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The Stonewall Riots

The Stonewall Riots. New York City, June - July, 1969. What were the Stonewall Riots?. They were violent confrontations between the police and gay New Yorkers in the summer of 1969. They are sometimes called “The Stonewall Rebellion,” or simply “Stonewall.”

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The Stonewall Riots

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  1. The Stonewall Riots New York City, June - July, 1969

  2. What were the Stonewall Riots? • They were violent confrontations between the police and gay New Yorkers in the summer of 1969. • They are sometimes called “The Stonewall Rebellion,” or simply “Stonewall.” • They are viewed today as the birth of the modern gay rights movement.

  3. The Stonewall Inn • Was located in Greenwich Village, in downtown New York City • Catered primarily to gay men and “drag queens,” many of whom were Hispanic or African-American • Operated without a liquor license • Was under police observation because of Wall Street robberies believed to have been committed by gay men who were being blackmailed

  4. Before Stonewall • In many cities, it was illegal to be homosexual • Police regularly raided gay bars and sometimes arrested everyone present for “indecency” • A bar could have its liquor license revoked for knowingly serving drinks to three or more homosexuals

  5. A Time of Political Upheaval • President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 • Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. • The Black Panthers Party in Oakland was advocating armed self-defense against police brutality • Race riots in Watts, CA (‘65), Detroit, MI (‘67), and Newark, NJ (‘67). • Vietnam War protesters rioted in Chicago outside the Democratic National Convention (‘68).

  6. Sylvia Rivera • Sylvia Rivera, a transgendered woman, got into a fight with a police officer after he prodded her with a nightstick. • Other Stonewall patrons joined the fracas.

  7. The Riot Begins • A parking meter was used to force the police out of the door. • Police began beating Stonewall customers and anyone else nearby. • Dave Van Ronk, a heterosexual folk singer, was walking by and was beaten.

  8. The Riot Continues • Patrons of nearby bars joined the angry crowd, now 2000 people strong, in their confrontation with police. • Bottles and rocks were thrown. • Some rioters chanted “Gay Power!’ • The Tactical Patrol Force, a riot squad, was called in. The crowd continued to fight the police. Around 4:00 AM, the violence ceased.

  9. June 29, 1969

  10. Days Twoand Three • Rioting resumed the next night. • Four nights later, 1,000 people gathered at the Stonewall, then rioted again. • Extensive property damage.

  11. Later in the summer of 1969, between 5,000 and 10,000 people marched from Greenwich Village to Central Park in support of gay rights.

  12. Takin’ it to the Streets

  13. After Stonewall • Unannounced police raids of gay bars declined after Stonewall. • Gay Americans began to recognize that activism, not silence, would protect them from harassment and discrimination. • The GLF (Gay Liberation Front) was formed immediately after Stonewall and chapters opened in many major U.S. cities.

  14. Today • Gay Pride marches are generally held in the last week of June to commemorate the Stonewall Riots • Gay rights organizations, like the Lambda Defense Fund are fighting for marriage equality, against job discrimination, and for GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered) youth and teachers to be treated fairly in public schools.

  15. Sources • Davies, Diana. Photo of Christopher Street Liberation Day, June, 1970. Stonewall 25: Cases 1-2. Viewed November 17, 2006. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eresources/exhibitions/sw25/case1.html • Fist graphic. http://www.criticalgraphics.com/?catid=6 Viewed November 17, 2006. • “Lamda legal” logo. http://www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/iowa/news/resources.html Viewed November 17, 2006. • “4 Policemen Hurt in ‘Village’ Raid.” http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eresources/exhibitions/sw25/case1.html New York Times. June 29, 1969. Viewed November 17, 2006. • Undated photo of Sylvia Rivera. http://www.iacboston.org/images/sylviarivera.jpg Viewed November 17, 2006. Venne, Jean Louis. “Flames.” Photo. http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/France/photo44674.htm Viewed November 17, 2006.

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