"When you coordinate and liberate and release the sexuality and the minds of youth, and can twist it and change it toward a different goal and direction, via rock 'n roll, via fucking in the streets, via dope, via action, direct action ... then you can maybe push this country and we can rewrite the whole structure, based on the kind of energy released by rock 'n roll."
- Ed Sanders

The concept of "Free Love" as expressed by hippies, didn't just appear overnight. It's a philosophy with roots deep in human consciousness. It just needs a little encouragement to surface. And that encouragement appeared in the 1960s in the form of new knowledge about human sexuality, "the pill", psychedelic drugs, and a counter-culture which rejected the conservative ways and embraced individual freedom.

"The only unnatural sexual act is that which you cannot perform."
- Alfred Kinsey

A new awareness of human sexuality began to spread among Americans starting with the Kinsey Report in 1948. It was a nine year study of human sexuality which opened everyone's minds to the diversity of sexual behavior. One question in the survey asked whether the person was gay, bi or straight. The results indicating that up to 10% of the entire population is gay, was astonishing at the time. That one stat suddenly put homosexuality into a whole new light for many people. Another stat from the study that blew people away was the fact that nearly everyone masturbates. At last it seems, social science shed new light on sexuality, a once mystifying and taboo subject.

Then in the late '50s, Masters & Johnson did a series of clinical studies of Human Sexual Response in laboratory settings that explored our physiological functions in every fascinating detail. Their report likewise became a best-seller and people everywhere were now discussing such once forbidden topics as vaginal orgasms and pre-come.

Don't you want somebody to love?
Don't you need somebody to love?
Wouldn't you love somebody to love?
You better find somebody to love.
- Jefferson Airplane

These two studies set the backdrop for a new generation to explore their sexuality in a free and uninhibited way. Beat poets and writers like Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs wrote popular books that embraced sensuality and sexual experimentation as an essential ingredient to living life to its fullest. Rock 'n Roll music likewise began to express the adolescent yearnings and forbidden desires that were previously repressed.

Yet it took America with its conservative, Puritan roots awhile to catch on to this new awareness and freedom as we were programmed at an early age to regard sex and marriage as a sacred pair, not to be separated. But the baby boomers, raised with the more liberal philosophy taught in Dr. Benjamin Spock's Baby and Child Care (a phenomenal best seller), were allowed more freedom to explore sex, even as children. Suddenly it was considered "normal" for children to experiment with sex (with other children of course).

"The '60s are gone, dope will never be as cheap, sex never as free, and the rock and roll never as great."
- Abbie Hoffman

So the whole generation growing up in the 1960s, developed a radically different attitude toward sex than their parents. Drugs like marijuana, alcohol, LSD and cocaine loosened inhibitions and sex became just another "turn-on". Gay men and women started coming out of the closet in the cities.



"If it feels good...do it!"
- unknown

Communal living situations fostered short-lived relationships, and much sexual experimentation. Groups like the Sexual Freedom League popped up, advertising their ongoing orgiastic events. Even the taboo against sex in public was forgotten. In parks, at festivals, in fact almost any hippie gathering was often the occasion for newly formed "couples" to get it on, often in public view. "Free love" meant you could love anyone, anywhere, anytime, without guilt.

But the biggest single event to liberate women from their designated roles as housewife and mother, was the contraceptive pill. This along with the popularization of other forms of birth control, like the IUD and spermicidal creams, allowed women to have sex, without concern about unintended consquences.

Around 1965, fashion went crazy, with a slew of new styles that emphasized women's sexuality. The mini-skirt took the world by storm, revealing leg, thigh and sometimes more. Plunging necklines, see-thru tops and the rejection of the bra, gave men much more to drool over. Women at last had the power to manifest their latent femininity and sexuality.

Twiggy, set the fashion world on its head by making an icon out of a thin, boyish stick of a girl. Her sexual ambiguity and slim figure revolutionized the way women are portrayed in the media, and they way they look at themselves, and is still an essential part of the fashion scene today.

But not all women saw themselves as sex toys and many refused to let the sexual revolution just turn them into whores...

Originally posted by cosmictraveler
But the biggest single event to liberate women from their designated roles as housewife and mother, was the contraceptive pill.

Did you know that the pill changes your behaviour? That you find different partners attractive when you take the pill compared to when you don't?

So it might lead to some nasty turn of events when you are with a woman which you met when she was taking the pill and then stops, or vice versa.

A thousand people in the street. Singing songs and carrying signs...
Buffalo Springfield (For What it's Worth)

Almost all the protests were relatively peaceful. Many arrests were due to the sit-ins taking place on government or private property. Since Peace was the highly sought goal, peace was the way to achieve it. More radical elements did try to stir up trouble. This was partly due to desperation, but also because some radicals had revolutionary ideologies, which required an armed struggle to succeed. The Black Panthers and the Weathermen struck fear in the hearts of many with their violent tactics. Most hippies did not support their dubious methods.

How successful was the anti-war movement? It certainly raised awareness among all Americans, especially the media. Unfortunately our government didn't know how to end it and still save face. So it continued to drag on, while the peace talks went nowhere.

