There was a time when being perceived as queer could be dangerous, often resulting in a night spent in jail or being brutalized with very little to no access to recourse. State sodomy laws, federal hiring bans, and immigration restrictions were once considered the default when it came to recognizing LGBTQ+ people.
Stonewall Inn was a place of refuge as much as a place of resistance. When existing is illegal and safe places are scarce, being who you are is a radical act. Homosexuality was a criminal offense in 1969, and laws attempting to prohibit queer spaces from operating littered municipal, state, and federal policy. Police raids were commonplace at LGBTQ+ spaces across the country. It was June 28, 1969 a little after 1am that Stonewall was raided by NYPD officers in plain clothes. Interrogations ensued, but a routine raid on a queer space was not what anyone found that night.
Transgender and gender non-conforming patrons were targeted and ordered to be detained by Inspector Seymour Pine. This wasn’t surprising – what was different was that this time, after countless raids, people not only resisted, they rebelled.
Instead of lining up to be detained, arrested, or brutalized in the midst of a raid, the frustration of patrons and onlookers broke. Yelling began, then object throwing, and by the following afternoon, the city was abuzz with what had happened in the early morning. By the next week, so was the country.
The following year, The first Christopher Street Liberation Day March, what we now recognize as the first Pride Parade, took place to commemorate the rebellion at Stonewall. This attracted thousands of participants, shocking organizers. This march solidified Stonewall’s place in the LGBTQ civil rights movement and history.
In the decades that followed Stonewall, it has been mythologized. Accounts vary from participants and news coverage, while more than typical when it came to LGBTQ+ stories at the time, it wasn’t exhaustive. What we know came undoubtedly from Stonewall is a sense of unity in the queer community. The first gay activist organization, The Gay Liberation Front (GLF), was founded, which then led to the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA), The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), GLAAD, and more. Pride was born from the celebration and community that lives at the center of protesting.
The Month of June signifies a celebration of LGBTQ+ people, history, and life. It demands visibility for people who were criminalized for existing and reminds all of us that living authentically is a radical act.
We are lucky enough to benefit from the advocacy of Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Stormé DeLarverie, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Dick Leitsch, Craig Rodwell, Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt, Martin Boyce, Raymond Castro, and so many more who made Pride possible.
Pride is rooted in connection. To find community, check out this non-exhaustive list of resources:
