Before we get started, a quick warning. This episode contains descriptions of violence and

gay slurs. It may not be appropriate for all listeners.

It's election night.

Did you have any nerves?

I wanted to vomit.

Nerves doesn't even begin to cover it.

On November 7th, 1978, David Mixner was in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton Hotel

with thousands of other gay activists. They'd been working tirelessly for months,

fundraising and door knocking, all in the hope that this night would be a celebration, the moment they defeated John Briggs and stops the anti-gay backlash that was sweeping the country.

Now, all they could do was wait for the polls to close

and the results to come in.

It was still kind of primitive back then.

We sat in a back room with a bank of phones getting returns from around the

state. They'd identified 10 districts as Bell Weathers. Conservative or progressive areas

where a swing in an unexpected direction might help predict the broader outcome.

Every time a vote total came in, their 1970s version of Steve Kornaki would take over.

He had the central board where we would analyze it and decide whether that was a good sign or a bad sign.

We were always looking for things for volunteers to do.

Well, I was so happy to have these volunteers

that I could say, you know what I really need you to do

is blow up balloons.

Activist Gwen Craig was at the headquarters of the group she helped lead,

...