VANGUARD MAGAZINE
Keith St Clare is a man driven by a mission: help those who need it. A 1980 issue of The San Francisco Crusader called him a “nice man who cares about real problems.” At 17 years old, his father maneuvered him into the United States Air Force, and he served as an Aerospace Ground Power Repairman stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Four years later, in 1966, he returned to the United States and moved to San Francisco. The Summer of Love expanded in his heart, and he became and edited Vanguard magazine. Vanguard was for the untouchables pushed aside by gay assimilationists and the heterosexuals they attempted to replicate. It was a forever open dialogue between the denied, forgotten, persecuted youth, drug addicts, transgenders, drag queens and all gay men and women. Although Keith stopped publishing Vanguard in 1979, it is a living magazine. The content is controversial and remains true. It is a combination of every medium, a breath from every culture. There are pre-Gay Liberation articles titled Interview with a Transvestite, The History of Syphilis, Bisexual Interview, List of Sex Offenses and Their Punishments in All 50 states, LA Secret Police, Lavender in Uniform, Interview with a Maschosit, Black Art Adds Culture, etc. Erotic images and delicate yet in-your-face poetry unites every issue. The fact that Keith gave a voice to these untouched subjects in 1966 is bold, but even bolder is that he did so using his real name and real address. He admits he was scared, but the military taught him how to protect himself. He says he was not going to be a martyr. Keith did not stop with Vanguard. He worked commercially for community theaters and produced 186 episodes of the nationally distributed and entirely youth-run TV show Young Ideas all the while raising over 600 foster kids.
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED ONCE IN 1967
Thus far, the homosexual mass movement has maintained a discreet veneer. Indeed, most of the individuals involved seem to prefer a supplicant's role instead of reveling in each others individuality. The overall Intention is to pursue conformity to the Plastic Inevitable, etc. We suspect that progress tor the movement involves repairing legislation and opening public opinion, but the most central Issue Is the expansion of each of us as total people. Therefore, several dissident elements of the homophile community are deciding to publicly acclaim their dissatisfaction with this futile search for anonymity or "acceptance" and to proclaim their personal freedom. By its very nature, the Vanguard hopes to remain near the spearhead of this probing dissatisfaction. Obviously, dear reader, It is not our contention that all homosexuals are liberal. Indeed, some of the society's most conservative bigots are cocksuckers. Let us assure you however, there are many who are aware, turned-on people. We do feel that the homosexual group - as a minority fraction - has an inherent similarity to other oppressed minorities and a collective interest in other minority rights activities. It behooves especially the more flagrant, outrageous homosexuals and those who don't have any hangups about it to consistently become involved in the pursuit of individual rights not only for their immediate needs but also for the personal freedom of others. The Vanguard Magazine continues to encourage a free exchange of art, literature and news between these various points of view and between other minority group movements. In spite of the commercial obstacles from former supporters or the Vanguard and the emotional difficulties or doing this sort of thing, we intend to continue offering both the conformist and the radical an equal opportunity to express any literate opinion.
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