During the 1974 Academy Awards ceremony, host David Niven was introducing Elizabeth Taylor, who was presenting the award for "Best Picture," when screams erupted from the audience. Niven turned around to see streaker Robert Opel running across the stage, flashing a peace sign. Opel later revealed that he had sneaked through the security checkpoint with a friend's press pass and waited backstage for the final envelope to signal his storming of the stage. When he went back to get his clothes, he was taken to the pressroom. Opel always maintained that he acted alone and that the stunt was not a ratings setup but rather an attempt to kick-start his career by gaining mainstream attention as a rogue. At the time of the incident, he was working as a part-time photographer and was involved in queer counter-culture.

In March 1978, Opel opened Fey-Way, a queer-centered art gallery in San Francisco, where in July he was shot…