“I have a homosexual son and I love him.” - Jeanne Manford, Letter to the Editor, New Yo
“I have a homosexual son and I love him.” - Jeanne Manford, Letter to the Editor, New York Post, April 29, 1972. Picture: Jeanne Manford (December 4, 1920 – January 8, 2013) holds a picture of her son, Morty Manford (September 17, 1950 – May 14, 1992), c. 1992. Photo c/o @pflagnational.Jeanne Manford, who was born ninety-six years ago today, was an American schoolteacher who co-founded the organization that became Parents and Families of Lesbians and Gays (now PFLAG, @pflagnational). To hear an incredible archival interview with Jeanne and Morty Manford, follow @makinggayhistorypodcast and go to makinggayhistory.com; hear the stories of gay history told by those who made it!In April 1972, Morty Manford and other members of the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) descended on the New York Hilton to zap an annual gathering of the city’s elite. During the events, a number of activists violently were removed by off-duty city officials. In the night’s worst incident, Mickey Maye, a former Golden Gloves champion boxer and then-head of the New York City firefighter’s union, confronted Morty Manford and a fight ensued; Maye threw the twenty-three year old Manford down an escalator, followed him, then kicked and stomped him. Despite witness testimony, Maye was acquitted of assault charges.While brutal, the incident only intensified Morty Manford’s commitment to the cause and it unleashed the wrath of Jeanne Manford, who spent the rest of her life fighting for LGBT equality.Morty Manford died of AIDS-related illness on May 14, 1992; he was forty-one. Jeanne Manford died on January 8, 2013; she was ninety-two. #lgbthistory #HavePrideInHistory #JeanneManford -- source link
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