Bush-Whacked: At Home in
Andy Humm on, New York:
the Log Cabin’s
Washingtoi
p
and Here in New Yo:
» Pages 5,7
Duncan Osborne
Searches for
The Truth
About 1969
| page 6Pron @
Stealing Stonewall
The Dubious History of Williamson Henderson.
By Duncan Osbome
sy what you will abot Willamson
Henderson, ‘he keeps. busy. A
under ofthe Stonowal Veteran's
Assocation and the Imperial Quoens and
Kings of Greater New York, bo has been
seen at Grace Mansion with Republican
Mayor Rudy Glusa, keeping company
‘wth Demoerat Hot Spltae, the stato a
lomey general, and often ata June gay
pide march a Quorn Alon Ane A
inte
Vong his sates a a eeran of the
1969" Sonal ots Henderson. has
Iced is may nto by pot, ae |
insane ci pote een
Now ving chor f commana
Wow ato dpeting tat he a
Sopa and syn bat eae’
ico sow one end Wiemson Fen
terson
Fenderson recently tuk tne cl
stout kine and the Sonowal ie a
i860. Hewes charming. scasirally
cyan alas con bt aes
WEEE eke eine Tene oe
Sets isan patel bs sy ine?
iloniamet socal tng. stoms
sth a tbe var ard one
{2 the Smeal inno ae 281968
svhena pole radon ta uy bar ured
Sere mma etetta mers
Ghee hay tat are every Jane
Virals and nares
This invasion happens and was
caught opin Henderson si He en
{ais ata, ut tas one ising
Ties. has bon arrested tree ine
ein 197 and we 1978 He ht
Sharron am 1963. Wy
~The no ea Henderson cu
He has mporers Rn Roe, 49, 8
stoner Yeerane hsteton hbo
Serra yuung en receive pole beating
txt th Snel a gt
“tas eral beng eat” Rose
said “le war sartge Bing beat
‘them... [remember blood.” fe
iso fret et lendersonin 1995 and
sie spun nan
i (enero nih gerd”
ae sald "ny pion, he was bere
fn ho red, bat can be sre
washin:
Henderson and Roe diferon th beat
ing tur wastrel: bot Ba
ise catty te
“ingen hy tat fas Boat op”
Handtoncl. "1 wasn eal up
Stal, Tera Van Dyke 052 earl
svA'menber ened the arest and
aha Renders 1509 Cada pete
{tide th ar, was stand by ple
“Tm prety sre thre was ain the
bar i ent ono ve dye hal
Aikawa red at erway
taken ay Vn Dykes th toch
ttstrcas when resedebout is mee
ery ns ender 1969 bo ny
net himin mid realzed He
Gerson asthe an be sen ares |
years
pee errr |e ee ee
Sears | gma Me, tae
eee mersaree ene
tie rena | Sa tee et
pee eee en cae ee
seer mopped
ieee cer | eer ices cea ce
Batre ohare | oe reyes Gee
Be Pty | Shepeneentates
eth sce aan?
Be vce geag| een nt
caret rite le, ieertarmaer
Solna me | ern eco
indy Can, Ken. Bsn, en Alison Are Alan and Gist ly, ia 1986
ly grealatod exallmessag styear__ |The fingerprints are not currently
‘i was not part of any ofthe re | ave, Henderson sail. Th piture be
once on ary oth nighs Frat | sapledi LIV ad no infra a
‘Zen lo know thar was mo Calc | tentang ts et.
on the block hang. nm won, | One ther person elaed to have seen
or on anyother night Tate eae | thee records n 1970 Hal Weber 6, an
‘wasn't try, but nolng. no on, can | storey. recalled obtaining the 196 a.
ofr Fy eked all the people tht | rest records fo Henderson,
{Eno wether they were my ends r | "Can swear fo you wih 100-pereent
fancent enemies and aot aig one | postin, tthe bat of my rene:
is ever heard aim” Key” Winer nd Heals represent
Toward ‘Smith, 63, and Lacan Ke | 6 iederonin tho early 7D when he
sweat IV, 53, are the loge ole te | as inva in ay pals.
ters who wrote the best jens ae- |" ropresentedWlamson in 70,71,
bunts of tho nt. Both are stragh it | 72, on many ocean, oot stone
bo apparent neo rind oncoraing who | Weir ai
‘rasa Sina [eat ow reliable ace memories of
Nether remembers pace seg a | events more than 30 year ago? And of
(adllnors that inode in ha 1963 | course ios are oot highly organiad
Sri ‘vents As Vin Dy sad oon ok al
"Thee were no cas towed tht nigh | el! Boyond th bos ones, can ay.
