CRH Leader Chuck Lewis Describes Preparations for the Dance

CRH Leader Chuck Lewis Describes Preparations for the Dance

Taped interview with James Waller on October 2, 1994.

The dance was actually held on the evening of January 1, 1965, New Year's Day eve, and was held at California Hall. My involvement was because I was a member of the Council on Religion and the Homosexual, the original constituting board. I had been with our coordinator, our director Parrish Light[?], from the North Beach Mission where I was the pastor, and we had been to dinner and at ten o'clock that night we intended to go to the dance. The dance actually began at nine o'clock. As I understand it at 9:15 a squad of police offers came in to make a fire inspection. At 9:45 another squad of officers came in to make a liquor license inspection.

Prior to this, Ted and Clay had gone down to talk to the chief of police to essentially announce to him that there would be a dance attended by at least five hundred gay men and lesbians, at least ten clergy, their wives, spouses, girlfriends, whoever. And when they got to the police department they were instead directed to the vice squad, and the vice squad asked the questions such as "I see you're a married man by the ring on your finger. What does your wife think of this? What does the Bible have to say about this, pastor?" They never did get the chance to see the chief of police.

Two weeks before the dance was actually held they were meeting in a storefront somewhere in the Tenderloin, as I understand, and two vice squad officers came in. Obviously they had been either followed or they were under surveillance. And they were holding their last meeting about the dance and the two vice squad officers said if this dance is held, anyone who shows up in drag on the street will be arrested.

I think the threat here was the fact that, for the first time in history, five hundred gay men, openly identified gay men and lesbians, were going to be in one spot. And the real threat came from the ten clergy who were there, because it looked as though the church was approving this dance as well. And this just blew the police department right out of the water, which at that time had a heavy Roman-Catholic background.

The result was that they did come to an understanding with the police department that as long as people drove to the front of California Hall, got out of a limousine or car, went directly up the stairs and into the dance, no-one would be arrested, even if they were in drag. But anyone on the street would still be arrested.