Stonewall Nation facts for kids
Stonewall Nation was a special idea proposed by some gay activists in 1970. They wanted to create a separate community for gay people in a place called Alpine County, California.
The activists thought that if enough gay people moved to this county, they could vote out the current local government. Then, they could elect an all-gay government. This idea was based on the county's small population and the voting rules at the time.
However, the plan did not get much support from the wider gay community. Also, a Christian minister announced plans to move many Christians to the county. He wanted to stop any attempt by gay people to take over the government. The idea was eventually given up about a year after it started. Today, some people think the whole plan might have been a practical joke.
Alpine County: A New Idea
In 1970, Alpine County was a very small place. It had only about 430 people living there. About 367 of these people were registered to vote. A new rule from the California Supreme Court said that new residents could register to vote after living in the county for just 90 days.
An activist named Don Jackson shared his idea for taking over the county. He spoke at a meeting in Berkeley, California, on December 28, 1969. He was inspired by another gay activist and writer, Carl Wittman. Wittman had written about the need for gay people to govern themselves and create their own communities.
Jackson believed that if only 200 gay people moved to Alpine County, they would become the majority of voters. He thought taking over the county government would lead to many new things. These included a gay government and a gay civil service. He also imagined the world's first gay university and a museum of gay arts and history. There would also be a free county health service and hospital. He thought these things could be paid for with property taxes and money from the state and federal governments.
The Los Angeles chapter of the Gay Liberation Front, a group working for gay rights, took charge of this project. It became known informally as "Stonewall Nation."
In the fall of 1970, a member of the Metropolitan Community Church bought some land in the county. This church was focused on the LGBT community. The member wrote a report about whether the project was possible. This "Alpine Report" said that some county residents were against the idea. Some even threatened violence. However, others welcomed the change, feeling that the current government was not listening to them.
The report warned that a large number of people moving in all at once could cause problems. It suggested that people should move in slowly, a few at a time. This would give current residents time to get used to the changes.
Another gay rights activist, Craig Rodwell, had an even bigger idea. He thought that after taking over Alpine County, they could try to take over the entire state of Nevada. This would involve tens of thousands of gay men and lesbians.
Why the Plan Didn't Work
The leaders of Alpine County were very worried about the takeover plan. The chairman of the county board, Herbert Bruns, said they would do everything to stop it. They even met with an assistant to Governor Ronald Reagan. They hoped the state would help them resist the takeover. However, the state official told them there was nothing the state could do if the Gay Liberation Front followed the law.
Activist Don Kilhefner was surprised by the officials' concern. He said they were just following the advice of President Nixon to work within the election process. County residents hoped that the cold weather and lack of jobs would stop gay people from moving there. A Christian minister named Carl McIntire also announced he would move hundreds of "missionaries" to Alpine County. He wanted to stop the plan.
Support for the plan within the gay community was slow to grow. Martha Shelley, a lesbian journalist, felt the idea was not realistic. She pointed out that other groups had not been able to get their own separate land. Jack Nichols, another activist, also thought it was not a serious idea. He said that while many gay people wanted to live in an all-gay world, creating a completely new society separate from everyone else was not going to happen.
Other gay liberation groups also criticized the plan. They said that gay separatism, or living completely separate, was not a good strategy. The Berkeley chapter of the Gay Liberation Front left the project. They called it "sexist" and "counter-revolutionary," meaning it went against their goals for change.
Even though the Gay Liberation Front said in November 1970 that almost 500 people were ready to move, they changed their minds. In February 1971, they announced they were giving up on Alpine County. They said they were looking for a warmer place. Since then, some people have suggested that the whole "Stonewall Nation" idea was a trick by the Los Angeles Gay Liberation Front. They might have done it just to get attention from the news.
