PWPL Presents “Christopher Street: A Gay City Within A City”

Just in time for LGBTQ+ Pride Month, the Port Washington Public Library has announced a virtual program about Manhattan’s Christopher Street. Taking place on Friday, June 5, “Christopher Street: A Gay City Within A City” will be hosted by Ron Brown, a professor of history and political science at Touro College. The program is free to all and will be held over teleconferencing platform Zoom.

Christopher Street is one of the oldest streets in Greenwich Village and possesses a long and rich history. By the 1800s, it had become a haven for artists, musicians, poets, dancers, and writers – and among their ranks, many people belonging to sexual minorities. Christopher Street is the location of the Stonewall Inn, whose LGBTQ+ patrons famously fought back against a 1969 police raid in the Stonewall riots, giving birth to the gay liberation movement. In the 1970s, it became the Main Street of gay New York and “Christopher Street” became a global code word for the gay communities of the world, representing their ongoing struggle for sexual and societal freedom.

Host Ron Brown hopes that this event will help to educate attendees about the history of this storied location and its significance as one of the landmarks of the gay rights movement. “As American society is increasingly polarized…it is important to remember that all freedoms must be defended daily lest we lose them,” Brown said. “Christopher Street was the birthplace of sexual freedom.”

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Friday, June 5, 2020

Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST

Meeting ID: 810 6727 9702

Password: 730209

Dial-in: (646) 558-8656 (New York)