Incident
| Date | Jan 04, 1970 |
| Department | Buffalo Police Department |
| Address |
70 Delaware Ave
Buffalo, NY |
Incident Description
On January 4th, 1970, The Avenue was raided by Buffalo Police. 94 people were kicked out of the bar, 11 people were arrested, and two lesbians were beaten up by officers.
The Avenue opened after another queer friendly space, The Tiki, which was located on Franklin and Tupper, was shut down. The owner of The Tiki, James Garrow, was denied a liquor license by the New York State Liquor Authority because he was arrested for allegedly "cruising other men." Because he was denied a liquor license, the Avenue became a gay “juice bar” and an underground center for LGBTQ people to meet.
However, the police raid permanently closed down The Avenue. Two years later it was demolished - the fate of many gay historic sites in Buffalo. The Avenue was replaced with the Frank A. Sedita City Courthouse, named for the mayor at the time, and is still standing today.
Links
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Buffalo's Stonewall moment, 50 years later
It's been 50 years since the uprising at the Stonewall Inn in New York City's Greenwich Village, an event widely considered to be the catalyst for the LGBTQ civil rights movement. It's also the 50th anniversary of Buffalo's first gay rights organization, founded out of a Stonewall moment of our own. - WBFO | Marian Hetherly