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Dani explains the 1960s Stonewall Riots, including their background and how they affected current LGBTQIA+ culture.
What HAPPENED at STONEWALL?
What HAPPENED at STONEWALL?
By: Dani Porterfield
By: Dani Porterfield
June 28, 1969 was the start of the Stonewall Uprising. It was, in short, a Civil Rights movement highlighting police brutality in the United States, as well as the continuous fight that many queer and marginalized groups faced in the 1960’s. What were the details and why is so important to know about when it comes to queer culture?
Though the Stonewall Riots are not the first confrontation between police and queer folk, the event shed new light on the LGBTQIA+ movement. As written in a Library of Congress article, the event got far more attention than events in years past; at this time in history, homosexuality was considered a mental disorder and was illegal under the 1885 Labouchere Amendment. This all made the publication far more unheard of and impactful to the general public. The police claimed that they raided these establishments because of faulty liquor licenses. The criminalization of homosexuality led many queer establishments to operate only sans liquor licenses and this led them to become steady targets. This was especially shown again when, in most cases, the establishments that were queer hotspots were owned by heterosexual mafia organizations, which profited off of marginalized groups in low-income areas. This illegal background caused these bars to be unsafe spaces-- not only for employees but for customers, too. The effect on the people involved was permanent.
Before the protests even began, there were lists of gay bars getting raided in the United States. There are some iconic examples, including The Black Nite Brawl, Wisconsin, 1961, which, the Milwaukie, states was the first LGBTQ uprising in Wisconsin history and is a great example of when queer folk took an early stand against homophobia and fought back. Additionally, Dewey's Lunch Counter Sit-In, Philadelphia, 1965 was a protest after the Philly diner started refusing service to anyone who appeared to be affiliated or a part of the queer community. Also, according to the Library Of Congress the Pepper Hill Club Raid,1955 sadly resulted in over 162 people arrested. These are all important moments in history that led to the pivotal moments of June 1969, but lacked the publicity that was present at the Inn.
In the early hours of June 28, 1969, violence broke out between LGBT protesters and police. Britannica informs that the police entered the bar first, arresting employees for selling alcohol without a license, but then continued to arrest multiple patrons for articles of what was considered inappropriate gendered clothing. This, along with the apparent and ongoing build-up of police raids, caused an uproar. People outside the bar did not run away, They pushed back. Beer bottles, general debris and people were thrown onto New York police and their equipment. In a panic, they shut themself into the bar and reinforced the inside while some 400 hundred angry gay activists rioted on the lawn and in the streets. Then suddenly the bar was set on fire. This caused the crowds to disperse, but not for long. A five-day protest continued, from night to day. For one of the first times in history, transgender, lesbian, gay and general queer people pushed for change together. A civil rights movement had moved forward.
The Stonewall Inn is now a national monument and, as stated by The United States National Parks Services website, it is “the single most important catalyst for the dramatic expansion of the LGBT civil rights movement”. The riots inspired LGBT people throughout the country to continue forward and within only a few years after the events of Stonewall, LGBT rights groups had been started in nearly every major city In the United States creating its own lasting and unique impact. Stonewall was, as historian Lillian Faderman wrote, "the shot heard round the world...crucial because it sounded the rally for the movement”. The Stonewall uprising unleashed a whole new chapter in the queer civil rights movement. It created a want for change and an explosive and expansive fight for liberty that now has had immense payoff, even if this is just the beginning.
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