This week, to celebrate Pride month, we’re heading into the Sewers of Paris archives for a chat with a man who was present for the Stonewall Riots. He earned the nickname Tree thanks to his six-foot-five stature, and he’s been a part of New York’s gay community going back to the fifties, when he didn’t even know a community existed. Tree’s been a member of Brooklyn street gangs, worked with the mob, and counted among his friends Buddy Holly, Bea Arthur, and Rock Hudson. We talked one year ago, as we were heading into a lot of uncertainty around COVID, quarantines, and the future. And now that many of us are finally in the process of re-emerging out into the world, it seemed like a perfect time to reflect on his stories of endurance and liberation.
We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First, a reminder that I just posted a new video over on YouTube that’s all about John Waters, Divine, and three films that I like to call the Trinity of Trash — check that out at YouTube.com/mattbaume.
And just a quick reminder that I’ve got a little newsletter where I share sneak peeks at what I’m working on. Sign up for that at mattbaume.com.
Also a big thanks to everyone who supports the Sewers of Paris on Patreon. And to everyone who’s reviewed it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.