It was amazing just how many years and casualties it took before the U.S. government finally stopped the war and withdrew from Vietnam (1973). Our country was unable to accept defeat, and still refuses to admit just how big a mistake was made in Vietnam.

This brings up the question, what does it take for the people of a democratic country to legally protest government policy and be heard and acknowledged by our elected officials, and not be oppressed and silenced? Since the voters never get to set policy, how can we change it if we feel it is wrong? Don't say to elect someone different! When was the last time a candidate lived up to his/her campaign promises (what few they bother to make anymore)?

Why do those who protest and those who organize protests automatically come under government scrutiny, have their private lives invaded, have a classified file listing their every move, and likely have their personal correspondence monitored?

These actions serve two purposes. To limit free speech and persecute those who practice it. This hasn't changed since the war days. Yes, now we have the Freedom of Information act, but that hasn't stopped the federal and local governments from spying on individuals simply because they speak their minds, and protest the activities of the government. There are hundreds if not thousands of government employees who do nothing but monitor and sift through the personal lives of American citizens.

Why does the government feel so threatened? Well, there are terrorists, and conspirators, and drug dealers who break laws. But I'm discussing activists who protest government policies. Nowadays if something is illegal, and you choose to protest that fact, it is assumed that you are engaged in or promoting an illegal activity, and therefore warrant closer scrutiny. Just the act of opposition to government policy is now being looked upon as illegal activity itself. That puts us one big step closer to dictatorship, and Big Brother.

We set policy and govern based on numbers, money, and statistics without regard to the needs and feelings of the people behind the stats. This is a great failing of our emerging technocratic system. Once upon a time our justice system actually examined the person who committed a crime and looked at the circumstances, the person's contributions to society, testimonies of friends, etc. before sentencing. Very often people would be let off with a warning. Now we have mandatory minimum sentences, which treat people like a statistic, not human beings, thus making a mockery of justice.

We must reform this system before it gets further out of hand. Government has too much power over individuals. Agencies are given mandates that conflict with civil rights and the right to privacy. Our leaders seek to protect their own interests and positions at whatever cost to individual freedom. This is not how our system is supposed to work. We have it within our power to change this. The safeguards built into our system by the Bill of Rights and the legal system must be used to protect our common interests. We must exercise the power we have been granted. We must become a self-governing nation, or lose our freedoms to a Police State.

Ken Kesey, the Hell's Angels and the Acid Tests

You're either on the bus or off the bus.
Ken Kesey

Ken Kesey, the bestselling author of One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest and Sometimes A Great Notion, was at the forefront of the Psychedelic Movement. He participated in some early LSD experiments at Stanford University, and managed to abscond with some of the drug, which he used to turn-on everyone he met. At his place in La Honda, California, Kesey hosted a ongoing party of friends who called themselves the Merry Pranksters.

In 1964, Kesey gathered together his Pranksters and loaded them into a bus (now an icon of the Hippy movement) with the destination sign reading "Furthur". They took off on an LSD fueled psychedelic cross-country journey that spanned not just a continent but two social movements, the Beats and the Hippies. This bringing together of such personalities as Neal Cassady, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac with Kesey, Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass), was a symbolic passing of the torch from one movement to the other.

Then, one day in August 1965, Hunter S. Thompson (author, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), rolled in, escorted by a gang of Hell's Angels. Kesey welcomed and treated the Hells Angels as individuals, not representing some kind of threat. As usual he turned them on to LSD (the first time for them). Also at Kesey's place that fateful day were Allen Ginsberg and Richard Alpert, two of the more gentle philosophers of the beat/hippy/psychedelic movement. You'd expect some kind of fireworks with such a mix of energies and ideas.

Incredibly, the Angels fell under Kesey's spell (like everyone else), and thus began a long relationship (4 1/2 years) between the Hells Angels and the Hippy Movement. It was defined by Hell's Angels providing security and bodyguards for many hippy events, rock stars and concerts in those years. There is little doubt the Hell's Angels were heavily involved in distributing the drugs that many hippies consumed during that period. The relationship soured after the disastrous 1969 Altamont concert where they provided security for the Jefferson Airplane and the Rolling Stones. A man waving a gun was killed right in front of the stage, by the Angels, who were absolved of responsibility. The film Gimme Shelter was used in evidence and it's clear the Angels were just doing their job in a very difficult situation. The incident was just one of many violent episodes that year.

Kesey along with his Merry Pranksters inspired and coordinated the Acid Tests (see below). Kesey had several brushes with the law, went on-the-lam in Mexico, and returned to face the music. Kesey and the remaining Pranksters now take his famous bus on an annual tour around the US and England. They are followed by an ever growing entourage of hippies.

The Acid Tests
The famous Acid Tests were put on by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters in the mid-60s in California. These psychedelic happenings evolved into the San Francisco scene leading up to the Summer of Love. What Kesey did was mix together music, acid, and light shows into a potent brew of mind-expanding phantasmagoria. Many attending these acid parties took LSD for the first time. Word got out and the acid tests drew more and more people.

