Photo Credit Kyle Letendre https://www.flickr.com/photos/heykyle/35424542176/
Introduction
It's that time again! The time of year when companies slap rainbows on their products and start making a fuss about how "Gay friendly" they are. That's right, it's PRIDE month. But just in case you forgot or didn't know, Stonewall was the first in our Pride.
Stonewall is now a touchstone moment in queer history, but it's also a reminder that the gay rights movement has always been about more than just rainbow products or gay men.
The 1960s and preceding decades were not welcoming times for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans.
For instance, solicitation of same-sex relations was illegal in New York City.
Because of this Gay bars were often a safe haven for members of the LGBTQIA+, and while many of us today take these gathering places for granted, they were once our only safe space in a world that was against us.
Though sadly, they weren't often that safe. Police raids were commonplace and patrons would often be arrested under suspicion of soliciting same-sex relations, bootlegging alcohol, and even violating the state's gender-appropriate clothing statute.
Until June 28, 1969, the police raided a New York City bar known to be frequented by members of the LGBTQ community. Police arrived, armed with a warrant, and began arresting patrons, but instead of dispersing, other patrons remained to watch what conspired after. While arresting a lesbian, an officer broke a bottle over her head, and she cried out for the onlookers to act.
The patrons of Stonewall decided to fight back and became iconic in LGBTQ history.
The fight became an iconic moment in LGBTQ history. The onlookers began throwing bottles, pennies, stones, and rocks at the police. Not being accustomed to anything other than passive compliance, police called for backup and retreated into the bar where they barricaded themselves in. An estimated 400 people rioted, the bar barricade was reportedly breached multiple times, and the bar was even set on fire at one point.
The riots were more than a fight—they were a movement. For the first time, gay men, lesbians, and transgender people banded together to fight what they saw as oppression from their own government. And you know how it goes: once you've got the right people on your side, there's nothing stopping you!
The riots would continue for five days after the initial raid.
One of the most well-known activists in LGBTQ history.
One of the vanguard members of the riot even climbed a lamppost and dropped a heavy bag on a police car, shattering the windshield. That person was Marsha P. Johnson.
Marsha P. Johnson is one of the most well-known activists in LGBTQ history. She was a black trans woman, sex worker, drag queen, and founding member of S.T.A.R., an organization that supported black trans women who were in trouble with the law. She was a prominent figure in the Black Trans Liberation movement and had many friends within it such as Sylvia Rivera and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy (who would later become our first Executive Director).
"We are the Stonewall girls," Johnson said. "We wear our hair in curls and wave our arms gayly to project a sense of community."
Rioters broke windows, fought with police, and threw rocks at parked cars. The riots attracted thousands of people from around the country who were outraged by what they saw as injustice against gay men and lesbians.
A year later, on the anniversary of the riot, a march down New York City's Christopher Street was organized to celebrate, thus marking the first Gay Pride Parade in history.
"Stonewall" is used as shorthand for the riots, though they actually started at two different locations — Stonewall Inn and Ricky's Bar — before engulfing Village area blocks around Christopher Street.
It's not just Stonewall that needs to be remembered.
The riots started at two different locations: Stonewall Inn, which was owned by the Genovese crime family and targeted by police raids; and Ricky's Bar, also known as The Snake Pit, a popular gay bar on Christopher Street where many transgender people were known to hang out.
What’s more, it didn't begin with just one person throwing a brick; it was an act of mutual defense against police harassment that quickly spread block by block through the Village area after midnight on Saturday morning.
And while we often use "Stonewall" as shorthand for those riots — and while they did begin during a raid at the bar — there was no one reason why people were fed up enough to start them (even though some say it was because of what happened when someone threw a shot glass).
The films, songs, and art that pay tribute to Stonewall all focus on white people because they're usually written by straight people who don't know or care about queer people of color's contributions and experiences.
The Stonewall riots were a turning point in the history of LGBTQIA+ rights. It was the first time that queer folks had stood up against oppression and won. Yet despite this revolutionary event's importance to our history, there are many misconceptions about what happened at Stonewall that need correcting.
One of these is that the riot began because drag queens got into a fight with police officers—but while it's true that some drag queens were present during these events, they weren't involved with starting them (and weren't even mentioned until later). Another common misconception is thinking only white cis-gendered gay men participated in these actions; there were also many trans women who participated alongside them!
Conclusion
My take away this PRIDE month isn't going to be about fighting back against corporations that claim to support us while shelling out millions to politicians who push to outlaw our existence again. I'm also not taking away the notion that fighting is the way to further our goals, though it is good to remember sometimes you may have to fight.
Instead, what I'm taking away from PRIDE month this year are two things.
First, being yourself, your true self fully and authentically is one of the most rebellious actions you can ever commit. In a world that wants everyone in a nice wrapped-up box, being yourself can often ruffle more feathers than any nasty words or actions. Continue to be yourself and continue to show the world how wonderful you can be!
And second, Stonewall didn't happen because of one person. It didn't even happen because of one group. We aren't just gay, lesbian, or trans, and that is for a reason. We are the LGBTQIA+, the Alphabet Mafia, we are a group of people who don't fit into the standards that many people have tried to dictate for our lives and we are stronger as a cohesive group rather than many disparate tribes.
There is a lot of division in today's gay culture. Many people are trying to find their group by limiting their various attributes and excluding anyone who isn't "just right." But this isn't how we get things done, this isn't how we should behave. Our family of outcasts is still fighting for their right to exist, and I hope we can band together and have PRIDE, not just for ourselves, but for one another.
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out-- because I was not a communist; Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out-- because I was not a socialist; Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out-- because I was not a trade unionist; Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-- because I was not a Jew; Then they came for me-- and there was no one left to speak out for me." just one of many variations of a poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group.
If you would like more info on the Stonewall Riots, you can check out the sources I used
I would also highly encourage you to check out some of the organizations that help LGBTQIA+ individuals like:
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