Excerpts from the Prime Time Radio Hour

Frank Kameny Video

Founding Father of the Gay Rights Movement

 | June 16, 2009

Frank Kameny was a key player in the birth of the gay rights movement, especially the Washington, D.C. branch of it. He's 84 years old, and starting in the late 1950s, he put his job and his life on the line for a cause he believed in. Now, he's an honored elder, and much of what he fought for has come to pass.

In this short excerpt from his conversation with host Mike Cuthbert, he describes the Stonewall riots–the incident that ignited a movement–and tells his own story of being fired and shunned in Washington, D.C. years before he was embraced and honored there.

Listen to the complete interview here.

Get lots more background on Stonewall and the gay rights movement at AARP Bulletin Today.

Complete coverage of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots at AARP.org.