Today is a very momentous day in history. Why? Because today is the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The 43rd anniversary, to be exact. It is arguably the most important event to have ever happened within LGBT history. So, what were the Stonewall Riots all about?
The Stonewall Riots were a series of impulsive, violent demonstrations against a police raid. On Friday evening, June 27, 1969, the New York City tactical police force raided a popular Greenwich Village gay bar, the Stonewall Inn. Raids were not unusual in 1969; in fact, they were conducted regularly without much resistance. However, that night the street erupted into violent protest as the crowds in the bar fought back. The backlash and several nights of protest that followed have come to be known as the Stonewall Riots.
At first, everything unfolded according to a time-honored ritual. Seven casually dressed detectives and a uniformed officer entered and announced their presence. The bar staff stopped serving the watered-down, overpriced drinks, while their Mafia bosses swiftly removed the cigar boxes which functioned as tills. The officers demanded identification papers from the customers and then escorted them outside, throwing some into a waiting paddy-wagon and pushing others off the sidewalk.
But at a certain point, the "usual suspects" departed from the script and decided to fight back. A debate still rages over which incident sparked the riot. Was it a 'butch' lesbian dressed in man's clothes who resisted arrest, or a male drag queen who stopped in the doorway between the officers and posed defiantly, rallying the crowd?
Riot veteran and gay rights activist Craig Rodwell says: "A number of incidents were happening simultaneously. There was no one thing that happened or one person, there was just... a flash of group, of mass anger."
Why do people celebrate historic events such as this, then?
The LGBT community have been targeted for ridicule and disdain for many years and it's still happening today. Unfortunately, it's led to extreme cases, such as violence within the community and, sadly, led to some LGBT people taking their lives. In less extreme cases, people in the community feel isolated and are at a higher risk of developing anxiety and depression. Still to this day, people feel ashamed of their orientation and tend to hide it for a number of months.
So, celebrating events such as this let people celebrate being who they are and to be proud of it (hence the term Gay Pride). The celebrations are not meant to be political protests, but to celebrate the rich history of LGBT and let the community celebrate who they are. Events such as these are also a great way for straight people and allies to learn more about the gay culture.
Here are some facts about the origins of pride:
- The Stonewall riots started at 1:20am on Saturday, June 28,1969 at The Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in New York City. Another incident took place later that night.
- The first gay Pride march didn’t take place until June 28, 1970. There were no floats — it was more of a politically-driven demonstration to commemorate the Stonewall Riots than the non-stop party it is today.
- A unknown lesbian is responsible for starting the first riot. When a cop hit her in the head with a billy club and cuffed her, she turned to the crowd and screamed, “Why don’t you do something?!?” After an officer threw her into the back of a paddy wagon, “the scene became explosive”.
- Kick lines and a re-write to the Howdy Doody theme song were part of the crowd’s reaction to the police attempting to control rioters.
- The Stonewall Inn was owned and operated by the Mafia. There was a peephole in the door and if the bouncer didn’t recognize you or didn’t think you were gay, you weren’t getting in.
- Stonewall had no running water behind the bar (plastic cups were not all the rage in the ’60s) and overflowing toilets were common.
- At the time of the riots, cross-dressing was illegal. You could be arrested for not wearing a certain number of gender-appropriate garments. The night of the riot, female police officers took patrons dressed as women into the bathroom to confirm their sex.
- Believe it or not, The Village Voice, today a gay-equality champion run by a lot of gays, took an anti-gay stance in covering the riots. Angry protesters threatened to burn their headquarters down.
- The Voice provided favorable coverage of the Pride march the following year. In fact, the media as a whole began its painful, gradual ascent to a fair and balanced approach to LGBT issues.
So there you have it. There's lots of websites that go into more detail about the riots and you can get books about them- or, request them in- in your local library. How are you celebrating this momentous? Let us know!