Throwback Thursday Finds Politics and Entertainment on This Day in Gay History

December 12, 2024
HANK ORSO

Every day is entertaining in some way when you look back into our collective queer history. December 12th was no exception. Some of it is obvious, and some of it is a bit oblique and political, where significant events led to culturally significant pieces of entertainment. So what happened in years past on this day?

1969

The famous and infamous Continental Baths in NYC is raided for the first time 9of several times!) by police, arresting three patrons for lewd and lascivious acts." The gay bathhouse, opened the year before by Steve Ostrow to capture "the glory of ancient Rome" was the decadent party at the time. It not only catered to gay men, it also became a launching pad for nationally renowned entertainers like Barry Manilow and Bette Midler. Check out the trailer for the wonder documentary by Kevin Smith's buddy Malcolm Ingram, Continental.

1970

On this day, the aforementioned Barry Manilow starts his "day job" as a pianist at the Continental Baths. Here he is at the baths backing up a rising star, Bette Midler. You can find a full concert video on YouTube. Here's a snippet of Midler doing her thing with a bespeckled Manilow behind her.:

1972

Trans man Brandon Teena was born. His story and brutal murder alongside two friends in 1993 was brought to the big screen by Hillary Swank in the Oscar-winning film Boys Don't Cry.

1989

Over 5,000 gather at St. Paul's Cathedral in NYC for the "Stop The Church" protest to vent anger at the church's stance on the gay community and the AIDS epidemic. One hundred were arrested for lying down in the church's aisles. They were protesting Cardinal John O'Connor's political influence over HIV and sexuality. In 1991, singer and performance artist Diamanda Galas, who was at that 1989 protest and a member of ACT-UP, brought it back to church when she first performed her scorching and vitriolic Plague Mass at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, to this day a wonderful queer safe space. The complete recording and live recordings elsewhere are available. Here is the opening piece recorded live at that first performance:

1995

The Roseanne TV sitcom aires its episode "December Bride" in which Martin Mull's Leon marries his partner Scott, played by the inimitable Fred Willard. ABC, in response to the adult humor, moves the episode from 8:00 to 9:30. hey, at least they aired it! Talk about your gay history!