Bully

Chapter 25

Anthessa's POV

   It's a Monday, so Raeis and I are in LGBT All Tea.  "Ok beautiful people, today we will be doing reports on LGBT+ history,"  Theo says.  He opens up a PowerPoint and starts reading from the screen.  "Here is the rubric.  You're not going to get graded on these because we're a club, not a class.  The rubric is just a list of things I'd like to see in your reports or things you could do.  So first thing, must write about a past event, group, organization, or person.  If you're writing about an LGBT+ author, list at least five of their books and what they're about,"

I look across the room over to Silas.  She seems like she's actually paying attention.  I wish I could get her to do that more often when I tutor her.

"If you're writing about LGBT+ music, please write about the evolution of it.  If you're writing about a specific musical artist, please list at least five songs and sum up what they're about.  A lot of lesbians will probably write about Sappho, so if you're taking that route, please list ten of her poems, since she's more known.  Out of the ten poems listed, choose your three favorite and give quick excerpts of each one.  Draw a sketch or picture at the end of your report depicting what the report is about.  If there's people with common interests on topics, you can partner up.  If so, the maximum number of people in a group is four.  Ten people will recite their reports.  We can do volunteers, pick at random, or both.  Last but not least, if you're writing about pride organizations, please list the founder, when it was started, what it stood for, and if it's still current today.  I've already done my report, and on the back of it, I have a cute li'l picture,"  Theo says, smiling.  "My report will be passed around so you can kinda get an example.  I hope you guys do a great job, cuz we will be posting these on the walls for everyone to see.  Remember, pride is for everyone and we are proud, therefore everyone will see.  Aaalllllriiiight, research time starts now."

We all start getting on our laptops.  "Raeis, what are you doing your report on?"  I inquire.  "I'm gonna do mine on trans organizations.  I feel like trans people don't get enough representation."

"I think it's so dope that you're standing up for trans people.  I'm gonna write about Sappho."

.....

"Ok, kings, queens, and anything in between, do we have any volunteers to read out loud?" Theo says, smiling.  To my surprise, Silas is the first one to raise her hand.  She did it quickly, too.

"Ok, Silas.  I saw your hand first.  Get yo beautiful self up here.  Love the fro, by the way.  Such an iconic look."  She laughs.  "Thank you."  "You're welcome, queen."

She goes to stand in the front of the cafeteria.  "I did my report on the Stonewall Riots.  The Stonewall Riots, also called the Stonewall Uprising, began in the early hours of June 28, 1969 when New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village in New York City. The raid sparked a riot among bar patrons and neighborhood residents as police roughly hauled employees and patrons out of the bar, leading to six days of protests and violent clashes with law enforcement outside the bar on Christopher Street, in neighboring streets and in nearby Christopher Park. The Stonewall Riots served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world,"

Wow.  She's actually being very articulate.  Not gonna lie, her voice is nice to listen to.

