Paper One
The Stonewall Riots: The Birth of the Gay Rights Movement
The Stonewall Inn (Present Day)
Every year on June 28th, The Gay Pride March takes place in New York City. This has been a long-lasting tradition for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community since 1970. Many people, including myself who partake in such festivities, probably never knew the true history behind this distinctive march. In this present-day, walking through The Pride March, one would notice that celebration fills the air as marriages between same sex couples are flaunted through the crowd and drag queens walk the streets in six-inched heels and tight miniskirts with pride; little did many of us know that this special day of merriment was spurred from an epic battle in New York City’s history. There is a video that depicts this event that explains the occurrence through the eyes of those who experienced it. http://video.pbs.org/video/1889649613/
The 1960’s were considered to be “The Dark Ages” for gays and lesbians. As a matter of fact, being homosexual in the 60’s was actually considered to be a psychological or mental defect by medical authorities. Members of the gay community were alienated by the mainstream population and were given names such as sissy, faggot, and especially queer. They were taken and used for research by scientists in California and were seen by numerous psychiatrists to be counseled out of homosexual tendencies. They were forced to watch pornographic films and received shock therapy in attempts to deplete a serendipitous feeling towards the same sex. People in the society were taught from an early age that being homosexual was immoral and seminars were taken place for young boys and girls in schools across the country. Those who were suspected of being gay were subject to sentencing in a psychiatric hospital and would experience many inhumane acts such as castration, sterility, and lobotomy in hopes to cure such disorder. Scientists even went as far as administering various drugs to homosexual patients that made them feel as if they were drowning that left many of them incapacitated.
Being gay was a punishable crime, with legal retribution varying from state-to-state. In New York, many homosexuals were renounced by their families and thousands of people lost their jobs. This was the case for many New Yorkers despite their line of work; people were jobless whether they were janitors or lawyers. Countless people were subject to police brutality and were beaten with batons, even killed because at that time homosexuals were looked at as nothing more than mere animals. So individuals who were gay usually kept it a secret from their loved ones in fear of getting thrown out of their families or suffering an even dire fate. In 1969, all homosexual acts of any kind were illegal in every state in the U.S except for Illinois (Stonewall Uprising). However, New York was the desired destination for a voluminous number of people around the country to congregate in search for a gay connection. With the East Village filled with gay bars, The Stonewall Inn, being one of the most popular, was a prime location for homosexuals to meet. These bars understandably, were tucked away in the city’s backstreets and alleyways which provided much needed privacy and protection from law enforcement. In the bars, gays were able to let go of their inhibitions and be themselves. Conversely, as the bars gained popularity, more people began to take part and inevitably the police began to crack down on the gay bars. Undercover cops dressed in drag would use entrapment strategies to arrest many of the unsuspecting homosexuals. And if they were caught in drag, they were subject to being searched by a female officer whether it was done visually or physically; they would be arrested if three articles of clothing did not match their gender in which case could be socks, underwear, or any other article of clothing. Many times, they were humiliated in front of huge crowds of people, by being forced to disrobe in public. All in all, over 500 individuals were arrested for committing gay acts and 3,000-5,000 homosexuals were taken in by authorities for soliciting or loitering crimes in NYC (Stonewall Uprising).
It was evident that the gay community had no ally, in this war of worlds. (Consensus)They did not possess any political power and there were no rights put in place to protect them. This was until the mafia got involved with the gay bars, which offered them fortification against the police force. The mafia felt it was a great opportunity to build strength and wealth while staying under wraps since the gay bars were tucked away in the gritty, secluded parts of the city. The Mob owned everything from the cigarette machines, to the juke boxes and even the liquor which was often stolen, watered down, and then sold in the clubs for ridiculous prices which for them, meant a one hundred percent profit. It was believed that the liquor was served from buckets, was over-run with disease and was sold without a license (Stonewall Uprising). However, having the Mob in charge bought the gays more time to indulge in the night-life that New York City had to offer. Though the mafia had control of many of the gay bars, it was still raided by law enforcement from time to time, but these raids were often settled by the Mob paying off the debts. So for the first time the gays were able to show affection and slow dance together with a diminutive sense of freedom.
Even though the clubs and bars gave citizens of the gay community occasional enjoyment, they were not satisfied and wanted to feel as a unit with the otherwise heterosexual dominant population. This was because they realized that they did not have the convenience of going to a hotel, lover’s lane, or a drive in theater to engage in sexual activity like their heterosexual counterparts. So they came up with the idea of converting meat trucks that transported raw meat by day, to spaces for having sex by night. It was a brilliant idea that was blissful at first, but as the traffic amplified, so did the attention and inevitably those were raided by the police force. They were invaded and chased down, and if you weren’t fast enough you would be beat with Billy clubs. This resulted in a wave of killings upon the gay community, and for the first time in history, they decided that this was enough.
