Stonewall Riots

Stonewall Riots

The Stonewall Riots, also known as the Stonewall Uprising or the Stonewall Rebellion, were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay community against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. They are widely considered to constitute the most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights in the United States.

Background

Before the Stonewall riots, the homosexual community was often subjected to legal harassment and discrimination. Homosexual acts were illegal in almost every state, and bars that served gay people were regularly raided by police. The Stonewall Inn, owned by the Mafia, was known to be popular among the poorest and most marginalized people in the gay community: drag queens, representatives of a newly self-aware transgender community, effeminate young men, male prostitutes, and homeless youth.

The Raid

On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, ostensibly for liquor license violations. Patrons and staff were physically harassed during the raid, which sparked a riot among bar patrons and neighborhood residents as police roughly hauled employees and patrons out of the bar. Tensions between New York City police and gay residents of Greenwich Village erupted into more protests the next evening, and again several nights later. The riots lasted for five days in total.

Aftermath and Significance

The Stonewall Riots served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. Within months, two gay activist organizations were formed in New York, concentrating on confrontational tactics, and three newspapers were established to promote rights for gay men and lesbians. On the first anniversary of the riots, on June 28, 1970, the first gay pride marches took place in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The anniversary of the riots was also commemorated in subsequent years with various events, eventually evolving into the annual Gay Pride events that are now held around the world every June.

Legacy

Today, the Stonewall Inn is a national monument, the first U.S. National Monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights. The riots and subsequent protests are remembered as the moment when the modern LGBTQ rights movement began, and they have become an enduring symbol of resistance against social and political discrimination. The Stonewall Riots have also been depicted in various works of art and literature and have been the subject of numerous studies in the fields of sociology, history, and gender studies.