Marty Robinson (gay activist)
Marty Robinson | |
---|---|
Born | Martin Robinson November 25, 1942 Brooklyn, N.Y. |
Died | March 19, 1992 Brooklyn, N.Y. | (aged 49)
Nationality | American |
Education | New York University |
Occupation | Gay Activist |
Organization(s) | Gay Activists Alliance, Gay Liberation Front |
Martin "Marty" Robinson (November 25, 1942[1] – March 19, 1992) was an American gay activist, "known for his provocative protests."[2]
Activism
On June 28, 1969, Robinson was a participant in the
On July 27, 1969, Robinson and
Robinson is credited with developing political "zaps" while at Gay Activists Alliance and was known as "Mr. Zaps".[13] Zaps were chaotic and theatrical interventions intended to attract the attention of the press.[14][15] GAA's first zaps were aimed at New York's then-mayor, John Lindsay. The group relentlessly interrupted Lindsay's speeches at the Metropolitan Opera and during live TV interviews. Eventually, Lindsay met with the GAA and he announced his support for a bill that prohibited discrimination against LGBTQ people in New York in 1971.[13] "The fact that Lindsay responded to pressure tactics from gays is exciting and frightening. It signals the political potential of our movement. Gays are now wielding political power and eventually they will wield much more power. And that's scary — to be a part of big-time power politics," Robinson said.[16]
On June 24, 1970, with his partner Tom Doerr and three others, he was arrested at a GAA sit-in at the Republican State Committee; they became known as the Rockefeller Five.[11][17] In November 1970, Robinson appeared with Arthur Evans and Dick Leitsch (President of the Mattachine Society New York) on The Dick Cavett Show to explain the goals of the Gay Liberation Font. They made the group among the first openly gay activists to be prominently featured on a national TV program.[18]
In 1986 he left GLAAD and founded the
Personal
Robinson had been a hippie and had dropped out of Brooklyn College where he was majoring in biology.[3] He worked as a union carpenter, specializing in residential remodeling.[20][5]
Robinson died of
He was Jewish.References
- ^ "Birth certificate, Robinson Collection". National History Archives at the NYC LGBT Center. Box 3-19. 12 February 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: location (link) - ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-56639-018-7.
- ^ "The Secret to Stonewall Veteran Mark Segal's Activism: Humor". www.advocate.com. 2021-02-10. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ a b c "Archive: 27. Marty Robinson Collection". The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Community Center. Archived from the original on June 13, 2010.
- ^ "Stonewall: A riot that changed millions of lives". BBC News. 2019-06-17. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
- ^ ISBN 9780810872264.
- ^ ISBN 9780399581816.
- ^ a b c Lambert, Bruce (March 24, 1992). "Martin Robinson, 49, Organizer Of Demonstrations for Gay Rights". New York Times.
- ^ Myers, pp. 175–76.
- ^ ISBN 9781324002062.
- ISBN 9780374185138.
- ^ a b "Zapping: The boisterous protest tactic that ignited early LGBTQ activism". History. 2021-06-09. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-684-86743-4.
- ^ Riemer and Brown, p. 125.
- ^ Tobin, Kay. "MARTY ROBINSON, MR. ZAP!". gaytoday.com. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
- ^ Kohler, Will (August 5, 2018). "Gay History – August 5, 1970: Charges Dropped Against The Gay Activists Alliance's Rockefeller Five". Back2Stonewall. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ Boffey, Phillip M. (February 26, 1987). "Homosexuals Applaud Rejection Of Mandatory Tests For AIDS". The New York Times.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ^ The Advocate. Liberation Publications. 1992. p. 136.
Martin Robinson, a longtime gay activist, died of complications from AIDS March 19