" A NOT SO FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO WASHINGTON D.C."

Had my preparations for the March on Washington gone as planed, this would of been a mini-journal of that journey. My adult life has been like a ongoing gay soap opera, and often documented by my traveling companion... my camera. Over 30 years ago, my photograph of Harvey Milk, taken at an impromptu San Francisco March, on June 7,1977 became a footnote in gay history... and introduced Milk, nationally 5 months before he was elected as the country's first openly gay male politician, via the Associated Press. I always regretted not going to the gay march on Washington D.C. in 1979. This time, I made up my mind... I would be
in Washington for the National Equality NOW March.

A few months ago, I hooked up with the local chapter of "Join the Impact" group. And since that time, we had weekly meetings to plan our participation in the National Equality March in Washington. It started with the "An evening with Cleve Jones" event. Cleve was inspirational, as he told the audience filled with mostly young gays, the reasons why we should make the pilgrimage to D.C. in October. At our meetings, we talked about having a single bus take us there, but as the time grew nearer, the local JTI organizers had filled 4 bus loads with over 250 Chicago area pilgrims.

We had sign making parties, and created a few original chants to go with them. I entered a video contest sponsored by the "Equality" March... the winner was to make a speech at the rally. As luck would have it... I was one of 5 finalist. Voting for the 5 entries, took place on YOUTUBE . When the votes were tabulated... I came in 3rd. The winner, an 18 year old college kid from New York, won with a powerful presentation. Ironically... he was "straight"!

Several of us, decided to put together a mini-video documentary about our D.C. adventure... based on "What I would of said in my speech", had I won the contest. At the same time... we were going to find "OUT" why others on the buses, and in D.C. also made the journey. Sam Sussman, the winner of the "speech" contest asked to meet me there... as well as several reporters.
On Saturday, the video crew came to my apartment... we made some predictions, and they made a video of me walking out my apartment door, and on our way to history in the making... We then met in back of the Art Institute, and started boarding the Buses at 6:30 P.M. It was a jovial mood... Rainbow flags, signs and non-stop smiles, once we started our journey... we watched a few old "Maude" TV shows, and a movie... and we made it to what was to be our first pit stop in Genoa , Ohio at exactly 1 minute after midnight. However, it was announced that the bus was having transmission problems... and the next 5 1/2 hours was spent in a Hardee's food mall, before help would arrive... ...but by then, it was too late to get us to D.C.in time for the march. So, we returned to Chicago... to add insult to injury, our signs could not be taken out of the broken bus's storage area... and were not available for those who took part in the Daily Plaza rally when we arrived back in Chicago... So like the best made plans of mice and men... our effort to be part of this historic event... did not take place. Disappointed,yes! However thankful that the 3 other buses, and thousands and thousands of gays made it in person... and I was able to see the historic great march on C.SPAN!

Attached is the "Speech" I would of made, had I won... or to be included in the video, that never happened,too.



The "What if "speech had I won... PASSING THE TORCH...

Thanks to television, I have witnessed a lot of history in the making
— and often that history came "OUT" of Washington, D.C!

One of those historic events was the inaugural address of a young
President, John F. Kennedy, back in 1961. He was the first Roman
Catholic ever elected President! This was something I had been told
would never happen in my lifetime — I was then 24 years old.

Among his many ideas and challenges was his statement, "Ask not what
your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country."
Another phrase caught my attention and I thought it was aimed directly
at me when JFK said, "The torch has been passed to a new generation of
Americans" — this was made clear after 8 years of the presidency of
Dwight D. Eisenhower. In another speech, he talked about landing of a
man on the moon and returning him and his crew safely back to earth by
the end of the 1960s — truly an event that, when promised, seemed a
million light years away!

But there is a great gap between dreams and reality — I began the
1970s in San Francisco, a year after JFK's prediction of a man walking on the
moon came true. Even with this stunning prediction of space conquest, it seemed
that my dreams as a gay man were even farther away than the sun!!

