Gerald Gerash - The Outwords Archive

A family portrait of the Gerashes smiling outside in bathing suits, 1936 or 1937. L-R: Walter Gerash (brother), Leah Gerash (mother), and Gerald Gerash (age 3-4, held by his mother). Photo courtesy of Gerald Gerash.

A family portrait of the Gerash family outside a family friends' house in New Jersey. L-R: The friends, Leah Gerash (Gerald's mother), Gerald Gerash (age 5, hugging his mother's leg), and Ben Gerash (Gerald's father). Gerald shares,

A childhood portrait of Jerry (age 12) wearing a patterned jacket, Los Angeles, California, 1946. Photo courtesy of Gerald Gerash.

Gerald (age 19) smiling while sitting on a ledge and holding a ceramic bull during his first honeymoon in Tijuana, Mexico, 1952. Photo courtesy of Gerald Gerash.

Gerald speaking at a podium during the Denver City Council meeting at City Hall, Denver, Colorado, October 23, 1973. He presented documentation from various court records to show that the only people arrested under

Gerald sitting on a velvet sofa in a three piece suit, at his home in Denver, Colorado, 1981. Photo courtesy of Gerald Gerash.

Gerald smiling while standing in front of a wall of personal photos in Denver, Colorado, 1982. Photo courtesy of Gerald Gerash.

Gerald in a suit and tie standing in a law office in Denver, Colorado, 1982. Photo courtesy of Gerald Gerash.

Gerald Gerash (at center, in a green zip-up jacket) and Congressman Henry Waxman (at center, in a suit and tie) meeting with local AIDS groups, West Los Angeles, California, 2008. Gerash met with two scientists and Michael Weinstein while lobbying to increase funding for research to cure HIV. Photo courtesy of Gerald Gerash.

Gerald Gerash and Ron Gold, Media Director of the National Gay Task Force, smiling and wearing wool jackets on a beach in Santa Monica, California, 2013. Photo courtesy of Gerald Gerash.

Gerald “Jerry” Gerash was born on February 19th, 1934, in the Bronx, New York, to immigrant Russian Jewish parents. He grew up surrounded by families who had fled poverty and oppression, which inspired in Jerry an early commitment to fight against injustice.

In 1944, when Jerry was 10, his family moved to Los Angeles. Four years later, at 14, Jerry’s brother, Walter, who was a significant role model, discussed sex with him and mentioned homosexuality. This conversation made Jerry realize that he was homosexual.

In the early 1950s, Jerry attended college at the University of California, first at UCLA and then at Berkeley, studying optometry. At 17, he had his first relationship with a man, which made him aware of the larger gay community available to him.

In the 1960s, Jerry joined the civil rights movement and became active in the anti-Vietnam War movement in the East Bay area. His commitment to justice continued to grow, and in 1969, after graduating from the University of Denver Law School, Jerry represented groups such as the Chicano movement’s “Crusade for Justice.”

From 1971 to 1972, Jerry served as the President of the National Lawyers Guild, Denver chapter. The same year, Jerry co-founded the Gay Coalition of Denver (GCD). On October 23, 1973, 350 supporters overflowed the Denver City Council chambers to push for the repeal of anti-gay laws. This event, which Jerry documented in the movie “Gay Revolt at Denver City Council,” changed the course of Denver’s treatment of gay and lesbian citizens.

On October 24, 1974, the Gay Coalition won their civil suit against the city of Denver, marking a significant victory for LGBTQ+ rights. The GCD’s lawsuit led to the repeal of four discriminatory laws, including one that made it illegal for males to dress as women. This work laid the foundation for LGBTQ+ centers and the Marriage Equality Movement. He also served on the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force from 1974 to 1981.

In 1975, Jerry co-founded Unity, an organization aimed at creating a queer community center. By 1977, the Gay Community Center of Colorado opened in Denver, becoming the third oldest LGBT center in the U.S. Jerry continued to work for LGBTQ+ rights, co-founding organizations like Colorado Gay and Lesbian Legal Workers and the Gay Community Center of Colorado.

In 1985, Jerry moved to Santa Monica and co-founded the city’s first gay and lesbian organization, WAVES, in 1986. He continued to practice law in Santa Monica, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, and attended the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.

In June 2001, the GLBT Community Center of Colorado named an award in his honor. The first recipients of “The Gerald A. Gerash Leadership Award” were Phil Nash and Tea Schook. On the thirtieth anniversary of the pivotal 1973 Denver City Council protest, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper led a public rally with a celebratory speech at Civic Center Park.

Today, Jerry lives in San Francisco and Walnut Creek and remains an advocate for gay rights. Jerry Gerash’s work has had a lasting impact on the LGBTQ+ community, laying the foundation for future advocacy and the fight for marriage equality.

Bio Author: Richard Gilbert-Cross

Footer