The Stonewall Riots: Birth of the Gay Rights Movement in America
This blog is about sharing my love of history, and encouraging others to get out and explore and interact with that history. Obviously I try to avoid getting political in that process and just like to focus on the awe inspiring trips. This week though I was fortunate enough to visit an amazing historical site, whose political relevance is suddenly once again front and center in an America that seems hell bent on rolling back 70 years of civil rights progress. So fair warning, today’s post will involve an amazing story of an oppressed people standing up for their rights, and beginning a fight that sadly may have to be fought again.
1969 was a tumultuous year in America. The war raged on in Vietnam, drawing great controversy and protests at home. The Civil Rights movement was in full swing, and overall America seemed set to tear itself apart at the seams as it struggled to evolve towards equality for all. Meanwhile another minority group had yet to take its first steps towards freedom and acceptance….
In the summer of 69 it was illeagal to dress as a member of the opposite sex, or even dance with a member of the same sex. The NYPD stopped just shy of having a page in their handbook entitled “Bored on a Friday Night? Go bust up a gay bar”. Which brings us to the Stonewall Inn. A run down watering hole, it was owned by the mafia who hoped to prey upon an underserved section of the population by offering an establishment that was at least semi-friendly to their needs. Even the mafia connections did not make it impervious to police action however.
In the early morning hours of July 28th 1969 4 undercover NYPD officers entered the bar (2 male, and 2 female) and gathered evidence throughout the night, before calling for additional officers to raid the bar. Standard practice at the time was for officers to line up the bar’s patrons and take them one at a time to the restroom to check that their sex matched their clothing, and then arrest the “offenders”for the crime of “cross-dressing”. On this night however, the crowd became restless and began to refuse to comply. At this point the NYPD officers made a fatal mistake, and attempted to arrest the entire bar and transport them to the police stations.
Officers began roughly frisking suspects, and both sides present noted a great sense of unease. Transport was delayed as the police chose to haul off the confiscated alcohol before the prisoners, and even the handful of people released by the police refused to leave, instead gathering at the entrance and attracting a larger crowd.
Tensions continued to escalate until the police roughly dragged a woman in handcuffs (later identified as Stormé DeLarverie) towards their patrol car. She called out to the assembled crowd "Why don't you guys do something?", and just like that the powder keg exploded. The crowd stepped forward, and the police pushed back. The scene erupted in violence, and ultimately the NYPD had to call in riot police to get the scene in order.
Although the NYPD ultimately “won” in the struggle that night, the shockwave it sent through the gay community changed everything. An oppressed people had fought back and asserted their right to exist. Having learned that there was strength in their numbers, they were no longer fearful to be who they were. The riots helped kick off a string of protests, and organized pushes for gay rights. Although they are commonplace today, New York City’s first ever “Pride Parade” was launched on July 28th 1970 to celebrate the one year anniversary of the riots.
Following the riots the building was repurposed several times over the years serving a restaurant, and shoe store among other things. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, and finally re-opened in 2007 as a bar under the same name. Today the bar is celebrated for it’s historic place in the gay rights movement, and serves as a focal point of the local gay community in the Greenwich Village neighborhood. During my visit I found it to be a very open, friendly, and welcoming place. I chatted with the bartender for about an hour, had a few drinks, and enjoyed the vibes of an energetic crowd having a great time. Walking in I was overwhelmed by the significance of the history these walls had witnessed, but that was quickly replaced by the relaxed atmosphere of the bar. Today they actually have 2 floors, each with its own bar. The upstairs hosts singing competitions/drag shows, but on regular nights is a darker/more relaxed setting to chill with friends, while the bottom floor is a more traditional (and louder) bar.
In the almost 53 years since that fateful night America has seen a long struggle towards equality, that sadly is still on-going today. We have thankfully made great strides in the right direction however, and the explosive events at the Stonewall Inn helped set all of that in motion.
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