NEW YORK — A pioneering gay activist who led a 1966 “sip-in” at a New York City bar has died at the age of 83.
Dick Leitsch died Friday at a hospice in Manhattan.
His death from liver cancer was confirmed by his brother, John Leitsch, of Louisville, Kentucky.
Leitsch was a leader of the Mattachine Society, an early gay rights group.
His “sip-in” protest was meant to echo lunch counter sit-ins.
Leitsch and three friends sat down at a bar and announced, “We are homosexuals.”
The bartender clapped his hand over Leitsch’s glass and refused to serve them.
The moment was captured by a Village Voice photographer.
The protest led the state liquor authority to end its practice of using patronage by gay people as an excuse to revoke liquor licenses.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.