Stonewall – The Origin of Pride
June 28th, 2017 marks the 48th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York. The infamous protest was the trigger to mobilize gay people and our allies. This act of protest eventually led to the establishment of the first ever LGBTQ rights movements in America and around the world.
Gay Friendly Greenwich
Stonewall was a large bar in Greenwich Village NY. It was rumored to have been run by the mafia, was gay-friendly, tolerant of drag queens and allowed dancing.
On June 28th, 1969 NYC Police raided the unlicensed Stonewall gay bar. 13 people were arrested in total, including three bar staff, three drag queens, and a lesbian. Angry patrons and neighborhood residents hung around outside of the bar, unhappy with the repeated persecution of gay people. The crowd became increasingly agitated as events unfolded and people were aggressively manhandled. At one key moment, an officer hit a lesbian woman over the head as he forced her into a police vehicle. She shouted to onlookers to act, inciting the crowd to begin throwing pennies, bottles, pebbles and other objects at the police. The resistance escalated, and a full riot broke out lasting for six days.
A year later, the Chicago Gay Liberation organized a march on the last Saturday of June 1970 in commemoration of Stonewall. The very next day a march was held in Los Angeles and New York. These were the first pride parades and were a much quieter affair than the Pride marches we’re familiar with today.
Stonewall – National Monument
In 2016, President Barack Obama designated Christopher Street, Stonewall Inn, the Park, and the surrounding areas a national monument in recognition of the area’s contribution to gay and human rights.
Stonewall on Instagram
The Governer of New York
From Seneca Falls to Stonewall, the promise of equality starts in New York. Happy #Pride2017 from the Empire State. pic.twitter.com/fASahlpgCk
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 25, 2017
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Be sure to check out our Travel with Pride piece too.