The only exercise I had back then, was walking from one gay bar to
another — and hoping I would not be arrested! There were laws on the
books of many cities saying that it was unlawful for two adults of the
same sex to hold hands, dance, or kiss each other in public. And if
these things happened, patrons would be arrested and the gay bars
raided or have their licenses taken away.

By the mid-70s, changes began to happen: we had gay newspapers and
magazines; there were gay-sponsored softball leagues and a new kind of
sport: gay politics! A transplanted New Yorker named Harvey Milk,
began to wake up our senses and pride. He spoke about coming "OUT" of
our closets and talked about gay rights. Yet, at the same time,there
were still right-wing bigots who were trying equally hard to get us
back into our closets, and have the doors sealed shut. They even tried
to get new laws passed which would ban gays from public teaching jobs.
Once Harvey was elected as the first openly gay politician in the
country in 1977, many cities had "Pride Parades" and a few token
rights were granted. However, the politics of assassination which took
John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy on a
national scale also found its way into San Francisco when Harvey Milk
and Mayor George Moscone were gunned down by a hate monger, Dan White.
I knew them both as friends but they did not live to see the
fulfillment of all the changes they had started.

Since that time, there has been progress in the field of Gay Rights–
however, often at a snail's pace during the past 30 years. In recent time,
especially after the release of the Award-winning movie,"Milk", which
introduced Harvey Milk, and that era of gay rights to millions of people,
young and old, gay and straight, here in America and around the world.

I marvel at some of the many instances of progress made here in
Washington…after 8 years of "Bush", we now have a new young black
president — again something that was not supposed to happen in my
lifetime– and I am now 72 years of age!

Once again, I am getting the feeling that the "torch" is passing to a
new generation of gay and straight equal rights fighters in America —
there's good news coming OUT OF WASHINGTON, D.C. However, this time, I
am going to be there(before the bus broke down)… to witness the
passing of the torch — and I will be accompanied by thousands and
thousands of gay AND straight Americans from small towns and large
cities, from all across this country. Today, October 11, 2009, it is
my hope that they will bring us equal rights for all in my lifetime, and
yours...
My Fellow Americans, this is OUR country,too.

FREEDOM BY THE YARD...

Prelude to the march... signs painted by members of JOIN THE IMPACT / Chicago
(c) J Pritikin-2009

Coming Soon... The Washington Journey...

This weekend, 4 bus loads of young gay and equal rights fighters, will be leaving from in front of the Chicago Art Institute and journey to Washington D.C., to be part of the Historic National Equality NOW March. I'm going with them and will report on this blog the happenings on my return... By the way... I want to thank everyone who gave me their support and votes on the "Idol"
contest. Now on to D.C.!

Sam's Winning "Idol" entry...

About the Winning entry...

When I found OUT that I was not the winner... I went back to play his entry. You Know what? It was a winner! So I sent Sam Sussman the following email, and then he responded. I am glad to also say we bonded,too.

Good Morning Sam,
I was one of the 5 finalist, and I wanted you to know that the best entry won!
Congratulations on your victory, and for your powerful message, and for those who voted for you. I have known for over 40 years, that gay rights,civil rights, human rights and equal rights, are one in the same. Your win reminds me of a Championship softball team that I played on, that won the right to represent San Francisco in the 1978 Gay World Series in New York, only to be kicked "OUT" for having too many "straights" on our roster! I am attaching a Citation given to our team by Mayor Moscone.... That praised our team for its diversity.

I was a friend of Harvey Milk, and Jewish like him too, but did not support him when he ran for City Supervisor...
because I felt Lawyer Terry Hallinan,was better qualified to represent most of the residents, and business owners in our district. There were those within the gay community, that felt I was a traitor in doing so. There will be some, who will not be happy with the OUTcome of this election, because you are straight, I am not one of them. As we get ready to march in Washington, I am reminded that President Eisenhower said " Taking a stance in the middle of the road politically, will open you up to the extremes of both sides of a political issue." Thank you for your courage, your message is a message of HOPE, for the future and NOW.

