To the Liberty Bell on Independence Day

On 4 July 1965, while Philadelphia was celebrating Independence Day, around forty gay men and lesbians walked in a circle in front of Independence Hall. The place and the date had been chosen deliberately: it was in this very building that the Declaration of Independence had once been debated and signed, and the nearby Liberty Bell was considered the very embodiment of American freedom. When the nation celebrated the birthday of its promises of freedom, it was also to become visible for whom these promises did not apply.

The demonstration was called the "Annual Reminder". It was intended to show the celebrating public that part of the population was denied the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness promised in the founding document. The protest deliberately followed the festivities: first the official Independence Day parade passed through the city, then the demonstrators stepped out in front of Independence Hall. When the flag bearers passed by during the demonstration, the activists lowered their placards, stood still and placed their hands on their hearts. The message was unmistakable: we too are full citizens of this country.

The protest was organised by the East Coast Homophile Organizations, led by the astronomer Frank Kameny, whom the US government had dismissed from federal service in 1957 because of his homosexuality, and the Philadelphian Barbara Gittings. Kameny insisted on a strict dress code: men in suits and ties, women in dresses. The demonstrators were to appear as respectable citizens, at a time when a single photograph could cost someone their career.

The "Annual Reminder" was repeated every 4 July until 1969. After the Stonewall riots, the protest moved to New York and grew into the first Pride parades.