a5 I real” sid rset «novels and| op remem what happened ts io?
irr Thro omaha | Senos et ci mee
‘kas gol a there” ard debating mys in wot But
“There was Wily Henderson ae-| Hlandeson ral on hiv ory ors
raignd on ne 30, 1963, acaring to | cash Tes anyone’ goes haw moch he
{ho rminel court docket books He was | has colocted and how thet money
52, Sead ier han Wilameon was at | spot.
ale and fe «Bros aie | "Rb SV nor QKNY hasnt
‘Wiamson sil gave pole Lng | state rom the neal Revenue Serve,
‘May 4, 2000
or bas thir Ieratare, unl recent
‘laid ht status. Thy hove never Hod
ny tancal statements reqied of ae
‘xem group withthe IS o the stats
‘sorney general Dopations fo a taxex
‘pt group aro tax-deductible
Watts Ss badge?
"italy does have ona” Henderon
sai, ares rom ua toys
"hs year th Gey Franca Networ
cx pindom, snd ho campaign ef fo
Gicie,« Democrat candidate fr tbe
US" Sat m Now Jere, Bght a 9
the SVA nowsleten The Corio ea
eign pai $500 fo run ino ous A
{fs gnc was not rete
in. 1099, SYA iaunched a fandaising
efoto mark is 30th anniversary. Tho
foun reseed $250 trom the Empire
ite Pride Agenda aswel as S250 exch
trom he congressional amas ep
Feventaes. Jerry Nadler and Carlo
atone.
‘Both SVA and 1QKNY have bald regu
fundriore czording io group news
foro dang 10 1995, Tmoy charg es
Fang Im $25 $100 inthe past he
iiahian and. Gay" Conan Servs
Caner, Out magazine ond th Ga) and
Uaslan. Allene Against Defamation
‘ave me donations Fagin rom $800
St00. LGN found donations from ind
‘dts such ae E6 Koch the former
Fo Ale oun oe sal, bot
TER cul ot determine i ergo
cr indvidalshave donated.
in 1997, Republesn Aron Genet
Dennis Vasco rected compa abut
SiR and opened an loguty nt the
ou.
"Ithink they were making an inguiry 2s
to whether ot nat tere was 9 represen
{ation as to tae exempt satus” sald
Karen Burstein, SVAs pro bono counsa
“instructed [SVA) to ot represent the
money as tax deductible. What canst
{utes an impropriety i the misrepresen
tation that something tax deductible
aot”
‘The stats of that inguiry is unclear
Spitzer olor recelved anther com
plait concerning SVA lst July. ive days
Inwr the attomey general wamed the
frou, by late, a was daingent a
gis 1997 and 1998 financial repors
Using the stato open records law, LGNY
‘soughtall dcuments on SVA on March 15,
and, ve days lator, Spitzer’ ofc sont
SVA another waring.
“Ici something that Ihave toe and
we wll, bat hey are not going to be gt
tng any money because we dant ave
any” Henderson sald. Spitzer, elcid in
1998, was endorsed by Henderson asthe
head’ of the Pride Democrats, soother
‘roup he founded,
"The group has applied for tx-oxampt
status with de RS, according to Burst,
‘SVA bar ot recelved that satus though
Is erature tow Kenles the group
tx exompt.
“the general rules are you should notPace 20
Soeecge ae
bbe holding yourself out as, having
faxcenompt stats you don',” sald
eon 2 okespeon,
"SPA wl et give agai.
Pihave concerns about where the
money has gone.” said Mat! Foreman,
ESE expe diet 7
‘thers have never glen because
find onderon too aggresive. 6 not
shy about publely ientlying thos0 bo
fale pony up cas,
‘We've Bot donated because we've
found his tae intimidating,” sald.
String Zinsmeyer, aboard member and
st present ofthe Stznewall Democ
Fats, gay poial cu,
ike pars of Henderson's past might
mae one doubt fe wisi of ev
‘money to aay group healed by
111992, Henderson was the board sec-
relary of the Imperial Cour. He sold 3
‘51.000 table forthe Night fa Thousand
Gowns the Courts annual fundraiser.
‘lenderson sdmited thatthe chock, made
payable tothe Court, was deposited In
fe of bis business ocounts. It was en
terror by ona af his employees.
