Bob Kohler

Robert Andrew "Bob" Kohler (17 May 1926 - 5 December 2007) was a gay rights pioneer. A native of Queens, New York, Kohler was a lifetime queer activist in New York City, who also fought for the rights of many other people and animals. He was a Stonewall riots veteran, and considered a father figure to many of the young trannies, such as Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, who participated in the riots, as well as to younger generations of activists.

Kohler served in the U. S. Navy in World War II, was the manager of a gay bathhouse, one of the only white talent agents in NYC to represent black artists, owner of the popular gay store The Loft on Christopher Street, and a lifelong activist.

He died December 5, 2007, at the age of 81, in the Charles Street (West Village) apartment that he had lived in for 50 years.

Activism
Though Kohler is best known for his role at the Stonewall riots and his early involvement with the Gay Liberation Front, he was active with many movements and groups, including the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the Black Panther Party, Act Up, Sex Panic, the Neutral Zone, the New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN), Irish Queers, Fed Up Queers, animal rights groups, and FIERCE!