The Stonewall Inn is serving cocktails to ‘disorderly’ gays to this day and even though it may have seen better times, we still need to support it. The Stonewall Inn, you may remember, was the bar where, one night in 1969, the gay and trans punters started an ongoing riot when one too many police vans arrived to arrest them for simply having that drink and a little light dancing. Back in the day it was all Tennessee Williams, Rudolph Nureyev and Truman Capote, but even now John Cameron Mitchell, the director of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Shortbus, hosts regular parties to celebrate those homosexuals who demanded their right to be served cocktails in an act of defiance that eventually changed the law.Īt the other end of the spectrum, and much more celebrated, were the Stonewall Riots, an example of gloriously bad behaviour, where many of the protesters were wearing high heels rather than jackets, tube dresses instead of ties. Located on the intersection of West 10th Street and Waverly Place – or is it the other way round? – Julius’ still has the real affection of gays in the know. The Mattachine Society was the respectable face of gay liberation back in the late 50s and early 60s and the ‘Sip-In’ was a non-violent, alcohol-based act of civil disobedience – albeit carried out in smart jackets and ties – against regulations prohibiting the sale of booze to openly gay men, who were considered ‘disorderly’, just by being gay. Bearing in mind this is probably the first bona fide gay bar in the whole wide world, it’s great to see there’s still life at the location where they recently celebrated the 52nd anniversary of the Mattachine Society’s ‘Sip-In’, which happened right there at that long, brown bar where cocktails have been rested since the 1800s. So New York, the city that never sleeps but sometimes passes out drunk on the bed.
It doesn’t look much from the inside either.Ī spur-of-the-moment Vogue-ing ball has just broken out among some gay boys too young to know the history they are trampling, and little do we realise that it’s all going to end in a conga round the bar to something by Gloria Estefan. "There is no fundamental right to party.It’s Julius’, the oldest gay bar in New York, and who knows what time it is because daylight would never dare come in here. "These orders are pretty consistent with powers a governor or mayor has to take, steps to protect public health," he told ABC News. While there have been challenges to the COVID-19 emergency orders across the country, including a church in Nevada and bar owners in Texas, the restrictions imposed are justifiable from a legal standpoint, said Richard Briffault, a professor of state and local government law at Columbia Law School.īriffault said because there was a scientific basis behind limiting the size of gatherings the emergency orders should stand up in court unless there are allegations of targeted enforcement against certain groups of people. "Because of the fast-changing nature and location of the events, the Sheriff's Office does not comment on criminal investigations, but we readily accept tips about these activities." "They were illegal activity before the COVID-19 pandemic, and violations of the mayor's and governor's orders in conjunction with the social event just compound the criminal activity," he said.
Joe Fucito, the NYC Sheriff, told ABC News that many parties that they target were illegal because those who host them didn't hold valid liquor licenses. People drink outside a bar during the reopening phase following the coronavirus outbreak in the East Village neighborhood in New York City, June 12, 2020. Some private events companies have resorted to organizing "pop-up" parties, with locations disclosed at the last minute in an effort to avoid drawing too much attention. Promoters of these parties promised in their social media posts to abide by all COVID-19 restrictions despite so many vessels featuring enclosed spaces where people could gather. This brought the total number of pandemic-related charges to 503.Īfter a least a dozen social media posts surfaced advertising yacht parties, a spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio's office said it was working with boat companies to remind them of COVID-19 restrictions and will take action on those that defy the rules. The New York State Liquor Authority issued more than 130 COVID-19-related violations July 24-26, which can carry fines of up to $10,000. Cuomo on Tuesday said that 45 businesses, including 12 New York City bars, have had their liquor licenses revoked for "egregious violations" of COVID-19 executive orders since he threatened to yank licenses on June 18 to incentivize compliance with his emergency orders.