Some time after midnight, June 28, 1969, in what is now considered by many to be the first major demonstration in history in the name of equal rights for LGBTQ people, a police raid on the Stonewall Inn – a club Popular gay boy on Christopher Street in New York City – turns violent as local customers and supporters start riots against authorities.
READ MORE: What happened during the Stonewall riots? A chronology of the 1969 uprising
Although the police were legally justified in raiding the club, which served unlicensed alcohol, among other violations, the New York gay community had grown tired of the police targeting gay clubs, many of which were already closed.
Soon the crowd started to throw bottles at the police. The demonstration spilled over into neighboring streets and order was not restored until after New York riot police were deployed sometime after 4 a.m.
The Stonewall riots were followed by days of protests in New York City and spurred the formation of the Gay Liberation Front and other gay, lesbian and bisexual civil rights organizations. The following year, in 1970, New York’s first official gay pride parade left Stonewall and went up 6th Avenue. June was then designated LGBTQ Pride Month to commemorate the uprising.
READ MORE: 7 Surprising Facts About The Stonewall Riots And The Fight For LGBTQ Rights
In 2019, the New York Police Service officially apologized for its role in the Stonewall riots and for discriminatory laws targeting homosexuals.
Discover the history of the LGBTQ movement in America here.