“Someono gave a check and it was dex
posted Inthe wrong acount.” Hender-
Son Sab. “infact, it got reimbursed as
‘oun a fund out aati"
"The Court recorered only $500, ani
Henderson was forced ot fr “the 9p
pearance of fancial Umpropriey.” ac
Eordng to Pallp Stor, the board pres
ent.
“Tiv Impoial Court removed him and
he’ heen squavking about it ever sinc.”
Stoebr sade wont off and stared an
‘organization called the imperial Queens
Fenderson i also involved In an ev
ion proceeding with his landlord that
‘ip bring adeno up short, As of Jani-
fry, be owed neatly $7.00 in rent c-
‘rng to court eco. The landlord ae
‘sed Henderson of photocopying only
the font of check and presenting i 2s
‘evidence tet the rent arears had been
pal
Tlespondent has, ona east one occa
sion, deliver to petoner’s agen a pho
locopy of a check that he claimed was
tendered the landlord's agent. The re-
ponent has doge hs sorta hing inthe
ay te nord charged I ou
Letters to The Editor
‘contin fom BS
‘fered ton the article as a ay male”
foraea “alright woman,” and both rater
‘eno would be correct tn the case of
hal" the erento reference mado
with rogard othe curtent sex assignment
‘ofthe par, while with “woman,” the of
fntaon raters to gonder presentation
‘One ea sd anher shade wih “butch
lander — as tne concept of “butch
raoperali M2 transsexual (Srakght
‘mal (gay Womanfesan) nt a i>
pes decom.
Ieowr, degendered people have no
problem vsing gender and sex as sjn-
frye, ahd matnale or woranferale
fs euivalent words, bose for the c=
fendered, thes tars are Intrchango-
‘bl, Burs nto tho uncharted sea of tie
ttanggender worl, and the chico of
‘words beers eri one i 1 avoid
Leepian & Gay New Yonx
lon
Henderson dened the charge.
"Anything that {submited to them was
feoot and back" he sald. “That was a
{abo thing that thoy sald
"Then there ae clas that Henderson
‘nas mde that make one question rauch
of what he sys.
Henderson claimed SVA was founded
Just flr Stonewall. No record supports
thi, SVAregitrod with New Yor yin
1996 and withthe stats in 1998,
(one inarpoated then.” Hender-
son said. That's not what gay organiza
fone ai. 'm not going, 80 yeast,
‘art proving an organization was around
jistbecauss someone sae was.”
That is. ressor
alo, but one frmer
SVA member said it
‘hore was need fF
‘il. That was the
Dogianing of te oF
ganization, Ie was
{wonder fling to
Ibear the applause and fel the Joe from
handed of thousands of people”
Previously, Newon sad that Hender-
son was a the Stonewall 1969, bo now
denies tha
‘Sinai, Henderson claimed 1OKNY
‘ves ounded in 1968 a he Stanewal ln.
TLGNY found IQKNY recor dato 1934,
‘but no eal. "The Imperial, Courts
Stoe ecalled IQKNY was founded after
Henderson wa tssed fom ths Court in
1992,
“Its purling claim since we al re
member when ft ws Tounded.” Soehr
aid
ia 1997 atervow with Tapestry mag.
sine, Henderson claimed that 1QKNY
The ea and orks and whirlpools
el ber now
Joann Pall
Vera
‘aul Schindler replies The description
1 sod in my ser was i fact Simone Pe
‘arson ov.
‘Turnout Key to Farley's
Jersey Race
cpa, 700
ie tor
Ur ale sou Jol Fey Ca
paler Congrennal ote a New
sey ala twa
(oa Fr As Wann"
| fet snd La ge 20 one
| Er abnor ct you aed to
“Pve been personally
harassed by this guy
or his agenda
are reprehensible.”
(/Torganbed the campaign agaist Anta
Bryant homophobic gaybashing cam-
alga”
In 1977, Bryan defeated a Miami ord-
nance banning discrimination on the
bas ef serual orientation. It was the
Dade County Coston for Human Rights
(hea hat et.
