Post-WWII was not a good time to be gay in America. The American Psychiatric Association had labeled homosexuality a “mental disorder”. The FBI maintained a list of known homosexuals because it was felt they would be liable for extortion by communists. Most gay men and women were “in the closet” because revealing their sexuality could result in firing from jobs and arrest by the police. Even New York City was anti-gay. Solicitation for same-sex relations was illegal. Undercover cops would entrap gay men into revealing themselves. Cops would dress in drag to arrest men who solicited drag queens. It was illegal for gays to hold hands, kiss, and/or dance in public. There were gay bars where gays could congregate, but with occasional harassment in the form of police raids. The Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village was probably the most famous gay bar in the city. It welcomed drag queens where most gay bars didn’t. It also was one of the few that allowed dancing. It was owned by the Mafia which made money off the watered down, overpriced drinks. The Mob would be tipped off before police raids so the liquor could be hidden. The owners would pay “gayola” to make sure the raids were just for show. The cops would arrive and line the patrons up, demanding identification. The cops could play tough guy with little fear of opposition. Any male who looked gay might be arrested. Females would be taken by women cops into the bathroom to check if they had male privates. Women had to be wearing at least three pieces of women’s clothing.
On the night of June 27, 1969, the Stonewall was raided without warning. There were over 200 people in the building. The cops roughed up some of the patrons when they did not meekly line up. A paddy wagon appeared outside, which was normal procedure, but this time the patrons who had been let go had stuck around to taunt the police. When the police began shoving gays into the wagon, the crowd became more serious. People from the neighborhood joined the crowd. Cries of “pig!” were yelled. The pot boiled over when a lesbian fought being put in the wagon. The police got rough with her. She suddenly yelled: “Why don’t you guys do something?!” The crowd reacted by throwing objects, including pennies in reference to “coppers”. A full-blown riot broke out. The police barricaded themselves in the bar. Fire bombs rained down on it. A parking meter was used as a battering ram to open the door. The riot squad arrived, but the crowd refused to disperse. There was a sense that an important moment in American History was taking place. Gays had never fought back before. The next five days were marked by protests with Gay Power as the marching cry. The Gay Liberation Movement arose out of the riots. On the first anniversary, the first gay pride parades occurred in several cities. America has come a long way since then. The success of the movement has been incredible, considering the situation in the Sixties. On June 6, 2019, the New York City Police Commissioner apologized for the police mistreatment of gays at the Stonewall. Better late than never?
https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLwE45vd80A
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/stonewall-uprising-ignited-modern-lgbtq-rights-movement?loggedin=true&rnd=1687882299200
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