On the morning of June 28th, 1969 music and laughter filled the night at The Stonewall Inn. It was more packed than usual, but generally everyone thought it was going to be another fantastic summer night dancing and drinking. Then there was an all too familiar banging at the door. Every one froze on the inside of the club, anticipating the army of police officers to come in with their batons and faces filled with repulsion and rage; little did they know that an unforgettable storm was brewing on the outside of the bar. A huge swarm of irritated individuals on the outside of the bar began to enclose the officers. They began to throw their arms up in the air to make a V for victory while shouting and yelling at the cops. The officers began to retaliate to the rage of the crowd by beating people with their sticks and in return the crowd began throwing pennies at the officers. All while teasing and taunting them by grabbing their butts and yelling obscene language at them. The officers soon realized that the safest place to go was inside the belly of the beast. Inside The Stonewall Inn. So they decided to push their way through the door and wait for back-up. When the back-up came, they were also cornered and suffered severe beating from the crowd. As the throng grew more ferocious and violent, they were able to make their way inside the bar, and immediately began attacking the officers that were hiding in fear as various different objects were being heaved there way. All of this because they just wanted to dance and be themselves. “By 4AM, it looked like it was over. But the next night, the crowd returned, even larger than the night before. For two hours, protesters rioted in the street outside of the Stonewall Inn until the police sent a riot-control squad to disperse the crowd” (Stonewall Riots, par. 6). The New York Daily News printed on July, 6, 1969 stated “Last weekend the queens had turned commandos and stood bra strap to bra strap against an invasion of the helmeted Tactical Patrol Force. The elite police squad had shut down one of their private gay clubs, the Stonewall Inn at 57 Christopher St., in the heart of a three-block homosexual community in Greenwich Village. Queen Power reared its bleached blonde head in revolt. New York City experienced its first homosexual riot. (Homo Nest Raided, Par. 2).
After all was said and done, there was a sense of triumph in the air for those who took part in the brawl. According to Jen Talley, “The two nights of rioting united the gay community in New York; within months, several activist organizations and three newspapers were established in New York to fight discrimination”(“The 8 worst Riots,” Par. 9). On June.28, 1970, exactly a year after the riot took place, the very first Gay Pride March was held. And despite the threats of bombings, and assassinations, they were adamant about having their cake and eat it too. The Stonewall riots patented a significant turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement. With gay marriage being legal in a number of states including New York, it is safe to say that not only did they win the battle they ultimately won the war. And to the victor, goes the spoils, which in this case was dignity, confidence and most of all freedom.
References
Lisker, Jerry. "Queen Bees are Stinging Mad Stonewall Uprising . WGBH American Experience PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., 6 July 1969. Web. 16 July 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/stonewall-queen-bees/>.
Skillings, Pamela . "Stonewall Riots -- Modern Gay Rights Movement Was Born at New York's Stonewall Riots." About.com Manhattan - New York City. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2013. <http://manhattan.about.com/od/glbtscene/a/stonewallriots.htm>.
Stonewall uprising. Dir. Kate Davis. Perf. Veterans of The Stonewall Riots . PBS, 2011. Film.
Talley, Jen. "The 8 Worst Riots in American History." NakedLaw by Avvo.com- Exposing the law for non-lawyers.. N.p., 30 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 July 2013. <http://nakedlaw.avvo.com/crime/the-8-worst-riots-in-american-history.html>.
The 1960’s were considered to be “The Dark Ages” for gays and lesbians. As a matter of fact, being homosexual in the 60’s was actually considered to be a psychological or mental defect by medical authorities. Members of the gay community were alienated by the mainstream population and were given names such as sissy, faggot, and especially queer. They were taken and used for research by scientists in California and were seen by numerous psychiatrists to be counseled out of homosexual tendencies. They were forced to watch pornographic films and received shock therapy in attempts to deplete a serendipitous feeling towards the same sex. People in the society were taught from an early age that being homosexual was immoral and seminars were taken place for young boys and girls in schools across the country. Those who were suspected of being gay were subject to sentencing in a psychiatric hospital and would experience many inhumane acts such as castration, sterility, and lobotomy in hopes to cure such disorder. Scientists even went as far as administering various drugs to homosexual patients that made them feel as if they were drowning that left many of them incapacitated.