Hn, IGNY “sured the
Aust gay pride parade” in NewYork Gy
land “wis to the poe sation tthe
{inter The 1970 march went to Cen
tal Pank and no other story conimas
TQKOYS partipation.
| “The feling that samething isnot quite
ight ven extends to hs age
Many’ people le
About tele age. Few
doit wih tha srt ot
ae eae
Baier, for the past few years,” nkren eat,
‘ten becuse we ot said Alan Fleishman, 10*/he was oenin
Brooklyn and | a
fe organ he past president of anon a Hen
feeelsowmih Brooklyn's Lambda Seve ot
sia, Independent Democrats Seah
se te “His tactics anise "ewe
eva His tacts Re ees
sen ergs, of intimidating | ya Canny
Simei deirnay and harassing people . gins "ie
mademmattic “who he feels sada |
incaat Rite don't support his efforts S5ox6" rape:
tively. as their
year” Hotta weuld
fly confirm infor
naa tonal
ready possessed, soit was able to ver
that 1944 was th birth year on the un
fergradate records, ut about the grad-
tale records Hotta said only thatthe
birth year as nether 1949, 1952, nar
1953, The ate of bith in all records
LGNY found was October 5
Henderson appears to have fudged his
resume to at is ago Ho eared Nis BA
{in 1974, according his resume. Hota
gave th year as 1968, Henderson pe
flenty responded to LGNYs folomup
‘rrstions, Dut he would ot ste his
iendeson ha also alienated many in
few York Ci’ gay poltical cies. Sal
wart Democrats do not Hk his embrace
Tmention wae “voter turnout” The
turnout in many New Jory Democratic
Party Primates have bean vry low in
can yar. tn part this is because ofthe
predominance of Democrat party “ma-
Shine” plans who tar ofthe average
‘oer
However, Jol has real hanes simply
At he gots the gay vote cut Ths isthe
rah. There ato approximately 60,000,
oop in the Die Let ay Bouse of
{he number under 18 years of age, ard
those who choose nol ores there aro
‘only 260,000 onthe electra rol. ta NU.
fone can Vota fr whoever one Wan in 3
rary. Lets say ony 5% are ay o le
Ban lowsball ge). Tats 18.000
‘votes, With 1,000 votes Fly wing the
| pinay! In shot, Faray can win without
poling singe hotsoserual vote gay
Ed lesion go Sar act togetber fr
hangs
‘As 8 newspaper that hss in the past
Max 4, 2000
‘of Glan or AID'Amato, te former US.
Senator Henderson, of couse, ust ons
tfmany Democrats to ecaionly ally
Stina Repaiian and ext pols rdted
Ih Geof whte gy voters backed Gi
Tan hi 997 mayoral recactn rac,
Henderson also eld 8 sucesfl 1996
Candidtes forum that robe, a Ist
Bion ore a
lendbron is wiling to buck te gay
ial isdrs when the ena on
erent on rls und BS
Iizaggresve maner tht oes them
"hen Willamoon Henderson calls ho
citer ants money for SA or a eter
rociming bow wonder he so he &
‘Shing tobe honored" sad Alen Rast
‘longtime gay ight activi. “is acts
‘ake him fpoetbl odo with
Henderson has sulting pet names for
many people has sparred ih and
Used them freely im intervie wil
Hembard erie with phone cals and
finest get is way. A sumbe of poole
Saved those documents and haps
Shared ther wth LONY.
ive been personally harassed by tis
spy for tho past ow years sid lan
Fleshman, pest president of Brooks
Lambie dependent Democrats. “HS
{acts of intimidating and easing peo
Ble hohe feels dont suppor his efor
Erni agenda are aprons”
‘Bat Henderson so has pola sup
pores who vale his supper. has
any Iter om oes! pliians sa
Ing SVAorTQKNY and the SA donations
cecal imply approval
“Salas been very supportive of
amy canaries for which Tm Yer) SpE
tae Kee sald
Buren had sin view
fink caring tan who be
lowes that the worl ought to be flr
oop Who ae gy she sald “ve prob-
{by known him falrly well since the
{1984 eampalgn for attorney genera.”
Henderson fls back on his Stnewall
votran sats. He made secre fr
he quoet community in 1969 and ater-
wards, Suggesting he was not_at
Stonewall wan atack and an attack
‘guint hii a attack agtost al of ws
is an ins omy integr” hes.
‘san meu to gay history. Koow mace
about Stonewall than aayone, dead or
‘lie IF wasn't at Stonewall hen no one
‘vas at Stonewall
) Bosse about te fect that you regard
| yourselves as Being advocates and not
fare roporters of rer | would have ex
ocd ou to mako this pain. Th lesson
vary simple — if gays and lesbian in
Dist 7 Bother to turn out Ia June an
oa gay man wil be on the allot No-
vember It doesnt come much simglar
than that
Jen Backus
Pini