The fight for queer liberation was propelled forward on this day in 1969, when riots broke out in New York following a police raid at the Stonewall Inn.
It marked a tipping point where the queer community decided it had had enough of discrimination, intolerance, and homophobia. Tired of ongoing police raids and ill-treatment, patrons of the Stonewall Inn – a gay bar – fought back.
When police raided the bar, they lost control of the situation and were forced to retreat. The local community in Greenwich Village organised a protest the following evening and clashed with police once again. Each night, the protests grew larger, and within weeks the area became established as a place where marginalised people could be open about their sexuality.
Prominent figures in the movement included transgender women of colour such as Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. The riots became an inspiration for Pride marches around the world, and in many countries those marches have evolved into parades of celebration.
The events acted as a catalyst that transformed New York City. Within three months, three separate newspapers targeted at gay, lesbian, and transgender audiences were launched.
The Stonewall Inn has become a focal point for gay rights over the past five decades, with many LGBTIQ+ people making a pilgrimage to the site. In Christopher Park, opposite the venue, stand four statues – two same-sex couples created by artist George Segal. In recent years, greater acknowledgement has been given to the prominent role transgender people of colour played in the movement.
Today, the entire month of June is recognised as International Pride Month – a celebration of LGBTIQ+ people and a time to focus on parts of the world where change is still needed.
British actor John Inman was born in 1935
Actor John Inman found fame in the 1970s playing shop assistant Mr Humphries in the British sitcom Are You Being Served?.
Inman played the camp character in the long-running sitcom, which aired from 1972 until 1985, and later returned to play the character in the spin-off series Grace and Favour. The actor also came to Australia, where he played Mr Humphries in an Australian version of the show. This adaptation was set in an Australian department store and featured characters who closely mirrored their British counterparts.
In 1972, he was invited to be part of the cast of a one-off comedy episode titled Are You Being Served?, written by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft.
Croft wrote many popular television series over the years, including Dad’s Army, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, and Hi-de-Hi!, while Lloyd collaborated with him on several projects. Together, the writing duo created the long-running series ‘Allo ‘Allo!.
In the original one-off episode, Mr Humphries was a minor character with only a few lines, but Inman was asked to “camp it up” when playing the role.
When a full series of Are You Being Served? was commissioned, Wilberforce Claybourne Humphries became one of the show’s most prominent characters. His memorable catchphrase was “I’m free”, and Inman portrayed the character with a limp-wristed, mincing walk.
At times, the character was criticised for presenting a stereotype of gay men as camp and effeminate. However, the show’s global success made Mr Humphries a widely recognised character.
In a 1980 interview with TV Week, the actor commented on the criticism:
“They thought I was over-exaggerating the gay character, but I don’t think I do. In fact, there are people far more camp than Mr Humphries walking around this country.
“Anyway, I know for a fact that an enormous number of viewers who like Mr Humphries do not really care whether he is camp or not. So far from doing harm to the homosexual image, I feel I might be doing some good,” Inman said.
In 1980, the Australian version of the show was created, and 16 episodes aired between 1980 and 1981. The series saw Mr Humphries come to Australia to work at Bone Brothers Department Store. It featured characters similar to those in the British version, but with new names.
Australian stage legend June Bronhill played the head of ladies’ wear, Mrs Crawford, a character similar to Mrs Slocombe in the UK version. A young Shane Bourne played Mr Randel, the youngest team member in the menswear department.
While the original UK version of Are You Being Served? came to an end in 1985, most of the cast returned for a spin-off series in 1992 called Grace and Favour. The series followed the staff of Grace Brothers as they retired and jointly bought a farm.
In his later years, John Inman often visited Australia to appear in theatrical productions. During his career, he rarely spoke publicly about his personal life, but he lived with his partner Ron Lynch for over 30 years. The couple entered a civil partnership in 2005.
Inman died in 2007, aged 71. He left his estate to his partner, which was valued at more than 2.8 million pounds.
OIP Staff, this post was first published in 2020 and has been updated.