Cheers,
Jerry Pritikin

Here is his response...

Jerry,

Thank you so much for writing to me. Out of the hundreds of emails I've received over the past 10 days, yours is one that touched me like no other. When I first saw your video, it moved me. You have lived the fight that I am just beginning, and suffered unfairly the injustices I hope to prevent future generations from suffering. For that, Jerry, you are a hero to me.

The story about the softball team is really amazing, and its funny that you draw a parallel between that and this contest, and the fact that I'm not gay. It warms my heart to see that despite all the hatred, the bigotry and injustice that has been thrown in your direction, you still have the love and warmth to accept me and my message even though I'm not a gay man.

I envy you, deeply, for knowing Harvey. I wish I could have known such a profound leader as he. You must have amazing stories and experiences with him.

Boy, Jerry, I'd sure like to shake your hand in Washington. Can I call you and meet up with you at some point during the weekend? I know you'll be busy, but if you could give me ten minutes of your time, I'd be honored.

Thanks again, so much, for writing. I'm not sure if you really can know how much it means to me.

Sam.

VOTE!!! (A funny thing happened to me on the way to D.C.)

I'm a National Equality Idol Finalist for the March happening in Washington D.C. - October 9-11, 2009.

Check out my video now on YouTube... and vote there (click for link) or on Facebook (click for link).
Here's how you "vote": on YouTube, be logged in to your YouTube account, and when you go to the link with my video, hit "favorite" - which is right under the video... and make my video one of your favorites... on Facebook, be logged into your account, go to the above link, go to the videos section of the National Equality March profile, watch my video, and hit "like" to give me a thumbs up! Thanks!!

More details about this opportunity can be found here, at The Beachwood Reporter... (click here for link).

As we say in Chicago, "Vote Early & Vote Often!"

Jerry Interviewed for Chicago Gay History

Visit this site to see several parts of an interview I gave to Tracy Baim for Chicago Gay History

http://www.chicagogayhistory.com/video_bio.html?id=525

National Kiss Off / Join the Impact-Chicago

I attended my first event since joining... www.jointheimpactchicago.com on August 15th. Together with 41 other cities, it was time to fight back the recent arrest of several gay people in Utah and Texas and elsewhere, just for kissing in public. I loved the spirit of these young activists. The rally was very successful. It was held at Millennium Park in front of Cloud Gate (aka The Bean). I volunteered to be a Gay Flag bearer. Other volunteers handed out candy kisses.


It was a beautiful day... while several million people took in the Air Show at North Avenue Beach, there were the many tourist visiting the free attractions at the downtown park. I was stopped by quite a few tourist, asking "what the celebration was all about"? Many were with their children. I explained about the arrest... and the need to let people know, even though it is the 21st Century... these things are still happening. I also added my own reasons for getting involved. Over 50 years ago, at the same location (when it was called Grant Park) I was walking with my first lover, and remember thinking to myself... why can't we hold hands? Who would we be hurting just doing so? Well, that was long ago... It's sad to know... in some places, some people are still getting arrested... just for being themselves.



It reminded me of my friend Leonard Matlovich, (who was kicked out of the Army, for being gay and it made the cover of "Time" Magazine back in September of 1975. (His official web-site LEOARDMATLOVICH.COM) He died in 1988, and on his tombstone at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington D.C. it is engraved... WHEN I WAS IN THE MILITARY THEY GAVE ME A MEDAL FOR KILLING TWO MEN AND A DISCHARGE FOR LOVING ONE.

This is also one of the reasons for marching in October.
Equal rights for gays, in the Army, in marriage... here, there and everywhere, and until that happens, there will always be a need to SPEAK OUT AND FIGHT BACK!

Lee Balterman Update

For the friends and fans of Lee, here is the latest good news. He is at the Birchwood Plaza Rehab Center. He is making good progress... but it will be awhile before he's shooting "The Streets of Chicago".
If you can... send him a card:

Lee Balterman
% Birchwood Plaza
1426 West Birchwood St.
Chicago, Il. 60626

AN EVENING WITH CLEVE JONES

Over the years, I have seldom joined any organizations, and operated as a one man army.
However, I am glad to say that I recently joined JOINTHEIMPACTCHICAGO.COM after going to a meeting.

