Harry Hay (1912-2002) was a controversial labor advocate, teacher, actor, and early leader in the American LGBT rights movement. He was active in the Los Angeles avant-garde arts movement of the 1930s and fought against Fascism, racism, and anti-Semitism in 1940s. He is known for his roles in helping found several gay rights organizations, including the Mattachine Society, the first sustained gay rights group in the United States, and the Radical Faeries, a counter-cultural movement seeking to reject hetero-imitation and redefine queer identity through spirituality. His belief in the cultural minority status of homosexuals led him to take a stand against assimilationism, which led to his support to controversial groups and to criticize both the mainstream gay rights movement and some of the movement’s radical components.
Read more about Harry Hay on Wikipedia and The San Francisco Public Library website.
The Temperamentals
Harry Hay will be portrayed by Daniel Wood in Arouet’s production of The Temperamentals in May 2013. Contribute to our Kickstarter campaign today to bring the story of The Temperamentals to the Seattle stage.