A Quick Re-Telling Of The Stonewall Riots
In late 1959, New York City's mayor Robert Wagner began ordering the closing of the city's gay bars, which had numbered almost two dozen in Manhattan at the beginning of the year. Existing gay bars were hastily closed and new ones barely lasted. The election of a new mayor, John Lindsay, in 1965 began a major shift in city politics, and the social atmosphere of New York shifted.
On April 21, 1966, several gay activists staged the Sip-In at Julius' Bar on West 10th Street in Greenwich Village. This Sip-In resulted in the anti-gay accommodation rules of the NY State Liquor Authority being overturned in subsequent court actions. These SLA provisions that had been overturned stated that it was illegal for gays to congregate and be served alcoholic beverages in bars. Before this law was changed, the business of running a gay bar had to involve paying bribes to the police and Mafia. As soon as the law was changed, the SLA stopped closing legally licensed gay bars and such bars could no longer be prosecuted for serving gays and lesbians. Gay activists pressed this advantage very quickly and Mayor Lindsay was confronted with the issue of police entrapment in gay bars, resulting in this practice being stopped.
The result of these changes in the law, combined with the open social and sexual attitudes of the late 60s, led to the increased visibility of gay life in New York. Several licensed gay bars were in operation in Greenwich Village and the Upper West Side, as well as illegal, unlicensed places serving alcohol, such as the Stonewall Inn and the Snakepit, both in Greenwich Village.
The Stonewall Inn was run by the mafia, and catered to those who were outcasts in the queer community at the time, such as trans women, butch lesbians, effeminate men, and male prostitutes. Police raids on unlicensed gay bars in the 60s were routine, and on June 27, 1969, police decided to raid the Stonewall Inn.
At 1:20am, police entered and announced that this was a raid. According to protocol, patrons were supposed to line up and produce identification, female officers were then supposed to take anyone dressed as a woman to the bathroom to verify their sex, upon which any person with a penis who was dressed as a woman would be arrested.
Due to the commotion, a group of about 100 to 150 people gathered outside of the Stonewall on Christopher Street, while the patrons inside were waiting to be escorted out. By the time the first patrol car arrived, the crowd outside had grown to at least ten times the number of people who were arrested. The crowd began to shout and throw things at the police vehicles, after rumors that the patrons still inside the bar were being beaten.
Police first escorted Mafia members out of the bar, then regular bar employees, and finally the bar patrons had begun to be escorted to the police cars.
A fight began when a lesbian was being escorted out by four officers and she escaped their hold several times. She turned to the crowd and said, “Why don’t you guys do something?” and was thrown into the police car.
The crowd quickly escalated to a riot. The mob was yelling at the cops, and someone stated that the bar had been raided because, "they didn't pay off the cops," to which someone responded, "let's pay them off!" and coins began flying through the air at the police.
The police were now outnumbered by about 500 people, so the cops barricaded themselves in the stonewall bar for safety. Garbage cans, bottles, rocks, bricks, and trash were thrown at the building. Among the first to throw things were hustlers, trans women, and street kids. As soon as the crowd broke through the plywood covered windows, the police came out of the bar and pointed their guns at the rioters, and the bar was subsequently lit on fire.
Upon the arrival of more police and the Tactical Patrol Force, the cops arrested anyone they could. The TPF tried to clear the mob, but the crowd was not budging and started kick lines to mock the police. The crowd cheered, "We are the Stonewall girls/ We wear our hair in curls/ We don't wear underwear/ We show our pubic hair!" Protesters and rioters chased police through the streets. By 4:00 a.m., the streets had nearly been cleared.
The night of June 28th, rioting again broke out on Christopher Street. Many of the same people returned from the previous evening. Many people remarked about the sudden exhibition of homosexual affection in public, as described by one witness: "From going to places where you had to knock on a door and speak to someone through a peephole in order to get in. We were just out. We were in the streets."
Thousands of people had gathered in front of the Stonewall. After 2:00 a.m. the TPF arrived again. Kick lines and police chases ensued; when police captured demonstrators, the crowd surged to get them back. This again went on until 4:00 a.m.
Leaflets were printed in the following days declaring, "Get the Mafia and the Cops out of Gay Bars." calling for gays to run their own establishments.
The riots at stonewall sparked a fire in gays across the United States to start to advocate for themselves and fight the oppression, the Gay Liberation Movement was born from this. On the anniversary of the stonewall riots in New York, the first gay pride parade was held; simultaneous marches happened in Los Angeles and Chicago.
This year will be the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Celebrate, and be kind to one another.
