00:01I learned how to dance slow at the Starlight with another man.
00:07Coming up to me was just about the fact that I had the freedom to dance.
00:13For a black man to be free dancing was a taboo.
00:18They always talk about how the city was bad in the 70s, but we had a wonderful time.
00:24Maybe because we were young and underground.
00:26This was one of the few places in New York City where gay people can congregate and feel welcome.
00:35We had some incredible Saturday nights there, just incredible.
00:40Those were nights like the old school nights.
00:45We were not aware that the building was sold.
00:48How do you pay rent if you don't know who's the owner or who's the owner?
00:51He would tell us not to worry about it.
00:53He had made plans to sell the building from underneath us.
00:57I want a special prayer.
00:58Lord God, we ask that you continue to bless the Starlight, the staff.
01:03Soften the hearts, Lord God, of those who would have this place be existing no more, Lord God.
01:11You need these type of places, just like you need churches.
01:15There's definitely more people involved in this.
01:18This is really a fight for our life.
01:21We as a community have taken on the process of landmarking the architecturally valuable.
01:27And there's a strong argument to be made.
01:29Our cultural landmarks are worthy of protection too.
01:33Starlight stays! Starlight stays!
01:36There should be 1,000 people on this corner.
01:42You know, before desegregation, there was the Starlight now.
01:47The Starlight and what the Starlight stands for is going to go on for a long, long time.
01:54Starlight will never die. As long as I'm alive and breathing, the Starlight is in me.
01:59Are you different, okay?
02:06No!
02:07Yeah, yeah, yeah!
02:12Yeah, yeah, yeah.
