Larry Itzkowitz

Forgotten activist who created the first LGBTQ+ safe spaces in 1970s New York before the Stonewall riots

While Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera are celebrated for their roles in the Stonewall uprising, Larry Itzkowitz (1944–1982) pioneered queer activism through quieter yet transformative means. A Jewish working-class organizer, Itzkowitz founded The Haven in 1966—a clandestine Manhattan community center offering counseling, legal aid, and social gatherings for LGBTQ+ youth.

Operating before the 1969 Stonewall riots, Itzkowitz’s work was exceptionally risky. At a time when homosexuality was criminalized, The Haven provided fake ‘membership cards’ to protect attendees during police raids. He collaborated with progressive churches to host dances and established a 24/7 crisis hotline—the first of its kind for queer individuals.

Itzkowitz’s most radical move was his 1967 ‘Employment Freedom Initiative’, convincing 12 Manhattan businesses to hire openly LGBTQ+ staff. This preceded federal anti-discrimination laws by decades. Tragically, he died in obscurity during the AIDS crisis, and The Haven closed in 1983.

His overlooked legacy resurfaced in 2019 when activists rediscovered The Haven’s archives. Scholars now credit Itzkowitz with creating a blueprint for modern LGBTQ+ community centers. Unlike Stonewall’s confrontational approach, his model emphasized building parallel institutions—a philosophy later adopted by groups like the Gay Liberation Front.

Today, New York’s Larry Itzkowitz Memorial Park stands in the East Village, honoring his belief that ‘safety is revolution’. His story reshapes our understanding of pre-Stonewall resistance, proving that quiet infrastructure-building could be as radical as street protests.