Bryant in Buffalo in Erie County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Bob Uplinger's Arrest
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., May 4, 2022
1. Bob Uplinger's Arrest Marker
Near this location on August 7, 1981, Bob Uplinger (1951-1988) was arrested by an undercover police officer posing as a gay man, and charged and convicted with loitering for the purpose of engaging in deviate sexual activity. After consensual sex between same-sex partners became legal in New York State in 1980, police began using loitering and solicitation laws to persecute LGBTQ people.
In 1983, represented by Buffalo attorney William H. Gardner, Uplinger won dismissal of his conviction when the NYS Court of Appeals declared this application of the loitering law unconstitutional. In 1984, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by the Erie County District Attorney and the decision was upheld. This effectively struck down the last New York State law used to arrest gay people for consensual sex between adults, laying the groundwork for national legislation and securing future freedoms.
Erected 2021 by Buffalo-Niagara LGBTQ History Project.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Civil Rights • Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is August 7, 1981.
Location. 42° 54.14′ N, 78° 52.496′ W. Marker is in Buffalo, New York, in Erie County. It is in Bryant. It is at the intersection of North Street and
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York and specifically in Western New York. It is also in the American Northeast, on the Great Lakes, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site (about 600 feet away); Theodore Roosevelt (about 600 feet away); Westminster Presbyterian Church (about 700 feet away); Toni Sisti Park (approx. 0.2 miles away); Temple Beth Zion (approx. 0.3 miles away); First Religious Body in Buffalo (approx. 0.4 miles away); Coit House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Adam House (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Buffalo.
Other markers no longer nearby. Wilcox Mansion (was about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been confirmed missing); Guide Board Road (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been permanently removed).
Also see . . .
1. Buffalo-Niagara LGBTQ History Project to install marker commemorating Bob Uplinger. (Submitted on May 8, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. The Arrest and Trials of Bob Uplinger. Article on HeinOnline blog by Martin Goffeney dated June 23, 2023. (Submitted on January 5, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., May 4, 2022
2. Bob Uplinger's Arrest Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 5, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 8, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3,244 times since then and 184 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 8, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