They are c0-sponsoring "AN EVENING WITH CLEVE JONES" on August 29th.
On the 40th anniversary of the birth of the gay rights movement...As the fight over equal marriage and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" continues under the Obama administration...
Those of you here in Chicago, please join us. I first met Cleve in 1978, when he was a protégé of Harvey Milk. I tried talking him into writing a column for a new gay newspaper "The Gazette" as the "voice" of the younger gay activist... but he declined. (I took this photo of Cleve in 1978 at the meeting with the publishers of "The Gazette")

From the early days with Harvey Milk's activism, to the founding of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and today's struggle for equal marriage, veteran activist Cleve Jones (as portrayed by Emile Hirsch in the Oscar-winning movie"MILK") has been at the center of the LGBT rights movement for the last 30 years.

Now, as the promise from the Obama administration to be a "fierce advocate" of equality for gays and lesbians continues to go unfulfilled- with both the Defense of Marriage Act and Don't Ask, Don't Tell unchallenged since the administration took office- Jones and other activist from across the country are planing a National Equality March in Washington (Oct 10-11) as a show of mass support for LGBT rights and equality.

Please join us at this fundraiser for buses to the National Equality March. See Cleve Jones and performances by the Young Chicago Authors on the theme of LGBT rights.

Day of the event tickets will be available, but reservations are strongly encouraged as space is limited.
Reserve your tickets online at www.haymarketbooks.org.
$5 suggested donation

For information to make the "GAYHOUND BUS" trip to Washington from Chicago... Please join me for special upcoming fund raising events, visit: JOINTHEIMPACTCHICAGO.COM

Salute to Uncle Don...

Since it's release last November, The Movie "MILK" has introduced Harvey Milk to millions of people... by recreating the history of the early gay rights movement during the 1970's in San Francisco.

For over a dozen years the pioneer photographer known as Uncle Donald has collected and expanded www.thecastro.net web-site into a National Treasure. It's a collection of images and stories, by many gay photographers of that era... they were part of the gay rights movement... not recreating history... just recording it.

Prior to my blog... I have had an on going exhibit at Uncle Don's site... and today, he's added the latest chapter of our history. Uncle Donald is a master curator, and his web-site has put together another great exhibit, featuring Efren Ramirez. Do yourself a favor... check out http://thecastro.net/street/memoriespage/ramirez/ramirez.html to see the real Castro of the 70's. I salute Uncle Don... for treating all of us to his ongoing cyber museum. His repository of historic and everyday Castro images and stories are the best on the web. I never met him in person... we are part of a group of gay photographers who's images of Harvey Milk are now part of the Harvey Milk Plaza . Please take a peek, after looking at my blog.

Cheers... Jerry

My new pal...

Introducing Miss Pretty Kitty...
Assistant managing editor of this blog... She's a perfect 10! She is also the proof reader and excellent roommate.

Lee Balterman... In my thoughts (FOR LEE'S DEATH CHECK THIS SITE FOR MARCH-2012)

LEE BALTERMAN FAN...

PLEASE NOTE, SINCE THIS STORY RAN- I HAVE POSTED SEVERAL STORIES ABOUT LEE BALTERMAN, INCLUDING LEE'S DEATH CAN BE FOUND ON THIS SITE FOR MARCH 2012 , AND BY LOOKING UP PREVIOUS POST IN MY ARCHIVE LABEL SECTION, UNDER LEE'S NAME. J.P. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE EMAIL ME @ jerrypritikin@yahoo.com

The profile image of me on this site was taken by famed photographer Lee Balterman, who only has 2 Life Magazine covers to his credit, and was a staff photographer for Time-Life & Sports Illustrated just to name a few. I usually play phone tag with him and vice versa to see what is on Lee's agenda. It is seldom that we ever plan ahead. However, tomorrow we had a date with partners of a well known sports auction house in the East. Lee was going to sell his sports collection, and for the past year plus, he was getting it into some kind of order from the past 50 years. I first met Lee just after the final outs of the Cubs/ Padres 1984 N.L. Play-offs... the game was in San Diego... but here in Chicago, Cubs fans hung around the Wrigleyville sports bars, especially Murphy's Bleachers. The Pennant went down the drain, when First Baseman Leon Durham booted a play that led to the Cubs downfall. I was there with my life size Voodoo Doll... dressed in the Padre's ugly uniform.



