Celebrating the life of illi incen .S. senator, activists re ect on legacy of pioneering B rights advocate

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

A dozen people familiar with the accomplishments of LGBTQ rights advocate Lilli Vincenz, who died on June 27 at the age of 85, have elegantly expressed and captured the pioneering work and legacy of Vincenz as an LGBTQ rights advocate, psychotherapist, and documentary filmmaker. Among the accomplishments of Vincenz considered most significant by those whose views are included here, including .S. Sen. ammy Baldwin D-Wisc. and two gay historians, is her role as a documentary filmmaker capturing s-era gay protests.

mong the incen films considered significant, which are now available for viewing through the incen papers and film collection at the ibrary of Congress, include her film he Second argest inority and her film ay and roud.

he film captures what activists say appears to be the first known documentary of a s-era pre-Stonewall gay and lesbian protest outside hiladelphia s Independence all organi ed by the attachine Society gay rights organi ation with ties to D.C., hilly, and ew ork City.

he second film in captured the first Christopher Street iberation Day arade in ew ork City to commemorate the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots in ew ork s reenwich illage.

he activists contributing to this tribute to incen say these historic films were ust one part of the enormous contributions that incen has made to the B rights movement beginning in the s through the early s.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.)

Discussing s-era gay documentary films made by illi e cerpt from interview in attachine Society Documentary ay and roud illi s egacy ot only did she have the foresight to come with a camera in order to record this immensely historic event, but she knew the importance of distributing it to people in other areas of the country who could perhaps gain some confidence and courage out of seeing what was happening in ew ork City and other cities. She made copies and sent it to gay bars and other groups who would then show the film, giving people a greater understanding of a movement that they were a part of and perhaps the courage to speak out and be more visible. here was an understanding, particularly by illi, that when we were visible and vocal, we could make change. nd through their courage, that began to happen.

She recorded a history that without her work would remain untold in many respects. I pri e, and cherish, and respect not only those participants in activism but those who recorded it so people like me decades later could learn about them and learn about our history. illi incen is one of those prescient individuals, courageous individuals who made that possible.

I remember coming out when I was in college. I tried to read up on the history of the B movement. I remember at the time seeing some documentaries. It gave me a deep appreciation of some of the pioneers who did courageous things when few others were, and also the fact that some of those things were documented allowed somebody like me many years later to find a family that I didn t know I had as a member of a larger community.

The fact that we have a copy today and that institutions like the ibrary of Congress have found this to be a remarkable piece of history and is preserving it for generations to come is a real statement of their understanding and all of our understanding of how movements for change work and how much a part of our country s history this struggle is and was.

Daniel L. Hays, president, Equality NoVa he B community lost another trailbla er, an icon with the passing of illi incen . rom her work multi-decades work beginning in the early s, to her preservation of the movement s history in documentaries, her work was critical to us getting to where we are in the fight for e uality. The heavens received an angel that surely is looking down on us all with rainbow wings. he last time I saw illi was a special moment of personal triumph for her, an honoree invited by resident bama during IDE at the White ouse. here she stood in the East oom beside a velvet rope with one of the original, hand-lettered picket signs held high outside on the sidewalk years before.

Charles Francis, president, Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C.

It read End fficial ersecution of omose uals. She was the first lesbian to oin the original attachine Society of Washington, D.C., and picketed at the front gate along with the attachine led by rank ameny and the Daughters of Bilitis. ll were scorned by the ohnson administration that viciously enforced the federal ban and investigation of homose uals in the .S. Civil Service Commission and the military. he ohnson folks claimed it was about the revulsion of fellow employees forced to work alongside self-avowed homose uals.

She had already been kicked out of the Women s rmy Corp because of her homose uality in and had nothing to lose and everything to gain for her own dignity and B generations to come. illi was so beautiful, graceful and dignified both in the day and in that moment with the old picket in the East oom. he picket sign was donated by the ameny apers ro ect in to the Smithsonian ational useum of merican istory that loaned it to the White ouse in .

Lillian Faderman, historian, former California State University professor and acclaimed author of many books, including o Believe In Women What esbians ave Done or merica istory. rom the documentary film ay and roud illi s egacy illi s story is one of such bravery. She was so ahead of her time She was very bright, very gifted, and very beautiful too. She got kicked out of the army because she was a lesbian She was remarkable in her willingness to step forward to be out there. It was, after all, still dangerous in the early s to be known as a homose ual. nd illi didn t seem to give a damn. nyone who saw incen s film ay and roud reali ed that these huge marches were possible. It really got the ball rolling. nd slowly other groups began to have marches in their cities. ntil now, when millions of people march around the country.

Loraine Hutchins, longtime D.C. area Bi+ rights advocate

I m grateful for illi s work in the world and went to her early groups at her house and then later to the events at Ethical Culture Society. Will miss her a lot. lways felt support as a young and aging bi woman by illi.

Kris McLaughlin, former president, Equality Northern Virginia esbian activist Cheryl Spector introduced me to illi and ancy in the early s, when I was president of the rlington ay esbian lliance now called E uality orthern irginia . I was impressed by illi s disciplined approach to B e uality and understood that better after watching the film ay ioneers by E uality orum.

She was fierce, courageous, and determined. I believe that she knew how grateful we are for her groundbreaking efforts and think it s fitting that she left us during ride month.

Kevin Naff, editor, Washington Blade s one of the founders of the Washington Blade back in , illi incen s passion and legacy live on in the work of today s Blade ournalists. We are proud to honor her memory through our mission of telling the B community s stories and history through our lens years later.

Malcolm Lazin, founder and executive director, Equality Forum and LGBT History Month fter Barbara ittings, the mother of the B civil rights movement, and Del artin and hyllis yons, founders of the Daughter of Bilitis, illi incen is arguably the most important lesbian in the founding of our civil rights movement. I had the honor of knowing her and her life partner ancy uth Davis. fter receiving a master of English from Columbia niversity in , illi served in the Women s rmy Corp at Walter eed ational ilitary edical Center. She was outed and thereafter discharged pursuant to federal policy. ot one to give in or give up, in illi oined the D.C. chapter of the attachine Society, an early gay organi ation. s a attachine member, illi attended the first meeting with the Civil Service Commission to challenge its discrimination policy against gays and lesbians.

In , she was the only lesbian to participate in the rally in front of the White ouse against idel Castro rounding up and incarcerating Cuban gays. his was the first gay demonstration at the White ouse.

In , illi was one of about participants at the st nnual eminder in front of Independence all on uly th and thereafter at each of the five nnual eminders. hese nnual eminders included activists from D.C., hiladelphia, and ew ork. Spearheaded by rank ameny and Barbara ittings, they were the first time gays were out and called for overall e uality. heir non-violent demands for democratic change laid the basis for the B civil rights movement.