Ash Kelley

Of course, in the late 1950s, early 1960s, coming out as a lesbian would have had serious consequences.

And it would range from being disowned by her family to being arrested.

Yeah.

Or involuntarily placed in a mental health facility.

Yeah.

Shit was fucking wild.

So Kitty had good reason to keep that to herself.

Mm-hmm.

Whether or not she chose to reveal that side of herself to her family, she wasn't entirely closeted.

And on occasion, she would visit the underground, you know, gay and lesbian bars in Greenwich Village.

So she was at least like exploring that side of her, which was good for her.

And it was at one of these bars called the Swing Rendezvous, which is a great fucking bar, that Kitty met the first person who she felt a true romantic connection with, Mary Ann Zalonko.

She was a few years younger than Kitty, but she'd been on her own since the age of 16 and had been supporting herself in New York ever since, which takes a tough chick.

Badass.

Yeah.

Essentially, like if you can make it in New York from 16 years old.

Yeah.

That's it.

You're a straight up New Yorker.

One spring night in 1963, Marianne stopped into the Swing Rendezvous for a drink and was approached by a woman at the bar.