Flower power got two gay men released from jail in 1968. The Los Angeles police vice squad arrested two men in the Wilmington Gay bar in August 1968. The police witnessed a patron slap another patron on the rear end. Apparently this was against the law in that city in 1968 unless you happened to be the other patrons father. Then you could beat the crap out of him if he was under 21.
The owner of the bar was quite pissed off. He rallied the men in the bar to take action. Lee Glaze the bar's owner asked if there was a florist in the bar. A man stuck his hand up. Glaze told him to go to his shop and bring all the flowers to the bar.
With flowers in hand the men marched to the LAPD station that was holding the two men arrested earlier. "We're here to get our sisters out!" said Glaze. The station had never been confronted with a mob of flower wielding men before. The two men were released on bail.
This little footnote in gay history and the struggle for equal rights was recently recognized by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, when they bestowed "sainthood" upon Mr. Glaze.
Its the actions of many, big or small, that set us apart, that set us free.
See LA Times story here
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