Before Stonewall: A queer literary walking tour of Greenwich Village
Join me as we visit the homes and haunts of LGBTQ+ writers who lived, worked or were incarcerated in Greenwich Village in the decades before the Stonewall Riots. This tour has a particular focus on the literary works of those individuals, and we'll read excerpts from Audre Lorde, Lorraine Hansberry, Angela Davis, Patricia Highsmith, Edna St. Vincent Millay and others. We'll also consider the stories of people who were not famous, and read the accounts of working-class New Yorkers who stood up for who they were — even when who they were was a crime.
The tour lasts 2.5 hours and we will walk approximately 1.5 miles. There will be a restroom and refreshment break at the middle and end of the tour.
"When we refract all of queer American history through a single bar, which mostly catered to white cis men, it’s not surprising that the stories of queer women, trans men and people of color get lost, glossed over and ignored." — Hugh Ryan, The Women's House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison (read my interview with Hugh Ryan here)
“I can’t recommend this tour enough! Jillian’s storytelling is exceptional. She doesn’t just narrate dates and events; she brings the history alive with rich anecdotes and fun visual aids as she applies each story to a broader queer historical context. Delish! Jillian’s extensive knowledge of queer figures and events and Greenwich is just incredible- you can tell it’s such a passion area for her which is infectious- and I can tell why. I feel very grateful I now have a much deeper knowledge of the incredible queer women ‘before Stonewall’ (and the best place for pizza in Greenwich!). Jillian is really warm and friendly. I felt comfy to ask any questions or go on tangents and she was easily able to tailor the experience, without taking away from the broader, very well organised, itinerary. If you like ANY of: learning, history, human rights, women, humour, artists, LGBTQ+ stories, Greenwich... I highly recommend taking this tour!”