What was Stonewall Riot?
The Stonewall riots, also known as stonewall uprising, was a series of immediate demonstration of the gay community. The Stonewall riots began in the initial hours of June 28, 1969. It occurred when the New York police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village in New York City. The stonewall riots are widely regarded as a watershed event that transformed the gay liberation movement and 20th-century fight for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender rights in the United States.
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What was The Stonewall Uprising Or Stonewall Riots?
The homeless LGBTQ teens, trans women of color, lesbians, drag queens, gay men, and allies all decided to take a stand in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969. The Stonewall Uprising initiated out as an all-too-routine police raid of the Stonewall Inn gay bar in New York City transformed into a multi-night uprising on the streets of Greenwich Village. It wasn’t the first time when LGBTQ people fought back and organized against brutality, but the Stonewall uprising exploded a mass movement that rapidly spread throughout the U.S. and around the globe.
Why is The Reason Behind The Police to Raid The Stonewall Inn?
Starting in 1934, after the end of Prohibition, the New York State Liquor Authority regulated liquor licenses, which prohibited the serving of alcohol in “disorganized” establishments. The presence of gay people was regarded as de facto disorderly. This gives rise to the regular raids of gay bars and clubs by the police. They’d arrest patrons and managers discriminately, imprison the cash register and alcohol, and hook up the front door. The police, Mafia, and State Liquor Authority officials are typically bribed by the police for protection, so they were tipped off in advance of an imminent raid and would sometimes turn up the lights to warn patrons to stop any open displays of affection or slow dancing, which could risk arrest.
What Happened at The Stonewall Inn in 1969?
In 1969, people observed as LGBTQ faced a different form of discrimination. In the U.S. they were finding it difficult to marry their beloved partners or adopt children. They were also not permitted to work for the federal government. These are just a few examples of how laws are set for LGBTQ. In some places, including New York City, it was even illegal to serve LGBTQ and people consuming alcohol. Due to this the Stonewall Inn, a renowned gathering place for the LGBTQ and community, was often visited by police. It was usual for law enforcement to manifest unanticipated at the inn.
Once there, the police arrested the owners, employees, and many customers. The police officers arrived at the Stonewall Inn on June 18, 1969, at about 1:00 a.m. They put several people in handcuffs. But something drastically changed after that. Rather than exiting the area, the people were inside the Stonewall Inn assembled just outside. It wasn’t well before they were joined by residents of the nearby locality. Together, the group of almost 600 people disagreed against the police and also against the laws they imposed. Soon, the protest turned into a riot. People set fire to the garbage cans, threw stones, and destroyed property.
The police officers took them home and waited for support. 13 people were eventually arrested. The Stonewall Uprising resumed for a total of six nights. Thousands of people gathered to support the unfair treatment of LGBTQIA. A few emerged as leaders of the movement. One among them was Marsha P. Johnson, who was a Black transgender woman and an activist for LGBTQIA. Marsha P. Johnson was joined by her friend, a transgender Latina woman named Sylvia Rivera.
Together, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera ran to open STAR House, a social space for unhoused LGBTQ, including youth and others. Although the Stonewall Uprising took place in New York, its impacts were observed far and wide. On June 28, 1970, thousands of LGBTQ and other individuals walked up in New York City on the anniversary of the riots. This was observed as the first Pride Parade in the U.S on that day. Communities all over the U.S. celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month annually in June. Across the Globe, many other countries also celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month in June and at other times in other countries.
FAQs on The 1969 Stonewall Riots
1. What took place at the Stonewall Inn after the uprising?
The Stonewall Inn went out of business a little while after the uprising. It was leased as two separate spaces to several different businesses including a bagel shop, Chinese restaurant, and clothing store over the years. From 1987 through 1989, a bar named Stonewall was opened at 51 Christopher Street. When it closed, the historic vertical sign was discarded from the building’s facade. None of the original Stonewall Inn’s interior finishes remained.
2. When was Stonewall Inn opened?
In 1967, the Stonewall Inn was opened by Mafioso Fat Tony Lauria as a “private” gay club. It is one of the renowned clubs in Greenwich Village where patrons could dance. Gay bars often functioned as “private” clubs to prevent the New York State Liquor Authority regulation that prohibited gay people from being served alcoholic beverages.
3. Was anyone killed in the Stonewall riot?
There were no fatalities observed among the rioters or the police in the Stonewall riot. On the second night, a group of rioters crowded a cab on Christopher Street, rocked it from side to side, and the driver died later that night from an apparent heart attack.
4. Has Stonewall considered a riot, an uprising, or a rebellion? Was there any looting?
What happened at the Stonewall Inn is described as a riot, uprising, rebellion, or all three. A nuisance of Greenwich Village shops was looted on the final night of the uprising.
