June 28, 2019

Today, June 28, is the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Stonewall uprising, which took place in New York City in late June and early July 1969. The uprising consisted of a series of demonstrations for gay rights. A police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwich Village neighborhood, triggered the uprising. Following the raid, bar patrons and other supporters began a series of riots that lasted, on and off, for several days. The Stonewall uprising was an important event in the modern gay rights movement. The movement later came to be called the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights movement.

The Stonewall National Monument was dedicated on June 27, 2016. Credit: U.S. Department of the Interior

A number of commemorations and exhibitions are marking the Stonewall uprising’s 50th anniversary. In New York City, the world’s largest gay pride march, WorldPride NYC, is sharing its billing with “Stonewall50.” Events include a rally at the Stonewall Inn and walking tours of Greenwich Village led by the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project. New York University’s Grey Art Gallery, the Leslie-Lohman Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, the New York Historical Society, the New York Public Library, and the Brooklyn Museum are all hosting Stonewall Inn-themed exhibitions. Stonewall uprising events are also being celebrated at museums and LGBT pride events in Boston, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, and other cities.

The rainbow flag has represented the gay community since 1978. Credit: © Natasha Kramskaya, Shutterstock

In the early morning of June 28, 1969, police officers entered the Stonewall Inn. The bar was a gathering place, especially for gay men and male cross-dressers. Cross-dressers are people who wear the clothing and take on the appearance of a different gender. Most gay bars in the United States at this time were often raided by police officers enforcing immoral conduct laws. Such laws punish behavior that a society considers to be indecent. In addition, many of the gay bars in American cities, including the Stonewall Inn, were owned by or had ties to organized crime.

However, on June 28, the officers closed the Stonewall Inn on the basis of an improper license to sell alcohol. Some patrons in the bar were arrested. Others resisted arrest. A number of patrons gathered outside and began a small protest against the police action. Some patrons and other people on the street claimed that the police were abusing patrons. The crowd grew larger as more people gathered to watch the police activity. Some people threw coins, rocks, and other items at the police.

A riot began as a portion of the Stonewall Inn was set on fire. Many members of the crowd chanted “gay power,” and some people destroyed nearby property. It took several hours for the police to end the riot. However, violent protests erupted around the Stonewall Inn for the next few days.

The Stonewall uprising was an important part of the change happening in the gay rights movement at the time. In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, the gay rights movement grew in numbers and strength. Gay rights activists created new organizations and developed political strategies still used today. The anniversary of the Stonewall uprising is commemorated every summer as part of gay pride celebrations in the United States. In 2000, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated the Stonewall Inn and the surrounding streets a national historic landmark. In 2016, U.S. President Barack Obama designated the Stonewall Inn as a national monument, making it the first official National Park Service monument to honor the LGBT equality movement. For more on the Stonewall uprising, see the biography of Marsha P. Johnson, an African American LGBT rights activist.

In the United States, June is celebrated as LGBT Pride Month. Throughout June, cities across the nation host concerts, festivals, colorful parades, parties, and other events that honor the identity, contributions, and historical impact of LGBT people.

June 30, 2016

The Stonewall National Monument is dedicated in New York City on June 27, 2016.
Credit: U.S. Department of the Interior

Today, June 30, is the last day of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) Pride Month in the United States. U.S. President Barack Obama has proclaimed June to be LGBT Pride Month in every year of his presidency. In his final Pride Month proclamation on May 31, the president urged Americans to eliminate prejudice and celebrate diversity. Recalling last year’s landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States guaranteeing marriage equality in all 50 states, Obama said, “for every partnership that was not previously recognized under the law and for every American who was denied their basic civil rights, this monumental ruling instilled newfound hope, affirming the belief that we are all more free when we are treated as equals.”

On June 24, President Obama capped eight years of promoting LGBT rights by designating New York City’s landmark gay bar the Stonewall Inn as part of the Stonewall National Monument—the first National Park Service monument to honor the LGBT equality movement. The monument also includes Christopher Park, a historic community park at the intersection of Christopher Street, West 4th Street, and Grove Street across from the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. The monument area was the site of a series of demonstrations for gay rights that took place in late June and early July 1969. The demonstrations followed a raid at the inn as police sought to enforce a law prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages to homosexuals. The demonstrations evolved into a series of riots that lasted, on and off, for several days. The anniversary of the Stonewall uprising is commemorated every summer as part of gay pride celebrations in the United States.

“Stonewall will be our first national monument to tell the story of the struggle for LGBT rights,” President Obama said. “I believe our national parks should reflect the full story of our country, the richness and diversity and uniquely American spirit that has always defined us. That we are stronger together. That out of many, we are one.”

Earlier this month, on June 12, the Stonewall was also the site of a gathering of LGBT people and their supporters who came to mourn the deaths of 49 people killed by a gunman at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida—the deadliest mass shooting in United States history. The White House, in its announcement about the Stonewall monument, referred to the Orlando shooting, stating, “Although the LGBT civil rights movement has made significant progress in the pursuit of equal rights and protections under the law, there is still more work to do. As seen two weeks ago in Orlando, Florida, LGBT Americans continue to face acts of violence, discrimination, and hate. LGBT people of color are especially at risk. The administration is committed to continuing the fight for dignity, acceptance and equal rights for all Americans—no matter who they are or who they love.”

Other World Book articles

• Behind the Headlines: Orlando Terror (June 13, 2016)

In a landmark decision this morning, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage. The ruling establishes a new civil right in a long and hard-fought battle for the gay rights movement and makes the United States the 21^st country to legalize same-sex marriage.

Supporters of same-sex marriage celebrate outside of the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C., on June 26, 2015, after the court ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage. © Jacquelyn Martin, AP Photo

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in the 5 to 4 decision. “[The hope of same-sex couples] is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions,” he wrote. “They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”

Chief Justice John Roberts, however, wrote that the decision had nothing to do with the Constitution. “If you are among the many Americans—of whatever sexual orientation—who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today’s decision. Celebrate the achievement of a desired goal,” he wrote. “Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it.”

Speaking at the White House later this morning, President Barack Obama said “America should be very proud” because “small acts of courage” … “slowly made an entire country realize that love is love.”

Today’s decision came nearly 46 years to the day after a riot at New York City’s Stonewall Inn ushered in the modern gay rights movement. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. In October 2014, the Supreme Court justices refused to hear appeals from rulings allowing same-sex marriage in five states. That non-decision delivered a tacit victory for gay rights, immediately expanding the number of states allowing same-sex marriage to 24, along with the District of Columbia. By 2015, more than half of all American states had legalized same-sex marriage.

Additional World Book articles:

• Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
• Civil rights (2010-a Back in Time article)
• Civil rights (2012-a Back in Time article)
• Civil rights (2014-a Back in Time article)
• Supreme Court of the United States (2013-a Back in Time article)
• Supreme Court of the United States (2014-a Back in Time article)