Stonewall uprising was a series of demonstrations for gay rights that took place in New York City in late June and early July 1969. The demonstrations were in response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwich Village neighborhood. 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, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights movement.
From the 1950’s to the late 1960’s, the American gay rights movement was largely composed of groups called homophile organizations. These groups spoke out for the rights of gay men and lesbians in a peaceful manner. Many homophile organizations protested against police harassment, used lawsuits to defend gay rights, and became active in political parties. But an increasing number of participants in the gay rights movement were becoming dissatisfied with homophile organizations and supported more activist approaches.
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-dressing is wearing the clothing and taking 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.
