The counterculture of the early 1960’s and 70’s in Western society comprised a major occurrence of people’s traditional beliefs differing. Points of view considering the rights of women, race relations (notably, the African American Civil Rights Movement), the war in Vietnam and “hippie culture” (experimenting in psychoactive drugs especially) in particular altered dramtically. The Stonewall Riots took place during the early hours of the 28th of June 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, a pub that was owned by the Mafia at the time, in New York City. These riots were in retaliation to police raids in gay bars that were considered routine back then.
"A number of incidents were happening simultaneously. There was no one thing that happened or one person, there was just... a flash . . . of mass anger." - Gay rights activist, Craig Rodwell
They have become the defining event that marked the beginning of the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. Up until then their request were more or less blatantly dismissed. Homosexuals have known to be imprisoned, sent to psychiatric institutions and outcast because in that era homosexuality was considered a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association and had been for almost a century; this was reconsidered December 15, 1974. It was the gays’ turn to gain their rights. They were determined and weren’t going to let anything no matter how big or small get in their way.
The Gay Rights Movement was
The Importance of the Stonewall Riots and Their Lasting Effects on the Gay Rights Movement
Members of the gay community were heavily discriminated against because of their sexuality and because heterosexual people had no tolerance for them and their “lifestyle”. When the actual raid on the Stonewall Inn occurred some patrons at the bar became hostile and resisted the police. The police in turn became violent and began to threaten and even hurt some of the people in the bar that refused to show identification or have their gender checked. Both the members of the gay community and the New York police that came to raid Stonewall are to blame for the riots that broke out. The gay patrons of the bar had a right to fight against hate and discrimination, but the police could only fight back because the riots were violent towards them. In the end, the members of the gay community had more of a reason to riot than the police had to injure and arrest them during the riots.
The throng became raucous as the time passed; people began throwing bottles and bricks at the police and shouting “gay power!” The riots really started when a lesbian woman who has been described as “a typical New
Stonewall Riots: the Events that Sparked the LGBTQ+ Rights Movement When most think of the gay rights movement of today, most realize that it is all very progressive, and many people, regardless of gender or sexuality, fully support the movement. Although this is the case now, things for the LGBTQ+ community have not always this accepting. According to a popular news website, "[The LGBTQ+ community] were viewed as some kind of freak show," said Tommy Lanigan-Schmidt. "Something to be avoided." (cbsnews.com) Around the mid 20th century and before, anyone who did not identify, or was suspected of not identifying as straight was highly discriminated against, and, in most cases, persecuted.
The conditions faced by queer people leading up to the stonewall riots were appalling. Laws and Statutes made it legal to discriminate against LGBT+ individuals based on dress and behavior and to limit other basic freedoms as well. In the 50’s and 60’s, 49 of 50 states in the United States had some form of law that stated homosexuality was illegal and was punishable by fines or imprisonment (Staff). Up until 1987, homosexuality was considered a mental illness in the DSM (American Classification of Mental Disorders). In following, it was illegal to serve gay people alcohol in New York City up until 1966, thirty three years after prohibition was repealed (History). Under the statement that the gathering
The Stonewall Inn was a gay bar in New York City and it was the starting place of the Gay Liberation Movement. In the 1970s gay men and lesbians started wanting equality because they faced lots of legal discrimination. They didn’t have equal rights because they couldn’t even have consensual sex with their partners and it was illegal in almost all states. So in 1969 police raided the Stonewall Inn and gay men fought the police and proclaimed “Gay Power.” This event caused riots between the New York City police and all the gay residents.
The struggle for gay rights was not always publicized due to fear for being “ill” for thinking that way. The fight for rights was known in the mental health community as an illness. In the courts where same-sex couples would be denied the right to marry, from the Stonewall riots to the U.S. Supreme Court decision on June 26 of this year, the evolvement and difficulty of those fighting.
In today's era, one of the most progressive civil rights movements is that of the LGBT+ community. For many decades, gays, transgenders, and other queers have been under fire for who they love and who they are. On June 28th, 1969, a group of queers subjected to police brutality took a chance to stand up for themselves. Thus starting one of the most widely revered LGBT+ movements: the Stone Wall Riots. This group of courageous men and women (and those in between) were pioneers in the United States gay rights activism, and can even be considered the spark to LGBT+ rights.
The early homosexual groups in the U.S. proved that gay people also play important roles in the society, and should not be humiliated whatsoever.
Before continuing onto an analysis of how the Stonewall Riots happened and what came of them, one must first take a closer look at the events and opinions that came before and brought upon the anger and frustration that many LGBT individuals felt on that fateful night. According to many historians, the years before Stonewall were considered a “dark age” for LGBT individuals, where their very existence was
The riot that occurred during the early morning of June 28, 1969, as well as the riots that occurred as a result, dubbed the Stonewall Riots, are the beginning of the gay rights movement. Until the last quarter of the twentieth century, homosexuality, bisexuality, transvestism, and transgender sex changes were considered signs of mental illness. Painful electroshock therapy was often enforced upon those who displayed homosexual behavior. They were the objects of public suspicion, job discrimination, and outright violence. Gays, lesbians, and other sexual minority groups were stigmatized by society and harassed by law enforcement (“The Stonewall Riots”). The negative perception of homosexuality began to change in the 1940s as it gradually
Another huge social and cultural change during this time was the gay liberation movement. During the 1960’s, many groups decided to fight for their rights and equality. One of these groups was the gay and lesbian members of society. Many of these individuals were discriminated against and had no rights, but they decided enough was enough. In the 1960’s, gays decided to begin the fight for their own rights. One example of this was made after New York officers decided to raid the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York’s very own Greenwich Village on June 27, 1969. This type of raid was not unusual, being that many police officers made it a habit of raiding gay and lesbian bars. This became known as the “Stonewall Riot”, which many view as the starting point of the gay liberation movement. The gay liberation movement was the fight by gays and lesbians for equal rights, one of these rights being the right to not be discriminated against, and most importantly, to be able to openly “come out” to their family and friends. The gay liberation movement helped to impact our current times greatly. Today, a gay person has rights just like anyone else. A gay
This investigation assesses the New York City Stonewall Riots of 1969, concerning their influence on the rise of the modern gay rights movement, specifically regarding political emergence, social unity, and demographic shifts. The investigation will attempt to answer the following question: To what extent were the Stonewall Riots of 1969 a catalyst for the LGBT social movement in America?
The climate of the 1960s was turbulent. This decade was marked by many political movements, which reflected support for non-establishment themes. During this time the “sexual liberation movement” became a popular cause. This intensified social and political interest helped many disadvantaged groups to receive support and attention that previously had never been received. As part of the nation’s desire for sexual political liberation, gay liberation became visible.
"By 1973, there were almost eight hundred gay and lesbian organizations in the United States; by 1990, the number was several thousand. By 1970, 5,000 gay men and lesbians marched in New York City to commemorate the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots; in October 1987, over 600,000 marched in Washington, to demand equality" (Milestones)