▁two ▁thousand ▁people . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁the ▁Stone wall ▁ri ots , ▁he ▁co - f ounded ▁the ▁Gay ▁Activ ist ▁Alliance ▁( G AA ), ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁cred ited ▁with ▁developing ▁the ▁zap , ▁a ▁protest ▁t actic ▁that ▁would ▁become ▁a ▁central ▁component ▁of ▁A CT ▁UP ' s ▁strategy . ▁ ▁Fr ustr ated ▁with ▁what ▁B ahl man ▁called ▁the ▁" tim id ▁sort ▁of ▁nature " ▁of ▁G LA AD ' s ▁and ▁CL GR ' s ▁tact ics ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁the ▁A ID S ▁crisis , ▁Robinson ▁and ▁Nor o ▁determined ▁that ▁they ▁needed ▁to ▁start ▁a ▁new ▁group . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ' ▁r uling ▁in ▁Bow ers ▁v . ▁Hard wick , ▁they ▁began ▁meeting ▁with ▁a ▁small ▁group ▁of ▁friends ▁at ▁B ahl man ' s ▁a partment . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁Robinson , ▁Nor o , ▁and ▁B ahl man , ▁early ▁participants ▁included ▁Henry ▁Ya eg er ▁Jean ▁Elizabeth ▁G lass ▁Eric ▁Pere z , ▁and ▁Pet rel is . ▁The ▁group ▁would ▁come ▁to ▁call ▁itself ▁the ▁Lav ender ▁Hill ▁M ob , ▁after ▁a ▁well - known ▁com ic ▁British ▁film ▁— ▁a ▁title ▁they ▁believed ▁captured ▁the ▁person ality ▁of ▁the ▁group ▁and ▁its ▁actions : ▁gay , ▁confront ational , ▁cre ative , ▁and ▁hum orous . ▁ ▁Pet rel is