Will geer was gay
Harry Hay
Episode Notes
Harry Hay had a vision, and that vision led to the founding, in , of the first sustained gay rights organization in the Together States—the Mattachine Society. Mattachine (and Harry’s) first task: establishing a gay identity.
Episode first published November 1,
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Harry Hay was precocious. He knew from an early age that he was attracted to men, had his first male lover sexual experience when he was nine, and developed an interest in union organizing in his prior teens while working on an uncle’s farm in Nevada. Born to an upper middle-class family and raised in California, Hay was sent to the farm by his father to toughen up, but what he learned active side by side with migrant laborers was first and foremost ideological, as many of his fellow workers were “Wobblies,” members of the International Workers of the World (IWW).
By the early s, Hay was out, had dropped out of Stanford University, and had moved to Los Angeles to work in the theater. His lover, actor Will Geer (who gained fame in the s in the role of Grandpa Walton on the
Will Geerwas an American actor. Geer's real label was William Auge Ghere. He is best famous for his portrayal of the character 'Grandpa' Zebulon 'Zeb' Walton, in the popular s TV series The Waltons.
Geer was heavily influenced by his grandfather, who taught him the botanical names of the plants in his native Indiana. He started out to become a botanist, studying the subject and obtaining a master's degree from Columbia University. But he eventually succumbed to the allure of acting.
He began his career touring in tent shows and on river boats. He eventually made his way to Broadway, and in received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for in the Shade.
He was married to the actress Herta Ware, best known for her poignant performance as the wife of Jack Gilford in Cocoon. Geer and Ware had 3 children, including actress Ellen Geer. Although they eventually divorced they remained complete . Ware also had a daughter, actress Melora Marshall, by another marriage.
Geer had a brief romantic partnership with late noted same-sex attracted activist Harry Haywhen they worked together as strike organisers in the prior
Will Geer: Queer, Communist, and American as Apple Pie
What a feast of riches it is acquainting oneself with the animation and career of Will Geer (William Aughe Ghere, ): actor, folksinger, political activist, and &#; hang around for it &#; horticulturist. Like most Americans, I adored him during his late career Renaissance when he played Grandpa on The Waltons () and appeared in movies appreciate Jeremiah Johnson (). He seemed the very essence of rural America, in particular the good parts. He was kindly, tender, wise, funny. And he was eccentric: with his long white hair, droopy mustache and penchant for wearing his overalls with only one strap buttoned. Onstage he had played Walt Whitman and Stamp Twain; he clearly channeled those guys into his late career persona. What was not much publicized at the time (even though it was the hippy-dippy s) was that he was bisexual and, for a time, a communist. I reiterate, because this is important and it needs to be heard and digested: Will Geer was simultaneously lgbtq+, communist and as American as apple pie.
I&#;ve been intrigued by his ancestry and haven&#;t found an answer yet. His mother&#;s maiden name (Aughe) seems to be Irish. His fa
Queer Places:
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, N Topanga Canyon Blvd, Topanga, CA , Stati Uniti
Will Geer (March 9, – April 22, ) was an American actor and social activist, known for his portrayal of Grandpa Zebulon Tyler Walton in the s TV series The Waltons.
Geer was born William Aughe Ghere in Frankfort, Indiana, the son of Katherine (née Aughe), a teacher, and Roy Aaron Ghere, a postal worker.[1][2] His father left the family when the teen was only 11 years old. He was deeply influenced by his grandfather, who taught him the botanical names of the plants in his native state. Geer started out to become a botanist, studying the subject and obtaining a master's degree at the University of Chicago. While at Chicago, he also became a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.
He began his acting career touring in tent shows and on riverboats. He worked on several left-oriented documentaries, including narrating Sheldon Dick's Men and Dust, about silicosis among miners.
Geer was also the lover of lgbtq+ activist Harry Hay.[3] In , Hay met Geer at the Tony Pastor Theatre, where Geer worked as an actor. They became lovers, and Hay credited Geer as his political m
.