Hi History Makers, Eric here. A few months ago we launched Making Gay History's Patreon

channel, a place where we're sharing new video interviews never before heard clips from

my archive that didn't make it into the episodes and more. If you're not a member of our Patreon

community yet, I hope you'll join today. Just $5 a month gets you access to these Making

Gay History extras, and you'll support us as we work to bring LGBTQ history to life

through the voices of the people who lived it. Find out more at patreon.com slash making

gay history, or go to makinggayhistory.com and click on the link in our homepage banner.

And thank you so much.

The episode that follows discusses a suicide attempt. If you're having thoughts of suicide,

please contact your country's suicide prevention hotline. In the US, that's a suicide

and crisis lifeline, which you can call or text toll-free at 988.

I'm Eric Marcus, and this is a special Valentine's Day episode of Making Gay History.

If you've listened to our season 11 episode featuring my interview with the visionary activist

Craig Rodwell, you know that young Craig was as percocious as they come. As a teenager,

he cruised the streets of his hometown of Chicago in search of sex with men. After a hookup

in 1954, Craig and the guy he'd just had sex with were picked up by the police. The arrest

ignited Craig's activist passions. He was all of 14 at the time. A few years later,

fresh out of high school, Craig moved to New York City having heard that, quote, all

the queers lived in Greenwich Village. New York was also home to a chapter of the pioneering

homophile organization, the Managing Society. Craig couldn't wait to sign up, but Managing

didn't allow members under 21. Of course, Craig wasn't just going to sit on his hands until

he came of age. Determined to do something, anything to advance the cause, he got creative

...