Remember those who fought for our right to be.
 |
| This was the only photograph taken during the first night of the riots. It shows homeless youth scuffling with police. This photograph was on the front page of the New York Daily News on June 29th, 1969. |
On April 21, 1966, several gay activists staged the Sip-In at Julius' Bar on West 10th Street in Greenwich Village. This Sip-In resulted in the anti-gay accommodation rules of the NY State Liquor Authority being overturned in subsequent court actions. These SLA provisions that had been overturned stated that it was illegal for gays to congregate and be served alcoholic beverages in bars. Before this law was changed, the business of running a gay bar had to involve paying bribes to the police and Mafia. As soon as the law was changed, the SLA stopped closing legally licensed gay bars and such bars could no longer be prosecuted for serving gays and lesbians. Gay activists pressed this advantage very quickly and Mayor Lindsay was confronted with the issue of police entrapment in gay bars, resulting in this practice being stopped.
 |
| The Stonewall Inn; photo taken September 1969. |
The result of these changes in the law, combined with the open social and sexual attitudes of the late 60s, led to the increased visibility of gay life in New York. Several licensed gay bars were in operation in Greenwich Village and the Upper West Side, as well as illegal, unlicensed places serving alcohol, such as the Stonewall Inn and the Snakepit, both in Greenwich Village.
The Stonewall Inn was run by the mafia, and catered to those who were outcasts in the queer community at the time, such as trans women, butch lesbians, effeminate men, and male prostitutes. Police raids on unlicensed gay bars in the 60s were routine, and on June 27, 1969, police decided to raid the Stonewall Inn.
At 1:20am, police entered and announced that this was a raid. According to protocol, patrons were supposed to line up and produce identification, female officers were then supposed to take anyone dressed as a woman to the bathroom to verify their sex, upon which any person with a penis who was dressed as a woman would be arrested.
"My biggest fear was that I would get arrested. My second biggest fear was that my picture would be in a newspaper or on a television report in my mother's dress!" -Maria Ritter, trans woman who was in the bar that nightThis raid did not go according to plan; people refused to produce ID and those dressed as women refused to go with officers. Police then decided to take everyone present at the bar to the police station. Patrons recall feeling uncomfortable, especially after witnessing police assault some of the lesbians by 'feeling them up' while frisking them. All of the alcohol present was to be transported to the police station with the patrons that were being arrested, but patrol wagons had not yet arrived at the bar, so patrons and police had to wait about 15 more minutes for the wagons to arrive. Those who were not arrested were released out of the bar, but did not leave and instead started to pose and wave at police inside the bar.
Due to the commotion, a group of about 100 to 150 people gathered outside of the Stonewall on Christopher Street, while the patrons inside were waiting to be escorted out. By the time the first patrol car arrived, the crowd outside had grown to at least ten times the number of people who were arrested. The crowd began to shout and throw things at the police vehicles, after rumors that the patrons still inside the bar were being beaten.
Police first escorted Mafia members out of the bar, then regular bar employees, and finally the bar patrons had begun to be escorted to the police cars.
A fight began when a lesbian was being escorted out by four officers and she escaped their hold several times. She turned to the crowd and said, “Why don’t you guys do something?” and was thrown into the police car.
 |
| The sign left by police following the raid is now on display just inside the bar. |
The crowd quickly escalated to a riot. The mob was yelling at the cops, and someone stated that the bar had been raided because, "they didn't pay off the cops," to which someone responded, "let's pay them off!" and coins began flying through the air at the police.
The police were now outnumbered by about 500 people, so the cops barricaded themselves in the stonewall bar for safety. Garbage cans, bottles, rocks, bricks, and trash were thrown at the building. Among the first to throw things were hustlers, trans women, and street kids. As soon as the crowd broke through the plywood covered windows, the police came out of the bar and pointed their guns at the rioters, and the bar was subsequently lit on fire.
Upon the arrival of more police and the Tactical Patrol Force, the cops arrested anyone they could. The TPF tried to clear the mob, but the crowd was not budging and started kick lines to mock the police. The crowd cheered, "We are the Stonewall girls/ We wear our hair in curls/ We don't wear underwear/ We show our pubic hair!" Protesters and rioters chased police through the streets. By 4:00 a.m., the streets had nearly been cleared.
"We all had a collective feeling like we'd had enough of this kind of shit. [...] There was something in the air, freedom a long time overdue, and we're going to fight for it. It took different forms, but the bottom line was, we weren't going to go away. And we didn't."All day Saturday, June 28, people came to stare at the burned and blackened Stonewall Inn. Graffiti appeared on the walls of the bar, declaring "Drag power", "They invaded our rights", "Support gay power", and "Legalize gay bars".
The night of June 28th, rioting again broke out on Christopher Street. Many of the same people returned from the previous evening. Many people remarked about the sudden exhibition of homosexual affection in public, as described by one witness: "From going to places where you had to knock on a door and speak to someone through a peephole in order to get in. We were just out. We were in the streets."
 |
| Marsha P. Johnson was one of the main influencers of the riots. She paved the way for queer activism, and continues to be a powerful queer role model for us today. |
Thousands of people had gathered in front of the Stonewall. After 2:00 a.m. the TPF arrived again. Kick lines and police chases ensued; when police captured demonstrators, the crowd surged to get them back. This again went on until 4:00 a.m.
Leaflets were printed in the following days declaring, "Get the Mafia and the Cops out of Gay Bars." calling for gays to run their own establishments.
The riots at stonewall sparked a fire in gays across the United States to start to advocate for themselves and fight the oppression, the Gay Liberation Movement was born from this. On the anniversary of the stonewall riots in New York, the first gay pride parade was held; simultaneous marches happened in Los Angeles and Chicago.
This year will be the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Celebrate, and be kind to one another.
Remember those who fought for our right to be.
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