A community coming together to bravely defend their civil rights

The uprising at the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan in June of 1969 began in the early hours of the morning when New York City police raided the establishment. Raids on gay clubs were not uncommon in the late ’60s, and that fact combined with the rough treatment by the police at Stonewall led to an uprising when bar patrons and neighborhood residents made a stand for their civil rights. In the following six days, protests took place throughout the Greenwich Village neighborhood where the Stonewall Inn resides to demonstrate against centuries of abuse, hostility, shaming and discrimination. These events were a catalyst for the forming of the gay rights movement.

June has become a time to remember the hardships and celebrate the progress the LGBTQ+ community has endured while courageously bringing themselves front and center during that tumultuous time to fight for full equality. The first Pride march took place in New York City on June 28, 1970, and according to documentation gathered by the Library of Congress, marchers at the inaugural Pride in New York City totaled somewhere in between 3,000 – 5,000 people. Today New York City’s Pride march numbers in the millions.

While LGBTQ+ equality has become a reality in many aspects, there are still many more hurdles to overcome. However, in an official proclamation signed by President Biden on June 1, 2021, the Biden administration is taking historic actions to deliver full equality for LGBTQ+ families.

Within the pronouncement, the President states, “…I will not rest until full equality for LGBTQ+ Americans is finally achieved and codified into law. That is why I continue to call on Congress to pass the Equality Act, which will ensure civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people and families across our country.”

The content in this post was gathered from the following sources: History.com, The Library of Congress, and www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room.

Click the image below or this link to go to the Library of Congress’ website to see actual footage of the first Gay Pride demonstration march. Dr. Lilli Vincenz, a lesbian activist, produced this documentary in 1970.