50 Years in 50 Weeks: 1978, Glad to be Gay

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • Thursday May 27, 2021
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50 Years in 50 Weeks: 1978, Glad to be Gay

While the year was full of arts reviews, this full-page ad in the May 25, 1978 Bay Area Reporter stands out as a parallel between worlds.

While the Tom Robinson Band, then known for the inspiring folk-derived anthem, "Glad to be Gay," had a performance at the Old Waldorf (444 Battery St.), the venue's promoters used the ad to politicize their presence by calling out the antigay Briggs Initiative and Anita Bryant.

Meanwhile, across the country, this writer purchased the band's album at a suburban Ohio shopping mall's record store, declaring himself gay, at least to the cashier.

Enjoy all the retro fun at https://archive.org/details/BAR_19780525

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