This image was to be a cover for "The Alternate" national gay magazine, out of San Francisco in 1978. There was a non-perfect storm brewing in the first gay organized sports league in the country. I covered, and was part of that storm.... as a player, and player rep... for one of the league's more controversial teams. We had many straight players, playing and enjoying the good sportsmanship on and off the fields. It was the time of Anita Bryant, and Briggs. I was considered an outsider to many in the gay community. I was sports editor and photographer of the latest entry of city gay papers... the Gazette, and a friend of Mayor Moscone at City Hall.
I approached the Alternet Magazine with a cover and story idea, that asked the question about the old adage...DOES IT REALLY TAKE ONE... TO KNOW ONE?
It was pulled by the editor, it never made the cover. A couple of months later they used one of my images of Harvey Milk for a special Assassination Edition Cover... and par for the course... they gave my photo credit to another photographer who was supposed to have that cover for the next issue.
Now , all visitors to this site can take part in it, via a link to a well-known baseball site that ran the story several years ago... and which is still on the web at http://www.thediamondangle.com/archive/june03/oilcan.html
The photo and survey will also be part of my exhibit THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO IN THE 1970's, opening May 13th at Scot's Bar in Chicago and running through June.
Who's Who?
Is the gay player "Flash" of the Mint? or Tim of Oil Can Harry's?
Both were 21 year old rookies in 1978 and each brought their mother to the games.
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2 comments:
Jerry, thank you for the comment on my blog and for the kind words. I've just started going through your photo's and checking out the sites you recommended - really is incredible to have captured it, and must have been amazing to be able to relive it in some way on screen...
I look forward to reading more of your blog.
As I said in my blog, I'm very aware that, even in the bottom of Africa, gay men and women need to be grateful for the group of people who stood up to the bigots of the time and decided to come out and make their voices heard. So thanks for making me feel a bit closer to it...
Hi Jerry
I'm Ramblers other half. I just wanted to say that I took a trip down your memory lane trawling through gllery after gllery at www.thecastro.net
I saw the movie and now finally have a far greater undersatnding of why there are rights movements.
THanks for your contribution to my freedoms today.
Frank J
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