Yet, one night sparked a fire that would change the course of history.
Tired of peacefully asking for change, they banded together and took action to make things right.
Law enforcement kept lists of homosexuals and their activities were tracked.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom Massimo Salesi/Shutterstock
Sweeps of city neighborhoods to rid them of gay people were routine.
Still, members of the community were often harassed.
But, even at the gay bar, all was not as it seemed.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom lazyllama/Shutterstock
None of these bars were owned by gay people.
This way they could continue earning for the rest of the night.
The downside to this was that drinks were often watered down and overpriced and the staff was often mistreated.
Left: Stonewall Inn in 1969 (Photo:Diana Davies, copyright owned by New York Public Library,CC BY-SA) | Right: Stormé DeLarverie (Photo:Wikipedia)
When raids did happen, people were lined up against a wall and asked to produce identification.
Anyone who had an ID that did not match up with their presenting gender was immediately arrested.
The lights were turned on and the bars 205 patrons were caught in the confusion.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom Christopher Penler/Shutterstock
As the police had barred the doors, there was no escape.
But this time, things didnt go as planned.
My biggest fear was that I would get arrested.
Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade, 1970. (Photo:Kay Tobinvia NYPL)
Other patrons were free to leave, but instead of dispersing quietly, they assembled outside of the bar.
Many called friends to make them aware of what was happening and the crowd grew larger.
This was cheered on by the crowd, which only pumped up the crowd.
New York Pride Parade 2019. (Photo:Stock Photosfrom Ryan Rahman/Shutterstock)
Chants of Gay Power!
moved through the crowd and an edge of hostility took over.
That is when violence broke out, with the crowd advancing toward the police.
Outnumbered by 500 to 600 people, police officers were forced to barricade themselves in the bar for safety.
Bricks were hurled and windows were broken, with the bar eventually being set on fire.
It was like the last straw.
It was the police who were doing most of the destruction.
We were really trying to get back in and break free.
It took different forms, but the bottom line was, we weren’t going to go away.
Photo:Stock Photosfrom Christopher Penler/Shutterstock
Why the Stonewall Inn?
To truly understand, one must look at the context of the time.
During this period, the LGBTQIA+ community was very divided.
Some of the bars were also simply too expensive for those without a solid income.
More than just a bar, it was the touchstone for marginalized members of the community.
For just $3, anyone could enter Stonewall for the night and get two drinks.
Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade, 1970.
In the aftermath, a new sense of activism took holdone that was more radical.
After the events at Stonewall, there was a noticeable shift in approach.
The Birth of Pride Month
The Stonewall Rebellion also gave birth toPride Month.
June 28, 1970 was named Christopher Street Liberation Day to mark the first anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion.
These would be the first Gay Pride marches in the United States.
New York Pride Parade 2019.
There were also international marches in Berlin, Paris, London, and Stockholm.
The Stonewall Rebellion is a turning point in both American history and the gay rights movement.
