For the higher a part of six many years, Fredd E. “Tree” Sequoia has been a fixture of New York’s queer neighborhood and a long-time bartender at The Stonewall Inn. From being current the evening of the riot as a younger patron, via the following battle for homosexual rights, the AIDS epidemic, and even the Covid pandemic, Sequoia has grow to be inseparable from the long-lasting bar and its place in historical past, now serving as a worldwide ambassador of kinds. However most weeks, you’ll be able to nonetheless discover him on the bar pouring a beer or chatting with prospects. We not too long ago sat down with Sequoia on the storied institution to speak about his experiences on either side of the bar.

Imbibe: You’ve been a bartender nearly all of your working life. How did you get into it?

Tree Sequoia: After I was youthful, I labored as a gopher for Jackie Gleason. “Hey child, go get my script!” I used to be simply a young person. After which a good friend of mine acquired me a job at The Ed Sullivan Present, the place I might knock on the door and say, “You’re on stage in 5 minutes, Ms. Dietrich.” Issues like that.

I used to be simply determining my sexuality then, and I snuck into the Village in the future and I noticed these two very clearly homosexual guys go right into a espresso store known as Mama’s Rooster Rib, proper on Greenwich Avenue. I adopted them in, sat down, and the waiter launched himself, saying, “Hello, I’m Joan Crawford.” And I knew I used to be in the best spot. I made some associates there. And in the future I requested the supervisor for a cup of espresso, and he says “I’m busy, get it your self.” So I’m going behind the counter, I make espresso, and he says, “truly, make two.” And the subsequent factor I do know, I’d labored there six years.

I moved into my condominium in Chelsea March 8, 1968. I simply celebrated 57 years there. Generally we’d go to my home and play charades, however largely we’d hang around on the bars. Certainly one of my associates was a bouncer on the Ninth Circle, and he requested me to cowl for him on Mondays and Tuesdays as a result of he hadn’t had a time off in months. However I didn’t name myself a bouncer—I known as myself an angle adjuster. And after a few month, the proprietor came to visit to me and stated, “, all people likes you. You’ve acquired an ideal particular person character. We’re going to make you a bartender.” I stated, Bobby, I don’t drink. And I’ve by no means made a drink.” He says, “You’re going to be taught to do each.” That was 57 years in the past. 

What has stored you within the occupation all these years? What do you like about it?

Assembly individuals. Day-after-day, right here on the bar, you title a metropolis, or state, or nation, and so they’re right here. I might say 80 % of the time, I’ve been to their metropolis or nation, so I can speak about a bar or a restaurant or the individuals. After which they appear me up on Fb and we’ve 9 mutual associates. The opposite week, two guys from London got here in. One works in theater, and he stated he’s going to say hiya to Russell Davies for me, who was the author who wrote Queer As People and Physician Who. I met Russell once I gained the Angle Journal award in London. And the opposite one works with Ian McKellen, and I’m Ian McKellen’s favourite bartender. You simply by no means know who’s going to return in. 

Is that a part of what makes Stonewall so particular? That it brings in individuals from everywhere in the world?

Properly, sure. And now, generally within the afternoon with the vacationers, we’ve extra straight individuals than homosexual—husbands and wives, teams of three or 4 {couples} that got here in from Michigan as a result of they heard about this place and needed to go to. So I get to speak to all of them. And, after all, I make enjoyable of the place they’re from, like, “Come on, there’s no such place as Michigan.” My boss says, “You’re at all times in a very good temper, you discuss to all people, you’ve got enjoyable with them, you tease them… why don’t you are available and simply discuss to all people on the tables?”

So now on the weekends, they put tables out in the course of the road, and I simply go sit and discuss with everybody. And the subsequent factor you realize, they’re taking my quantity, and I’m getting telephone calls asking if I need to come right here or there for occasions. However I by no means say no. I at all times I inform the reality: In the event you pay for it, I’ll go to the opening of an envelope. I’ve met the Infanta of Spain, the 2 crown princes of Denmark, presidents, prime ministers… It makes me snigger. I’m only a child from Brooklyn!

What was the scene like within the early days, and what are your recollections of the evening of the riot?

I at all times say I used to be in the best place on the flawed time, or the flawed place on the proper time. As a result of I went to jail so many occasions for being in homosexual bars. They both threw us out of the bar, or they requested us our names, and no one had proof, no one had an ID, so we might make up names. Generally they put us in jail and we’d go earlier than a decide within the morning, and so they’d both throw it out as a waste of time, or some judges would nice us $20 for being perverts… However we’d all return to the bar that evening or the subsequent evening.

I don’t suppose they raided the bars as a result of we had been homosexual. I believe they raided it as a result of the boys forgot to pay the police that week. The expression “New York Metropolis has one of the best police cash should buy” was as a result of nearly each cop was on the take.

Everyone at all times asks me if I used to be afraid. I by no means set something on fireplace, like rubbish cans. I by no means rattled a police automotive, I by no means threw a bottle or a rock or something. However we had been fortunate—Frank, Charlie, myself, and Gregory acquired out because the cops had been making individuals begin to run. They’d put medication on the ground and inform individuals, “That’s yours.” As a result of in 1969, even in the event you had a bit of roach of pot, that was 5 years in jail. Gregory needed to depart as a result of he was a Catholic priest. And he wouldn’t need to be caught within the homosexual bar in 1969.

And that’s when the riot squad got here, and I did one thing then that I can’t do now—ran.

So we had been all outdoors, and we observed that the lock was hanging off the paddy wagon, so Charlie knocked it off, the door opened, all people ran down the road. And all the shop homeowners and folks within the buildings round, they really let the individuals into their hallways and wouldn’t let the cops arrest them… We noticed two individuals pull a parking meter out of the bottom, concrete and all, and had been utilizing it as a battering ram subsequent door to get into the bar. The police had been barricaded in there and the gang of 25 individuals grew to a few hundred, actually making an attempt to set the bar on fireplace with the police in it.

And that’s when the riot squad got here, and I did one thing then that I can’t do now—ran. All of us went again to Mama’s Rooster Rib, and we stated, if the cops are available, we’ll swear we had been right here. We went again to the bar the subsequent day, and the entire space was filled with smoke and rubbish cans and folks operating round. There have been TV cameras, newspapers—all the pieces.

Do you suppose locations like Stonewall and different queer bars nonetheless inherently function locations of revolt? Do you’ve got any recommendation for youthful generations?

Properly, this place is now Mecca for the homosexual neighborhood. Individuals everywhere in the world know Stonewall. However I might say possibly 20 % of the younger individuals who are available right this moment don’t give a shit concerning the historical past. They simply come to bounce, celebration, drink, have enjoyable. However a variety of them do care. I at all times inform them: Get an schooling. Schooling is so necessary in these occasions. You’re gonna be homosexual 24/7, however don’t do it 24/7. Get your self an schooling. Then I at all times inform them: Protected intercourse. As a result of I lived via AIDS pandemic. And since I haven’t had [a cigarette] in 50 years, I inform them to quit smoking. However these children know greater than I did once I was that age.

You’re nonetheless right here at Stonewall each week, and also you’ve traveled the globe as an envoy—any plans to retire?

I can’t retire. My invitation to my celebration final yr at 85 stated, “You’re cordially invited to Tree’s 15-more-years-to-go celebration.” Now I’m 86, so it’s 14 extra years to go. And I anticipate to be right here. I’m going to retire at 100, possibly. I don’t wanna surrender, I like it.