People began to congregate outside, shouting at police who were waiting for patrol vans to transport the 13 people they arrested.
Those released from the Stonewall didn’t head right home. They checked ID cards, arrested employees and searched patrons who didn’t conform to a statute requiring at least three pieces of “gender appropriate” attire. Law enforcement was cracking down on gay bars in Greenwich Village, and in the early hours of June 28, 1969, eight officers entered the Stonewall Inn. Pride Month is a time to remember the human rights concerns that prompted the very first LGBTQ demonstration and march. In the U.S., further consequences included things like: LGBTQ adults could either pretend to live heterosexually within the law or live as their authentic selves illegally. In the 20th century, being “out,” “loud” or “proud” had life-altering consequences for people within the LGBTQ community. Pride Month history is part of human rights history Gay bars provided refuge but were frequent targets of police surveillance and raids. Many teens and young folks escaped the mistreatment and abuse they experienced at home to search for acceptance and community in places like New York.Įven there, laws made it almost impossible for LGBTQ people to socialize-get to know each other, hold hands, dance or kiss-in public. In the mid-1960s, the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street was a rare safe space for LGBTQ folks-including many young transgender and gender non-conforming people of color. Inspired? Create and share by tagging Stonewall Uprising