When I started Christopher Street Tours in 2018, it felt like I was just a singular, passionate, gay tour guide with a binder full of photos and a head full of stories. What began as a one-person operation has since grown into a globally recognized LGBTQ+ walking tour company, welcoming tens of thousands of guests from around the world.
In the early days, the stories I shared came from my own deep dives into LGBTQ+ books, articles, and endless hours spent in archives and library stacks. But over the years, I’ve built an incredible community of like-minded folks who share the same passion as me. And through these connections – whether it’s participants on a tour, or Village locals who generously offer their own stories with our groups – I’ve gained an invaluable collection of first-hand accounts that deserve to be told and included in our tour.
Even though I’ve made small changes and additions over time, it finally felt like the right moment for a more substantial update after seven years of personally giving this tour and now officially expanding our team of storytellers.
With that, I’m beyond excited to introduce an updated Village Pride LGBTQ+ History Walking Tour! The tour still includes all of the iconic landmarks, such as the Stonewall Inn, Gay Street, the LGBT Center, and more, but now with even more stops, more inclusive stories, and a deeper dive into the history that continues to shape our community.
I can’t wait to share this update with you. See you on tour!
New Stories
Stormé DeLarverie
A Black, lesbian drag king and activist, Stormé DeLarverie was also a bouncer at well-known NYC lesbian bars “Cubbyhole” and “Henrietta Hudson” and a key figure in LGBTQ+ history. She toured with the Jewel Box Revue as its only drag king, challenging gender norms and societal standards. Some believe she sparked the Stonewall Riots in 1969, though it remains unconfirmed. Known as the “guardian of the lesbians in the Village” Stormé spent her life protecting and uplifting the LGBTQ+ community.
Alvin Baltrop
A Black, gay photographer known for his raw and intimate documentation of New York City’s queer underground in the 1970s and ’80s, Alvin Baltrop’s most famous work captures life along the abandoned Hudson River Piers in the 1970s, where LGBTQ+ people sought freedom, connection, and community. Despite the historical and artistic significance of his photographs, Baltrop struggled for recognition during his lifetime. Today, his work is celebrated for preserving a hidden chapter of queer history.
Gay Liberation Front
The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was an early Post-Stonewall gay rights organization. Inspired by the civil rights, anti-war, and feminist movements, GLF rejected assimilation and instead demanded full liberation for LGBTQ+ people. The group organized protests, published newsletters, and created safe spaces for queer people to gather and mobilize. Though short-lived, dissolving by 1972, the GLF laid the foundation for future activism, emphasizing intersectionality and direct action in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
New Tour Locations
Former Craig Rodwell Resdience
We’ll stroll down Bleecker Street to visit the former home of Craig Rodwell, a pioneering LGBTQ+ activist who played a crucial role in launching the first Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day March, the event that evolved into today’s Pride celebrations. Living in this building from 1968 until his passing in 1993, Rodwell hosted strategy meetings in his apartment that led to the creation of the march, which took place on June 28, 1970, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Today, the global Pride movement traces its roots back to the vision that took shape in Rodwell’s home, making 350 Bleecker Street a landmark of LGBTQ+ liberation.
Former Liberation House
Founded in 1972, Liberation House was one of the earliest post-Stonewall LGBTQ+ community centers, providing vital health services, peer support, and an organizing space. Located in the basement of this Greenwich Village brownstone, it became a hub for emerging organizations, including the Gay Men’s Health Project (GMHP) – the first clinic for gay men on the East Coast – the Gay Switchboard, and the Lesbian Switchboard. GMHP pioneered safe-sex education, laying the groundwork for current LGBTQ+ healthcare institutions, like NYC’s Callen-Lorde. The Switchboards provided crucial peer counseling and resources, evolving into today’s LGBT National Help Center. Liberation House embodied the movement’s grassroots resilience, shaping LGBTQ+ activism for decades to come.
In addition to these exciting new locations and stories, I’m also excited to be expanding our focus on the ongoing LGBTQ+ rights movement. Everything we share on tour provides crucial context for where we are today, offering a blueprint for the current fight and the fight ahead. While we celebrate the progress made by those who came before us, we also recognize the challenges that remain. The stories we tell are a testament to LGBTQ+ resilience and strength. As we walk these historic streets, we honor the trailblazers who paved the way while exploring how we can continue moving forward.