The rainy afternoon added at least 20 ponds to my cotton stuffed friend. I was interviewed by USA TODAY... and as the reporter asked me my thoughts on the Cubs loss... and on "Q" a tear came to my eye. It was the first place nationally that I was tabbed "The Bleacher Preacher". A few hours later, I was still on Addison, near the Tents that popped up containing the latest "Cubs" gear, selling at better than half off, that including Pennants and T-shirts announcing The 1984 World Series Cubs Edition, that became instant collectables. It was there, that Lee was shooting the aftermath of their final game of the year. Lee took a few photos of me... then we walked towards the #36 bus. Then we talked Cubs, Chicago, and photography for most of the next 29 years...

About 3 years ago I had read in a newspaper about an auction house that bought up a famed early sports photographer's collection. And I sent them contact information for Lee... but be that as it may... they never contacted him. Then last month I was meeting Lee to celebrate his 89th birthday... and he handed me a copy of the letter I had sent to that auction house. I resent it, and this time they called back within a few minutes... and was able to set up a date to see Lee's collection. Well... that was to be tomorrow. For the past month, Lee has been working to put it into some kind of order... mostly baseball, but he also shot Mohammed Ali, Sonny Liston and 40 years ago took photos for Life of Buzz Aldrin's wife. Last night, I received a message that Lee was in Northwestern Hospital... and this morning I found out he had a stroke. I just got back from visiting him... and he is partially paralyzed... but he able to speak and recall... and we hope soon for his complete recovery. I am posting a few of Lee's images...
Get Well Soon Lee!



Carmella Hartigan, Margie and Lee circa about 2001

I speak only for myself... I RATHER BE IN AMERICA!

After 72 years plus... I left the country for the first time for more than a few hours. During the 50's I made it to Hawaii before it was a state. A few years later... I left the country in Miami Florida to go to Bimini Island in the Bahamas. I managed to spend an hour in Juarez Mexico just over the border of El Paso.. This time I had to get a passport. Traveling today... you give up a lot of your time in the name of safety. The trip opened my eyes to yesterday's Greece... and today's changing times. There was no love towards Americans, Jews and Yankee Dollars... every thing is in Euros... I had saved some ticket stubs from the side trips in Greece and Turkey... and one in particular. The "Palace of Poseidon" near Athens... However... a senior moment has blocked out where I put them... I am also disappointed that I did not take a photograph of the sign hanging in the entrance box office declaring 4 Euros, but only 2 if you are 65 and older. So for a change, we felt we were getting some bargain in Greece. It didn't last long.
When my brother asked for the discounted price... he was asked "Where are you from?" and he said "the United States!" And then he was told... the discount is only for Europeans! Can you imagine what would have happened if we had done that at our National Parks, and other Treasures?
In fact, the other day my brother treated me and his grandsons to go to the Sears Tower... primarily to step out on the new glass enclosure 103 stories above the ground. Ironically a couple of days later it's now known as "The Willis Towers". He remarked "We should be charging Europeans extra, too. ... this blog was never intended to be a travel guide. However... it's too late for Oprah to take her crew elsewhere. I read she was taking her staff on a cruse to Greece,Turkey, Malta and elsewhere. I am sure there are many places in America that she has never seen. I urge you to $pend your money in the U.S.A.!. Keep Americans working, and, feed the hungary,too.

I am still waiting to read comments from those who spend more than a few seconds on my blog. Even if it has nothing to do with the blog. Let me know you are out there..
And what you think of it... The price is right!


