The Pink Panthers Patrol (often shortened to Pink Panthers) were a civilian patrol group based in New York City, founded by members of Queer Nation in the summer of 1990 in order to combat anti-LGBT violence in Manhattan's West Village.[1][2] Gay bashings in New York City were happening on the streets with regularity at the time.[3] The organization's logo was the pink triangle with a paw print in it.[3]

Gerri Wells founded the organization.[3] It recruited about 150 members shortly after its establishment.[3] The members would organize into groups to do foot patrols in gay areas.[3] These patrols would carry whistles to scare off assailants, and some groups carried citizens band radios to call for help.[3] If necessary they would seek police support.[3] In case of an attack, they would intervene to protect the victim.[3] Wells explained that there was a public perception that people could physically assault gay people without consequence, and that the gay community would no longer tolerate this behavior.[4]

They received notoriety when they were successfully sued in 1991 by MGM Pictures, the owner of the rights to the Pink Panther cartoon.[5] The neighborhood watch group would patrol areas that had a large number of gang assaults on LGBTQ people. In NYC, where the Pink Panthers was founded these patrols would generally be in the East and West Village. There was a number of patrols in the rambles (Central Park).[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ Hays, Constance (27 May 1991). "Gay Patrol And MGM In a Battle Over Name". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  2. ^ Moss, Jeremiah (25 October 2010). "Pink Panthers". Jeremiah's Vanishing New York.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Span, Paula (19 September 1990). "PATROL OF THE PINK PANTHERS". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 14 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Pink Panthers Protect Pansies". Weekly World News. October 9, 1990. p. 44.
  5. ^ "Gay Group Can't Call Itself Pink Panthers". The New York Times. 5 October 1991. Retrieved 1 January 2015.

Further consideration

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