Robert Amsel
Encyclopedia
Robert Amsel is mainly known for his work in the Mattachine Society
, a gay civil rights organization, prominent in New York City throughout the 1960s.
between 1964 and 1968 (from which he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts
degree), he came out into gay life. During the summer of 1967, while staying with his sister in New York, he volunteered at the Mattachine Society
. As a result, he met Dick Leitsch, then president of the group.
Madolin Cervantes, a heterosexual woman who devoted her life to homosexual equality and was an officer of the society, had a large, rent-controlled apartment on West End Avenue, where the couple lived for another year, upon Amsel’s graduation from Syracuse University. (During Amsel’s senior year, Leitsch had shared an apartment with Amsel in Syracuse but traveled back and forth between Syracuse and New York.)
According to Amsel, “Our phones in Madolin’s pension, as we called it, were tapped, presumably by the F.B.I.
, who regarded folks seeking gay equality as a subversive group. In those days, tapping was primitive and reel-to-reel tape recorders were used to record private conversations. Frequently, the tape would run out and one could actually hear the spinning of the tape reels. When you know you’re being taped, you might as well have fun with it. For this reason, I would have outrageous conversations in which I provided blow-by-blow descriptions of wild sexual escapades with prominent political foes of the era. If possible, we never said anything over the phone lines that was true.”
At the time of the Stonewall riots
, Dick Leitsch had been upgraded to executive director of Mattachine and Amsel was its president. Amsel would later write a cover article for the September 15, 1987, edition of The Advocate. The article, cumbersomely titled by the magazine as "Back to Our Future? A Walk on the Wild Side of Stonewall", was written by Amsel to “set the record straight – or gaily forward.” Over the 18 years since the riots had occurred, they had evolved more into myth than fact and all the previous work of fighting for gay equality had been forgotten. Additionally, Amsel strove to unite gay people in their then current fight against a callous Administration in Washington regarding the AIDS epidemic. During this period, Amsel volunteered as a “buddy” to AIDS
victims.
Although Amsel played second-fiddle to his older lover, several of his own contributions to the gay movement included setting up a Mattachine Society branch in Syracuse, New York, which ultimately died out but was supplanted by newer organizations. He also was one of a group of four Mattachine workers who started the now-common practice of surveying political candidates for office on gay rights issues.
In 1978, the faltering relationship of Amsel and Leitsch ended when Amsel moved to London for several years. Amsel returned to New York in the summer of 1981 but ultimately moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he purchased a house, which he renovated. He and his new lover, Jim Sites, lived in the newly renovated house, and eventually sold it, and moved to Steelton, PA. Continuing his education, he also received his Masters Degree in American Studies from Penn State - Harrisburg.
In recent years, he has authored two supernatural novels, Manhattan Pharaoh (2004) and Devil Goddess (2006). Although not gay novels per se, both books have prominent homosexual characters, as might be expected.
Mattachine Society
The Mattachine Society, founded in 1950, was one of the earliest homophile organizations in the United States, probably second only to Chicago’s Society for Human Rights . Harry Hay and a group of Los Angeles male friends formed the group to protect and improve the rights of homosexuals...
, a gay civil rights organization, prominent in New York City throughout the 1960s.
Biography
While attending Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
between 1964 and 1968 (from which he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
degree), he came out into gay life. During the summer of 1967, while staying with his sister in New York, he volunteered at the Mattachine Society
Mattachine Society
The Mattachine Society, founded in 1950, was one of the earliest homophile organizations in the United States, probably second only to Chicago’s Society for Human Rights . Harry Hay and a group of Los Angeles male friends formed the group to protect and improve the rights of homosexuals...
. As a result, he met Dick Leitsch, then president of the group.
Madolin Cervantes, a heterosexual woman who devoted her life to homosexual equality and was an officer of the society, had a large, rent-controlled apartment on West End Avenue, where the couple lived for another year, upon Amsel’s graduation from Syracuse University. (During Amsel’s senior year, Leitsch had shared an apartment with Amsel in Syracuse but traveled back and forth between Syracuse and New York.)
According to Amsel, “Our phones in Madolin’s pension, as we called it, were tapped, presumably by the F.B.I.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, who regarded folks seeking gay equality as a subversive group. In those days, tapping was primitive and reel-to-reel tape recorders were used to record private conversations. Frequently, the tape would run out and one could actually hear the spinning of the tape reels. When you know you’re being taped, you might as well have fun with it. For this reason, I would have outrageous conversations in which I provided blow-by-blow descriptions of wild sexual escapades with prominent political foes of the era. If possible, we never said anything over the phone lines that was true.”
At the time of the Stonewall riots
Stonewall riots
The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City...
, Dick Leitsch had been upgraded to executive director of Mattachine and Amsel was its president. Amsel would later write a cover article for the September 15, 1987, edition of The Advocate. The article, cumbersomely titled by the magazine as "Back to Our Future? A Walk on the Wild Side of Stonewall", was written by Amsel to “set the record straight – or gaily forward.” Over the 18 years since the riots had occurred, they had evolved more into myth than fact and all the previous work of fighting for gay equality had been forgotten. Additionally, Amsel strove to unite gay people in their then current fight against a callous Administration in Washington regarding the AIDS epidemic. During this period, Amsel volunteered as a “buddy” to AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
victims.
Although Amsel played second-fiddle to his older lover, several of his own contributions to the gay movement included setting up a Mattachine Society branch in Syracuse, New York, which ultimately died out but was supplanted by newer organizations. He also was one of a group of four Mattachine workers who started the now-common practice of surveying political candidates for office on gay rights issues.
In 1978, the faltering relationship of Amsel and Leitsch ended when Amsel moved to London for several years. Amsel returned to New York in the summer of 1981 but ultimately moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he purchased a house, which he renovated. He and his new lover, Jim Sites, lived in the newly renovated house, and eventually sold it, and moved to Steelton, PA. Continuing his education, he also received his Masters Degree in American Studies from Penn State - Harrisburg.
In recent years, he has authored two supernatural novels, Manhattan Pharaoh (2004) and Devil Goddess (2006). Although not gay novels per se, both books have prominent homosexual characters, as might be expected.