Gay rights leaders urged landmark status for Julius’ Bar in Greenwich Village, where 50 years ago three gay men organized a “Sip-In” in order to expose the homophobic practices of the time.
As preparations began for the 50th anniversary party, with rainbow-colored balloons and Judy Garland on the radio, Andrew Berman from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation made an official plea to the city.
“It is easy for this kind of history to be lost,” Berman said. “One critical way in which we ensure that history is remembered is to honor and preserve the sites connected to events like these.”