Review Of Lucian Truscott Iv's Gay Power Comes To Sheridan Square

The Village Voice is a New York-based newspaper that has been operating since 1955 (1). The newspaper prides itself on upholding a tradition of “no-holds-barred reporting” (2). This tradition is clearly seen in its 1969 publication of Lucian Truscott IV’s Gay Power Comes to Sheridan Square. Gay Power Comes to Sheridan Square is a recounting letter to the Stonewall Riots, which Truscott claimed to have witnessed. The letter is filled with decidedly discriminatory language, derogative depictions, and biased opinions, but it also cites the Stonewall Riots as being a catalyst for the gay power movement and gay liberation. The author’s purpose in this writing was to inform the public about the happenings of the Stonewall Riot, but he may also have
Through his language, he degrades homosexuality and members of the gay community. Truscott continually refers to them as dykes, faggots, and queers. He also uses phrases, wording, and biased information to portray gays as incapable, immoral, and violent. Essentially, he wants people to view them as sissies gone bad. He begins painting this picture by portraying the rioters as a limp-wristed, cheerleading rabble. Truscott wrote “Cheers went up as favorites emerged from the door, striking a pose and swishing by the detective with a “Hello there fella.” Wrists were limp and hair was primped. The stars

1. Stuart, Tessa. "Full Moon Over the Stonewall: Howard Smith's Account of the Stonewall Riots." Village Voice. June 27, 2014. Accessed November 6, 2016. http://www.villagevoice.com/news/full-moon-over-the-stonewall-howard-smiths-account-of-the-stonewall-riots-6704949.
2. "About Us | Village Voice." Village Voice. 2016. Accessed November 9, 2016.
Aside from perpetuating negative characteristics of homosexuals on a city-wide level, Truscott also defamed a member of the gay community. In his letter, Truscott wrote the name of a Stonewall rioter who had been apprehended by the police, along with his charge. In the first page of his letter, Truscott named Dave Van Ronk, and he later reported, “A visit to the 6th Precinct revealed that 13 people had been arrested on charges that ranged from Van Ronk’s felonious assault of a police officer to the owners’ illegal sale and storage of alcoholic beverages without a license.” Purposefully publishing the name of a rioter and then connecting him with assault of a police officer, a staple of American life, gives Truscott’s readers the knowledge needed to ostracize a participant in the Stonewall Riots. As well, Truscott’s one-sided reporting provides information on how many police officers were injured, but not on how many rioters were injured, even though the police used firehoses on the crowd (Ibid). This builds in the reader Truscott’s idea that the lives of heteronormative people, particularly those who uphold heteronormativity, are more important than the lives of gay