#sip-in

This month’s Mattachine at Julius’ falls on the 50th Anniversary of the notorious Mattachine Society “Sip-In” on April 21st, 1966. 

Dressed in suits and ties, Mattachine Society members approached the bar and peacefully proclaimed, “We are homosexuals, and we want a drink.” At the time it was not legal for “known homosexuals” to convene and imbibe spirits together in public, part of an outdated system of codes and laws enacted to supposedly suppress rowdy or illicit behavior. Three years later around the corner, the Stonewall Riots occurred.

Julius’ Bar was recently placed on the New York State Register of Historic Places - with a National Registry to follow - which means the Greenwich Village exterior at 159 West 10th Street is protected. We are so proud to have been a part of preserving this important piece of our history.

On April 21, 1966 members of the New York Mattachine Society staged a “Sip-In” at Julius’s to challenge the State Liquor Authority prohibition against serving liquor to “disorderly” patrons. The Mattachine members’ tactic was to enter the bar, declare their sexual orientation, and order a drink—knowing they would be turned away. The group then sued; their case prompted an investigation by the New York City Human Rights Commission and eventually they won a favorable court decision stating that gay people had the right to peacefully assemble. The Sip-In was therefore a significant pre-Stonewall assertion of LGBT rights and paved the way for the legalization of gay bars, as well as later political action.