Economist John Maynard Keynes died on this day in 1946, aged 62.
Keynes’s theories radically changed the field of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments around the world. So influential was his work that it gave rise to the genre known as Keynesian economics.
Keynes was bisexual, and his early relationships were exclusively with men. While he was a student at Eton and Cambridge, he had a series of romances that he documented in a secret diary.
Many of his friends were surprised when he began dating women in his 40s. In 1921 he began a relationship with Russian ballerina Lydia Lopokova, though he also had a male lover during the early years of their romance. The couple married in 1925.
During his life, Keynes was a great supporter of the arts, particularly ballet and opera. He died in 1946 after suffering a series of heart attacks. His wife passed away in 1981.
In 1966 a gay rights group in New York staged a ‘sip in’
The Mattachine Society was one of the earliest gay rights groups, formed in New York in 1950.
On this day in 1966, they staged a “sip‑in” at Julius’ Bar in Greenwich Village. The protest was a response to a New York State Liquor Authority rule that prohibited serving gay patrons on the grounds that homosexuals were considered “disorderly.”
Society president Dick Leitsch and other members went to the bar, proudly announced their homosexuality, and were immediately refused service.
Julius’ Bar was not their first choice for the protest. The group initially planned to visit a bar that had a sign in its window reading, “If you are gay, please go away.” The owner learned of the planned action and closed the bar before they arrived.
They then attempted the protest at a second bar, but the bartender served them, later saying, “How do I know they’re homosexual? They ain’t doing nothing homosexual.” Finally, they were refused service at Julius’.
Following the sip‑in, the Mattachine Society sued the New York State Liquor Authority. Although no laws were overturned, the New York City Commission on Human Rights declared that homosexuals had the right to be served.
Despite its history of refusing service to gay patrons, Julius’ has since become a popular LGBTIQA+ venue. The bar is still operating in Greenwich Village and is remembered as a favourite hangout of Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and Rudolf Nureyev. A plaque now commemorates the events of 1966, and the bar is heritage‑listed.
Julius’ has appeared in several notable films, including the original 1970 production of The Boys in the Band, the 2014 film Love Is Strange starring Alfred Molina and John Lithgow, and the 2017 Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant film Can You Ever Forgive Me?
