stonewall

On the night of June 27, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a seedy mob-controlled gay bar on Christopher Street in New York City. It was one of thousands of such raids that routinely took place in American cities and towns. But the response was anything but routine. For the first time ever, patrons fought back, setting off three days of rioting and proving the spark that ignited the modern gay rights movement. Inspired by the movements of the 60s, the moment of revolt turned into a wave of organizing.

From the days of the early Gay Liberation Front formed right after the Stonewall Riots and the offshoot Gay Activist Alliance, the "movement" has never been one movement but always a multiplicity of organizations, groups, strategies and actions. The spotlight has usually been on more privileged LGBTQI people, those with more resources, and their agendas have set most of the political priorities for queer people in the decades since. Thus it's especially important and appropriate to stop and remember that the people who helped start it all that night in Greenwich Village were among the most marginalized members of our community: drag queens, prostitutes, homeless youth.