"This is info about the Stonewall Inn.   The crime syndicate saw profit in catering to shunned gay clientele, and by the mid-1960s, the Genovese crime family controlled most Greenwich Village gay bars. In 1966, they purchased Stonewall Inn (a “straight” bar and restaurant), cheaply renovated it, and reopened it the next year as a gay bar.  Stonewall Inn was registered as a type of private “bottle bar,” which did not require a liquor license because patrons were supposed to bring their own liquor. Club attendees had to sign their names in a book upon entry to maintain the club’s false exclusivity. The Genovese family bribed New York’s Sixth Police Precinct to ignore the activities occurring within the club.  Without police interference, the crime family could cut costs how they saw fit: The club lacked a fire exit, running water behind the bar to wash glasses, clean toilets that didn’t routinely overflow and palatable drinks that weren’t watered down beyond recognition. What’s more, the Mafia reportedly blackmailed the club’s wealthier patrons who wanted to keep their sexuality a secret.  Nonetheless, Stonewall Inn quickly became an important Greenwich Village institution. It was large and relatively cheap to enter. It welcomed drag queens, who received a bitter reception at other gay bars and clubs. It was a nightly home for many runaways and homeless gay youths, who panhandled or shoplifted to afford the entry fee. And it was one of the few—if not the only—gay bar left that allowed dancing.  Raids were still a fact of life, but usually corrupt cops would tip off Mafia-run bars before they occurred, allowing owners to stash the alcohol (sold without a liquor license) and hide other illegal activities. In fact, the NYPD had stormed Stonewall Inn just a few days before the riot-inducing raid.  Now this is about the start of the riots.  When police raided Stonewall Inn on the morning of June 28th, it came as a surprise—the bar wasn’t tipped off this time.  Armed with a warrant, police officers entered the club, roughed up patrons, and, finding bootlegged alcohol, arrested 13 people, including employees and people violating the state’s gender-appropriate clothing statute (female officers would take suspected cross-dressing patrons into the bathroom to check their sex).  Fed up with constant police harassment and social discrimination, angry patrons and neighborhood residents hung around outside of the bar rather than disperse, becoming increasingly agitated as the events unfolded and people were aggressively manhandled. At one point, an officer hit a lesbian over the head as he forced her into the police van— she shouted to onlookers to act, inciting the crowd to begin to throw pennies, bottles, cobble stones and other objects at the police.  Within minutes, a full-blown riot involving hundreds of people began. The police, a few prisoners and a Village Voice writer barricaded themselves in the bar, which the mob attempted to set on fire after breaching the barricade repeatedly.  The fire department and a riot squad were eventually able to douse the flames, rescue those inside Stonewall, and disperse the crowd. But the protests, sometimes involving thousands of people, continued in the area for five more days, flaring up at one point after the Village Voice published its account of the riots.  Now this is about the legacy of the Stonewall Riots.  Though the Stonewall uprising didn’t start the gay rights movement, it was a galvanizing force for LGBT political activism, leading to numerous gay rights organizations, including the Gay Liberation Front, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD (formerly Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), and PFLAG(formerly Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).  On the one-year anniversary of the riots on June 28, 1970, thousands of people marched in the streets of Manhattan from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park in what was then called “Christopher Street Liberation Day,” America’s first gay pride parade. The parade’s official chant was: “Say it loud, gay is proud.”  In 2016, then-President Barack Obama designated the site of the riots—Stonewall Inn, Christopher Park, and the surrounding streets and sidewalks—a national monument in recognition of the area’s contribution to gay rights.  In my opinion, I think it's abominable that innocent people that just wanted to live their lives in peace were subjected to horrific treatment.  I also don't like the fact that costs were cut and wealthier patrons were getting blackmailed.  Me personally, I think the crime family just wanted to take advantage of LGBT+ people for a pretty penny.  We were desperate, and they knew that.  Even still, the Stonewall Inn was somewhere we could go and felt a sliver of safety.  I hate that injustices like this happen, but we get positivity out of it.  In the end, advancements in our rights were made."

Everyone claps and cheers, even myself.  She walks back over to her seat and takes it.

.....

I'm currently tutoring Silas.  Her focus is getting a bit better, but it's still not where it needs to be.  There's just something that's confusing me.  I have to ask her about it.

"Silas, how come you were so focused when Theo was reading out the rubric and when you were working on your report?" 

She has a bit of a frown on her face as she responds.  "Cuz I actually like all that stuff.  I love talking about LGBT+ issues, or anything LGBT+ related,"  She says, her frown disappearing.  "My sexual identity is a big part of who I am.  I've always been gay.  I'm always willing to talk about LGBT+ things to anyone willing to listen.  I'm also very proud because in some of my foster homes, either both parents or one of 'em were homophobic as fuck and would pick with me.  Some of 'em tried to "turn me straight","  She says, doing air quotes with her fingers, looking annoyed.  "Which is just code for sexually abuse me.  LGBT+ people probably go through more bullshit than anyone.  Our voices deserve to be heard.  We're people just like anyone else."

"Damn........  I'm....I'm sorry you went through that."  I truly feel bad for her.  Silas really has been through a lot.

Also, I'm seeing a different side to her.  She can actually speak eloquently.  It's not like I think she's dumb or anything, I'm just not used to that when it comes to Silas.

"It's good.  All that shit happened years ago."  "Silas, I didn't know you could speak so well."  "Eh, I can when I feel like it."  She says, shrugging it off.

I think.........I think I kinda like something about Silas 😳.