Kesey promoted the LSD trip as a new way of experiencing everything. His psychedelic bus, the parties at his house, and the acid tests were all experiments with mind expanding anarchy. Those who participated in these events were true adventurers, explorers of the unknown. It's hard to measure the impact of these events, but we were soon to see some of the results surfacing in San Francisco (see below). Kesey eventually held a graduation ceremony for the core Acid-Test participants. They were given a certificate verifying they had survived.

The Acid Tests inspired Stewart Brand, who produced the Trips Festival party in San Francisco in January, 1966. It was a three-day festival of music at Longshoreman's Hall with dancing and a light show that would simulate "an LSD experience without LSD". Kesey and the Merry Pranksters showed up, (along with the Grateful Dead, and lots of real acid) as this was the most public of the acid tests. The success of this event inspired Bill Graham to start holding these parties on a regular basis at the Fillmore Auditorium.

Be-In, San Francisco 1967

It was billed as a Gathering of the Tribes, the First Human Be-In. On January 14, 1967, 50,000 beautiful people gathered at the Polo Grounds to listen to Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg, Richard Alpert (Ram Dass), Dick Gregory, Jerry Rubin, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gary Snyder talk about life, love, enlightenment and peace. San Francisco rock bands the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Quicksilver Messenger Service entertained the crowd. The diggers were there handing out free food, some of which may have been laced with LSD.

This was a highly charged, symbolic event that brought together the political, spiritual, literary, musical and shamanic leaders of a generation. At the time it seemed like a good thing to do. Just get together and experience the vibes. Looking back we can see that it was a chance for us to view our numbers, to feel our power, to communicate our love, and to outline the agenda for a movement. That was the subtext. Allen Ginsberg said we should use our "flower power" peacefully. Timothy Leary said we should "turn-on, tune-in and drop-out" of the social program. Jerry Rubin encouraged us to get active on the political stage. Ram Dass urged us to "Be Here Now" and find enlightenment in the moment. The musicians made us dance and reminded us that life can be fun.

Many who participated in this seminal event look back and remember a special light that surrounded them during the Be-In. Inside this collective experience in the light there was a tremendous feeling of community, togetherness and oneness. But then the light faded and they found themselves back in the park, listening to music, separate once again. But that feeling was to linger as winter led to spring….

Monterey Pop Festival: 1967 June 16-18, 1967

Billed as "Music, Love, and Flowers", the Monterey Pop Festival was that and so much more. Festival attendees were urged to "Dress as wild as you choose". This was the first big rock festival, a showcase for the West Coast music scene. 200,000 showed up for the three-day non-profit event in California at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, the site of the annual Monterey Jazz Festival.

Organized by Lou Adler and John Philips of the Mamas and Papas, with the help of rock impresario Bill Graham and others, Monterey attracted the cream of musical acts. It was Paul McCartney who suggested both Jimi Hendrix and The Who (in their first American concert). Other performers included Eric Burdon & The Animals, Simon & Garfunkel, Canned Heat, Big Brother & The Holding Company with Janis Joplin, The Steve Miller Band, The Byrds, The Jefferson Airplane, Ravi Shankar, Buffalo Springfield, The Grateful Dead, Scott McKenzie, and of course The Mamas & The Papas.

The event turned out to be the biggest rock concert of its day. It was a prelude to the larger rock festivals to come in later years. The crowd was treated well, the event was highly organized and ran pretty smooth. Hawaiian orchids were handed out at the gate, ushers showed people to their seats, and a special batch of purple Owsley acid was available. A typical San Francisco light show added to the psychedelic feel of the festival.

For three days the fans were treated to some of the best music by young creative talents at their peak. Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin made rock history as they both blew the crowd away with music that touched our souls. Before Monterey, they were almost totally unknown in the U.S. But Janis Joplin was the first to steal the audience's heart with her rendition of Big Mama Thorton's blues tune, "Ball and Chain". No woman singer before or since has been able to pierce your heart with emotion like Janis.

Pete Townsend and Jimi Hendrix got in a fight over who would follow whom. Pete lost the coin toss, so his band went on first, smashing their guitars, their instruments and the stage for their patented climax. Jimi needed no such stunts. He wooed the audience with his mastery, his control over every sound possible from a guitar. His soulful, yet gut wrenching sound tore through virgin ears and immediately everyone knew, that music would never be the same. But just to top Townsend, Jimi set his guitar on fire - after making love to it.

Ravi Shankar played a mesmerizing three-hour set that saw the audience respond with a very long standing ovation. His performance instantly made him an icon of Indian music. Some bands like the Byrds and the Mamas and the Papas were about to breakup, and their performances reflected the discontent.

Monterey Pop was made into a movie which initially had limited success on its first release. Now it's considered a classic documentary of the period thanks to the premiere performances of Janis & Jimi. The Festival also inspired other promoters to book multiple acts at large outdoor venues, as the psychedelic rock scene swept the country. It succeeded due to the professionalism of the organizers. As the precursor to Woodstock, it showed that there was a big market for outdoor concerts. And it was just the beginning of a summer to remember….