1. Craig L Rodwell was an American gay rights activist known for founding the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop on November 24,1967 - the first bookstore devoted to gay and lesbian authors - and as the prime mover for the creation of the New York City gay pride demonstration.
Craig Rodwell's parents separated prior to his first birthday and for the next few years he was boarded out for day care where he was required to do kitchen labor and laundry to supplement his board and care.
Craig Rodwell got a reputation for being a rebellious child during his seven years at the school, but had good memories from the school despite its sometimes "Dickensian" aspects such as corporal punishment.
Craig Rodwell continued studying Christian Science by enrolling in Sunday school at the 16th Church of Christ, Scientist.
Craig Rodwell later studied ballet in Boston before finally moving to New York City in 1958.
In 1962, Craig Rodwell had a romantic relationship with Harvey Milk, who went on later to become one of the first openly gay politicians elected to high office.
Also in 1967, Craig Rodwell began the group Homophile Youth Movement in Neighborhood and began to publish its periodical, HYMNAL.
Craig Rodwell conceived of the first yearly gay rights protest, the Annual Reminder picketing of Independence Hall held from 1965 to 1969; Homophile Youth Movement rallies in 1967, and was present at the Stonewall Riots in 1969.
Craig Rodwell was active in the Mattachine Society until April 1966 and in several other early homophile rights organizations.
Craig Rodwell was a radical in the generally cautious homophile movement.
In early 1964 Craig Rodwell, a Mattachine Society of New York volunteer and vice president, organized Mattachine Young Adults and was an early member of Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations and the North American Conference of Homophile Organizations.
In 1968, Craig Rodwell and noted gay rights activist Frank Kameny began to promote a slogan, based on Black is Beautiful, but instead as Gay is Good.
Craig Rodwell promoted the slogan in advertising for the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop, his publication Hymnal, posting the slogan in the bookshop window, and selling buttons, patches and stickers in his bookshop.
Craig Rodwell had at an earlier date been thrown out of Julius for wearing an "Equality for Homosexuals" button.
Craig Rodwell, already a community organizer for gay rights, was a participant in the Stonewall Riots.
Early in the morning of June 28,1969, Craig Rodwell was on his way home with his partner, Fred Sargeant.
In November 1969, Craig Rodwell proposed the first gay pride parade to be held in New York City by way of a resolution at the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations meeting in Philadelphia, along with his partner Fred Sargeant, Ellen Broidy and Linda Rhodes.
Craig Rodwell is believed to have created the term heterosexism in January 1971 when he wrote:.
In 1978 Craig Rodwell was one of the creators and organizers of Gay People in Christian Science.
Craig Rodwell died at Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center on June 18,1993, of stomach cancer at 52.
Craig Rodwell was the recipient of the 1992 Lambda Literary Award for Publisher's Service.
In June 2019, Craig Rodwell was one of the inaugural fifty American "pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes" inducted on the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor within the Stonewall National Monument in New York City's Stonewall Inn.