This June 28th marks the fifty-fifth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, an event that forever changed activism for the Gender, Sexual, and Relationship (GSRD) community and has become an enduring story and symbol of when the fight for equal rights truly emerged into the open.
On the night of June 25th, a police raid took place at the mafia-run Stonewall Inn. This was a common occurrence in those times, and the only difference was that while typically, police would be bribed for tips on when such raids would occur, it doesn’t seem like that happened before the raid on the Stonewall Inn. There is hardly any photography and no film of what happened that night, and the events have been told and retold enough to become mythologized, but there are a few things that we do know occurred on that night.
As the police were detaining patrons of the Inn, a gender non-conforming woman called out to the watching crowd for help. Several accounts identify this person as Stormé DeLarverie, including herself on some occasions, though the person’s identity has never been proven beyond doubt. The request ignited a spark in the crowd, spreading unrest as passers-by and others on Christopher Street joined in.
Again, we don’t know for certain what truly sparked the riots. There’s little to no solid evidence of what happened, and individual accounts from those who were there vary in the level of violence and the tone of the uprising, but some action—some claim it was a thrown shot glass, others a brick, others something else entirely—rapidly turned the mood from unrest to defiance. Many claim the atmosphere during the uprising proper was joyful amid oppression. Kick-lines of people—mostly drag queens and others who were then known as ‘transvestites’—blocked police while chanting to the tune of Howdy Doody: “We are the Stonewall Girls / we wear our hair in curls / we don’t wear underwear / to show our pubic hair.
The riots lasted four days, growing as time went on until hundreds of people had joined the protests. Iconic activist Marsha P. Johnson had a critical role, with many calling her—along with Zazu Nova and Jackie Hormona—one of the vanguards of the demonstrations.
The Stonewall Riots were unprecedented in the climate of GSRD activism of the time. Before Stonewall, previous campaigners—known often as homophile groups—were extremely focused on ‘acceptable’ activism. They were very leery of causing offence and believed that the best way to gain acceptance was to prove that they were no different from heterosexual people. Stonewall dramatically shifted this viewpoint. GSRD activists began to proclaim their existence proudly and openly, demanding recognition exactly as they were. Within a month of the riots, activists formed the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), the first organization to use the word ‘gay’ in its name. The GLF went on to organize the Christopher Street marches on the first anniversary of Stonewall, an event that would eventually morph into today’s Pride Month.
Within two years of Stonewall, every major American city and many others in Canada, Australia, and Western Europe had their own Gay rights group, even as the GLF dissolved rapidly after its creation. Former members went on to form the Gay Activists Alliance, while Marsha P. Johnson and her close friend Sylvia Rivera (whose presence at the original Stonewall Riots is disputed) formed the revolutionary Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries. STAR opened the first shelter for homeless GSRD folks, and while the group disbanded, its legacy continues to this day.
Many people nowadays disagree with calling the events at the Stonewall Inn riots. Many accounts say that there was more cheering and dancing than true rioting, and Stormé DeLarverie (the person some say lit the spark of the riots) herself once said the following: “It was a rebellion, it was an uprising, it was a civil rights disobedience, it wasn’t no damn riot.”
There have been full-length books written about Stonewall, and the number of incredible stories and perspectives out there is well worth a Google if you find yourself further interested. While we may never know in perfect detail exactly how it all occurred, we can say with perfect confidence that modern Pride and GSRD activism owes very much indeed to the astonishing bravery of those who stood up that night and said ‘enough.’ Stonewall will always be a crucial moment in GSRD history, something exemplified by the words of beat poet Allen Ginsberg as he walked home after happening across the joyful protests. “You know, the guys there were so beautiful—they’ve lost that wounded look that [a slur for GSRD men] all had 10 years ago.”
