, families, and anyone looking for a fun birding day (so basically, no assholes)
Finally, you know I love Lanterne in Chinatown for candle making, but there’s an upcycled candle event happening next weekend that looks cool! Bring any heat-safe vessel, browse their scents, and learn how to make your own upcycled candle. Tickets are a cool $30 and you’ll also be right around the corner from Company XIV if you wanna make a night of it…
Ok actually finally, my two chonky cats were featured in
this week! If you read this newsletter each week and think to yourself “needs more cats”, then this is for you! Read here!
ALL CANDLES SHOULD HAVE WOOD WICKS.
I had to google coffee crisp. Must try next time I’m in Canada! And thanks for the informative and impactful and local pride history!