Mykonos


Our Guide to Ephesus


Ephesus


Santorini Greece


Old City Rhodes 6/3/2009


Jewish Community of Rhodes Est.1577 6/3/2009

Welcome, and take a minute... Up to date

OSMOSIS:
I recently returned from Greece and Turkey, my brother and I visited our older brother... now living there.
He's looking forward to life beyond his next birthday in late October. His life is like an O'Henry story. We spent 17 days out of the country. With most of our time in the suburbs of Athens... and a 7 day cruse. I was given a new Canon G10... and it's making me look like a photographer. I was always in luck getting results... and they got better as I changed cameras....FTB to AE1... and thankfully because... then as now... I always depended on the kindness of my camera's ability to succeed, even while I made mistakes...


Sears Tower "WEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeee" my brother and his grandkids 103 stories high Sears Tower


The view from my apartment


A day in the life - June 2009 Oak Street Beech... he was having a good time with friends.


Rainbow over Chicago's Trump Tower


Hands full of Pride! Chicago 2009 Gay Pride Parade

On my recent trip to Greece... it's nice to know that Gay Rights is no longer just a local happening...



More pictures and updates coming soon... Happy 4th of July! Jerry

True Confession... I shot her kids!

I was getting some good results with a cheap Kodak Instamatic during the 60's, and I changed to a better camera system at the beginning of the 1970's.... and with better results... in spite of never developing my own pictures. In the early Castro of the 70's, it was a changing neighborhood... but a lot of residents and businesses remained ... it was a mixed neighborhood. There were small pockets of hold outs... hoping the neighborhood would somehow remain the same as the 40's and 50's.... status quo. I met many of the store owners... and knew their concerns. Some voiced legitimate reasons, some out of fear, on both sides of the change. I resided nearby... I usually walked up and back home on Alpine Terrace, but grabbed a #24 bus whenever the weather was acting up...

I spent time with the owner of GeroreGianna Bakery at 420 Castro Street. She and her late husband ran it for many years. The location was perfect... a transfer point for all kinds of buses and streetcars... and people passing them at all hours of the day, just a few yards from today's Harvey Milk Plaza. After her husband's death, she ran it mostly by herself ... it was somewhat run down, and needed a fresh coat of paint. I asked her if I could put a display of my photos in the window... and it soon became a window gallery... at all hours. Once in a while I had a request to shoot events, or special occasions, and political happenings. But the most unusual request came via the phone early on a Saturday morning in December of 1975.... and a woman's voice asking me "TO SHOOT HER KIDS"... she liked my photos in the window and wanted a keepsake of those times.. Her two daughters made it very easy for me... I followed them around, and seldom had the need to give directions. The backdrop was Golden Gate Park. The results... are what you see here.

Last year for me marked many 30th Anniversaries... it seemed the decade was filled with the sound of progress. Many events have taken place... sometimes, right in front of my own eyes... or handy camera. The whole year 1978 was one continuous event... and in a way, I documented those times ... from my perspective in the gay media.. Often, I am reunited with people from that era... but did not know them at the time. One of those is someone I have yet to meet in person. He has a treasure trove of images and stories on his page www.thecastro.net. He's been doing it for over 13 years. Uncle Don recently had a visitor, Juana Samayoa, looking for Danny Nicoletta regarding Harvey Milk. She also had a videotape of an interview she had done with harvey Milk during her morning TV talk show in '78. (Watch the interview here! ---> http://tr.youtube.com/watch?v=XVlxq7wqgeU&feature=PlayList&p=72422A655A71BF4E&index=47)

While on Uncle Don's site she emailed me and asked if I remembered her and her family, and an afternoon in Golden Gate Park in 1976. (The girls are Sara and Marie)
It was a day of magic... and still fresh in the minds of those in the shoot. Jauna did not remember calling me, or asking me "to shoot her kids!" But I do... and it feels good to relive a few of those treasured moments . The girls are both married, and have kids of their own. Juana just moved to Southern California... and is a character actress.
Here is a link to her own page: http://mizjuana.com/
Here is a link to daughter Marie's site: http://www.mariemassey.com/

and more links here ---> http://resumes.actorsaccess.com/mizjuana
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1721767/
http://immersionhollywood.com/

Show at Scot's!

