He was also known for being the first gay reporter to publish an account of the Stonewall Riots and the first person to interview Bette Midler in print media.

[3] Though he lived in a Catholic setting with his family[3] and accounts vary as to whether he came out to his parents explicitly,[2][5] they were broadly accepting and unusually progressive for the time.

[5] Leitsch felt revolted when Ellis received a standing ovation and had no further interest in an organization which he viewed as out of step with the times.

In his statement of intent, Leitsch promised to work on ending police entrapment of gay men and various forms of discrimination.

On April 21, 1966, members of the New York Chapter of the Mattachine Society staged a "sip-in" aiming to change the legal landscape.

[6] Dick Leitsch, the society's president, Craig Rodwell the society's vice president, and Mattachine activist John Timmons planned to draw attention to the practice by identifying themselves as homosexuals before ordering a drink in order to bring court scrutiny to the regulation.

[7] They then targeted a Howard Johnson's and a bar called Waikiki where they were served in spite of the note, with a bartender saying later, "How do I know they're homosexual?

The group was joined there by Mattachine member Randy Wicker,[8] as well as a New York Times reporter and a Village Voice photographer, Fred W. McDarrah.

The bartender initially started preparing them a drink, but then put his hand over the glass which McDarrah then photographed, after Leitsch announced, "We are homosexuals."

"[3] The Mattachines then challenged the liquor rule in court and the courts ruled that gays had a right to peacefully assemble, which undercut the previous SLA contention that the presence of gay clientele automatically was grounds for charges of operating a "disorderly" premise.

"[11] The bar now holds a monthly party called "Mattachine" honoring the early gay rights pioneers.

After the police cleared the area, he returned to the Mattachine offices and wrote about the riots, thus being the first person to talk about the event.

Their bravery and daring saved many people from being hurt, and their sense of humor and "camp" helped keep the crowds from getting too nasty or too violent.

He primarily worked as a bartender but held various occupations including journalist, author, painter and holiday decorator.