Stonewall Riots

The Stonewall Riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the LGBTQ+ community in response to 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.

The Stonewall Inn was a popular gathering place for the LGBTQ+ community, particularly those marginalized and persecuted by society at the time, including drag queens, transgender individuals, and homeless LGBTQ+ youth.

The raid on the Stonewall Inn was part of a broader pattern of police harassment and discrimination against LGBTQ+ establishments in the 1960s.

The resistance at the Stonewall Inn was led by transgender women of color, such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, along with other LGBTQ+ activists and community members.

The riots continued for several days, with clashes between the LGBTQ+ community and the police, as well as additional protests against societal discrimination and injustice.

The Stonewall Riots are widely considered a catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, sparking a wave of activism and organizing.

The first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots marked the beginning of what is now known as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, with marches held in several cities in 1970.

The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) were among the organizations formed after the riots, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and social change.

The Stonewall Riots inspired the first Gay Pride parades in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco in 1970.

The Stonewall Inn, as the site of these historic events, is now recognized as a symbol of LGBTQ+ resistance and resilience. In 2016, it was designated a National Historic Landmark.