Click this image to enlarge... I am showing some historic photos this month at Scot's Bar in Chicago... if you are in town, please join us for the opening...

Take's one to know one...2009

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.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON:1978

I expect failure, based on my past history... but having fun doing so... most of the time. Years ago, a reporter friend of mine... always finished his story /30/ . Like the copy he sent in to his editor. Now, when I see /30/... I don't think it is an end of a story, but just the beginning of over 30 years of memories... I was learning something new about gay rights, like an eager kindergarten kid, just waiting to be pointed in the right direction.
Harvey Milk made "time" his direction, and he provided a newness of "GAY" Pride. I remember a hot Sunday August Afternoon in the summer of 1978. I was walking home from Lang softball Field, still in my uniform and bumped into Harvey...

My Oil Can Harry's team had lost the first of the best of 3 to the Sutter's Mill "Gold-diggers" for the Championship of the Community Softball League, and the right to represent San Francisco in the 1978 Gay World New York Series. I had just given a "win one for the Gipper" speech from the grassy knoll to my teammates... just behind 3rd base. I even said... "it may be my only chance", because I was in my 40's, and and thought of that age as old.

On Sunday, we had to take both games to win the Championship. I decided to walk home and take a shower, then go to the Castro... and I bumped into Harvey Milk, and I invited him to come out to Sunday's games... because a San Francisco Championship team was going to represent the city in the Big Apple's gay World Series. He said that The Castro Street Fair was on... and he couldn't make it , saying "THE FAIR WAS HIS BABY !" and under my breath... "and the gay softball league was mine."


Link up to both web-sites below for a trip down memory lane...THE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON-1978

The crowds were always large. The late Jack "Irene" McGowan, would always add "One of OUR OWN KIND" ,when ever a gay player was introduced on the PA. He was the Jack McGraw of our league and by no means a saint. We were arch enemies from the time I was appointed our team's representative... and wrote sports for the latest gay newspaper, The "Gazette". I predicted the OUTcome ...

Link up FOR THE REST OF THE STORY... FROM MAYOR MOSCONE'S FIRST PITCH OF THE SEASON TO WINDING UP NATIONALLY ON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WIRES, AND WALTER CRONKITE'S CBS EVENING NEWS.

http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=4903e

http://www.thediamondangle.com/archive/june03/oilcan.html



In the Head of the Statue of Liberty-1978 (c) J Pritikin

(LEFT) Poster from gay softball game
(RIGHT) Citation given to Oil Can Harry's for being so diversified, like the City of S.F. by Mayor Moscone-1978


(LEFT) 3 S.F. GAY HALL of FAME members... Jack Irene McGowan, Myself in the middle and Sitting Down...
Mark Brown Would you believe... we never got along! @25,000 ft on way to N.Y.City.-1978
(RIGHT) The Last Round Up-Photo by: Emory Reiff


(LEFT) With Mayor Moscone, I WAS THE OPENING DAY PITCHER-1978
photo credit: Patt Wexler
(RIGHT) Mayor Moscone, commenting on the first edition of the "Gazette".
On the front page... my photo of him throwing out the first pitch of the 1978
C.S. League at City Hall-1978. and inside his welcoming letter... that I set up.
(c) Jerry Pritikin-1978


(LEFT) Sunday Gay Bleacher Bums - Lang Field-1978 (c) J Pritikin
(RIGHT) Taking my cut and taking it to Right Field-1978 Photo credit Emory Reiff


(LEFT) On my teammates shoulder's-1978 -photo Efrem
(RIGHT) Original CSL fans They celebrated 37 years together,
and feared being outed to their family and workplace at Southern Pacific Railway
1978 CSL Fans (c) J Pritikin