The Stonewall uprisings – a landmark victory and a core piece of gay history

ddhtsnpa
ddhtsnpa
Sep 8, 2018 · 4 min read

The Stonewall Riots was the catalyst for the international gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT+ rights in America. We owe our rights to these riots, the ability to come out and not be socially shunned, to talk about our identity and it not being taboo, and to have LGBT themed entertainment. It is a fundamental piece of gay history, one that cause chain reaction, after chain reaction to where we are today.

In the 1950's and 60's, homophile groups and gay Americans were faced with the predicament of a discriminatory justice system and sought to prove that homosexuals could be assimilated into society, favouring non-confrontational and educative methods to enlighten gays and straights alike. The last few years of the 1960's however saw a massive rise in socio-political movements upheld with a fervor still unmatched, namely, the Civil Rights movement, 1960's counterculture, and anti-Vietnam War protests. These movements along with the liberal culture of Greenwich Village served as seeds for the pandemonium that would later become the series of the spontaneous infamous Stonewall Riots.

The uprisings had taken place in the early morning hours of late June, at Greenwich Village, amidst the long standing tensions between the marginalized community and police finally erupting. At that time zero to none establishments welcomed openly gay people, and only a select number of places served as locales for queer New Yorkers to frequent and spend time at. It was a late Saturday night when the police raid started, ordered by The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms under pretences the drinks were bootlegged.

Police riots had become normalized, but steadily a sense of discomfort grew amongst the gay bar spurred by officers who had assaulted a few lesbians and, “felt some of them up inappropriately”, while frisking them. After this they would send them outside, where eventually a crowd of bystanders began to form in support of the gay people at the bar. Author Edumund White recalls, “Everyone’s restless, angry, and high-spirited. No one has a slogan, no one even has an attitude, but something’s brewing.”

A scuffle broke out when butch lesbian Stormé Delaverie, dubbed the LGBT+ version of Rosa Parks. looked out on the crowd and shouted, “Why don’t you guys do something?” before being heaved forcefully into a police van. At this the crowd become a mob and went berserk. Police’s attempts to soothe the situation were futile, and the situation turned even more chaotic. Rebellions all throughout Greenwich village broke out, protesters surrounding streetcars and buses until the occupants admitted they were gay or supported the demonstrators, starting impromptu melodies and dances in unison, officers being hospitalized, never before had anything of the sort had occurred. All of the community’s mistreatment, discrimination and rage had manifested in these rebellions, every single look of woundedness, every ounce of shame and oppression had been left behind in those protests, ultimately changed our rights and social status on a worldly scale.

During the siege of the Stonewall Craig Rodwell, gay activist, called The New York Times, the New York Post, and the Daily News to inform them what was happening. All three papers covered the riots; the Daily News placed coverage on the front page. News of the riot spread quickly throughout Greenwich Village, fueled by rumors that it had been organized by the Students for a Democratic Society, the Black Panthers, or triggered by “a homosexual police officer whose roommate went dancing at the Stonewall against the officer’s wishes” For the entirety of the following day, people came to stare at the burned and blackened Stonewall Inn. Graffiti appeared on the walls of the bar, declaring “Drag power”, “They invaded our rights”, “Support gay power”, and “Legalize gay bars”.

The aftermath of these riots only came with positive changes for us. Activist groups once obscure and unknown, became prominent and started actively promoting better rights. Manhattan citizens who were moved by the rebellion attended organization meetings, sensing an opportunity to take action. Long gone were the old ways of the Mattachine’s peaceful and quiet demonstrations, the repressiveness of the 40's and 50's, and in came a group of empowered and bold queens who sought to better the lives of their fellow gays, and future generations to come. The next year on the first anniversary of the uprisings, Pride Parades worldwide were started up, in cities such as Stockholm and West Berlin. Nearly half a century later, same-sex marriage was legalized in more than 32 countries.

When thinking of these wild and unruly protests, I like to recall one account of a moment of tranquility and quiet following the first day of the riots. It’s 4am, and people have gathered nearby in Christopher park, dazed in disbelief at what just happened. A surreal and eerie descends upon Christopher Street, though there continues to be an electrical feeling of unity and restlessness residing in the air. People comfort each other, passing on their respective experiences and pulling on their efforts to create safe spaces for them. One bystander commented:

There was a certain beauty in the aftermath of the riot… It was obvious, at least to me, that a lot of people really were gay and, you know, this was our street.

ddhtsnpa

Written by

ddhtsnpa

self-proclaimed journalist and avid dreamer

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