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STONEWALL
Despite the commodification of homosexuality through television shows like The L Word or Queer
Eye for the Straight Guy, America has long been and remains in many ways a homophobic
society. As is the case for all oppressed groups, progress, reform, and eventual acceptance begins
with taking a stand against discrimination. For the gay rights movement, that stand was
symbolically taken on Friday evening, June 27, 1969 in what has become known as “Stonewall.”
It wasn't as if the struggle for gay rights did not exist before Stonewall (e.g. The Mattachine
Society and The Daughters of Bilitis), but in the summer of 1969, let's just say the movement
got militant.
Police raids on gay bars were not uncommon in the pre-Stonewall era. Patrons were subjected to
fines for “indecency” and often found their names published in newspapers as a result. The
revolutionary tenor of the 1960s helped change some of that, but New York City Mayor John
Lindsay was in the middle of a difficult campaign run and the Stonewall Inn was operating without
a liquor license and with alleged ties to organized crime. It seemed like a good place for a high
profile law and order photo op.
At 1:20 AM, later than the usual raid — which obviously increased the chances of intoxicated
patrons — eight officers from New York's First Precinct entered the bar. Only one of the cops was
in uniform. Arrests were made but precisely how the riot began is still subject to debate. One story
has a drag queen taking a swing at a police officer after being prodded by his nightstick, while
Eye for the Straight Guy, America has long been and remains in many ways a homophobic
society. As is the case for all oppressed groups, progress, reform, and eventual acceptance begins
with taking a stand against discrimination. For the gay rights movement, that stand was
symbolically taken on Friday evening, June 27, 1969 in what has become known as “Stonewall.”
It wasn't as if the struggle for gay rights did not exist before Stonewall (e.g. The Mattachine
Society and The Daughters of Bilitis), but in the summer of 1969, let's just say the movement
got militant.
Police raids on gay bars were not uncommon in the pre-Stonewall era. Patrons were subjected to
fines for “indecency” and often found their names published in newspapers as a result. The
revolutionary tenor of the 1960s helped change some of that, but New York City Mayor John
Lindsay was in the middle of a difficult campaign run and the Stonewall Inn was operating without
a liquor license and with alleged ties to organized crime. It seemed like a good place for a high
profile law and order photo op.
At 1:20 AM, later than the usual raid — which obviously increased the chances of intoxicated
patrons — eight officers from New York's First Precinct entered the bar. Only one of the cops was
in uniform. Arrests were made but precisely how the riot began is still subject to debate. One story
has a drag queen taking a swing at a police officer after being prodded by his nightstick, while
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