Being gay was a punishable crime, with legal retribution varying from state-to-state. In New York, many homosexuals were renounced by their families and thousands of people lost their jobs. This was the case for many New Yorkers despite their line of work; people were jobless whether they were janitors or lawyers. Countless people were subject to police brutality and were beaten with batons, even killed because at that time homosexuals were looked at as nothing more than mere animals. So individuals who were gay usually kept it a secret from their loved ones in fear of getting thrown out of their families or suffering an even dire fate. In 1969, all homosexual acts of any kind were illegal in every state in the U.S except for Illinois (Stonewall Uprising). However, New York was the desired destination for a voluminous number of people around the country to congregate in search for a gay connection. With the East Village filled with gay bars, The Stonewall Inn, being one of the most popular, was a prime location for homosexuals to meet. These bars understandably, were tucked away in the city’s backstreets and alleyways which provided much needed privacy and protection from law enforcement. In the bars, gays were able to let go of their inhibitions and be themselves. Conversely, as the bars gained popularity, more people began to take part and inevitably the police began to crack down on the gay bars. Undercover cops dressed in drag would use entrapment strategies to arrest many of the unsuspecting homosexuals. And if they were caught in drag, they were subject to being searched by a female officer whether it was done visually or physically; they would be arrested if three articles of clothing did not match their gender in which case could be socks, underwear, or any other article of clothing. Many times, they were humiliated in front of huge crowds of people, by being forced to disrobe in public. All in all, over 500 individuals were arrested for committing gay acts and 3,000-5,000 homosexuals were taken in by authorities for soliciting or loitering crimes in NYC (Stonewall Uprising).
It was evident that the gay community had no ally, in this war of worlds. (Consensus)They did not possess any political power and there were no rights put in place to protect them. This was until the mafia got involved with the gay bars, which offered them fortification against the police force. The mafia felt it was a great opportunity to build strength and wealth while staying under wraps since the gay bars were tucked away in the gritty, secluded parts of the city. The Mob owned everything from the cigarette machines, to the juke boxes and even the liquor which was often stolen, watered down, and then sold in the clubs for ridiculous prices which for them, meant a one hundred percent profit. It was believed that the liquor was served from buckets, was over-run with disease and was sold without a license (Stonewall Uprising). However, having the Mob in charge bought the gays more time to indulge in the night-life that New York City had to offer. Though the mafia had control of many of the gay bars, it was still raided by law enforcement from time to time, but these raids were often settled by the Mob paying off the debts. So for the first time the gays were able to show affection and slow dance together with a diminutive sense of freedom.
Even though the clubs and bars gave citizens of the gay community occasional enjoyment, they were not satisfied and wanted to feel as a unit with the otherwise heterosexual dominant population. This was because they realized that they did not have the convenience of going to a hotel, lover’s lane, or a drive in theater to engage in sexual activity like their heterosexual counterparts. So they came up with the idea of converting meat trucks that transported raw meat by day, to spaces for having sex by night. It was a brilliant idea that was blissful at first, but as the traffic amplified, so did the attention and inevitably those were raided by the police force. They were invaded and chased down, and if you weren’t fast enough you would be beat with Billy clubs. This resulted in a wave of killings upon the gay community, and for the first time in history, they decided that this was enough.
On the morning of June 28th, 1969 music and laughter filled the night at The Stonewall Inn. It was more packed than usual, but generally everyone thought it was going to be another fantastic summer night dancing and drinking. Then there was an all too familiar banging at the door. Every one froze on the inside of the club, anticipating the army of police officers to come in with their batons and faces filled with repulsion and rage; little did they know that an unforgettable storm was brewing on the outside of the bar. A huge swarm of irritated individuals on the outside of the bar began to enclose the officers. They began to throw their arms up in the air to make a V for victory while shouting and yelling at the cops. The officers began to retaliate to the rage of the crowd by beating people with their sticks and in return the crowd began throwing pennies at the officers. All while teasing and taunting them by grabbing their butts and yelling obscene language at them. The officers soon realized that the safest place to go was inside the belly of the beast. Inside The Stonewall Inn. So they decided to push their way through the door and wait for back-up. When the back-up came, they were also cornered and suffered severe beating from the crowd. As the throng grew more ferocious and violent, they were able to make their way inside the bar, and immediately began attacking the officers that were hiding in fear as various different objects were being heaved there way. All of this because they just wanted to dance and be themselves. “By 4AM, it looked like it was over. But the next night, the crowd returned, even larger than the night before. For two hours, protesters rioted in the street outside of the Stonewall Inn until the police sent a riot-control squad to disperse the crowd” (Stonewall Riots, par. 6). The New York Daily News printed on July, 6, 1969 stated “Last weekend the queens had turned commandos and stood bra strap to bra strap against an invasion of the helmeted Tactical Patrol Force. The elite police squad had shut down one of their private gay clubs, the Stonewall Inn at 57 Christopher St., in the heart of a three-block homosexual community in Greenwich Village. Queen Power reared its bleached blonde head in revolt. New York City experienced its first homosexual riot. (Homo Nest Raided, Par. 2).
After all was said and done, there was a sense of triumph in the air for those who took part in the brawl. According to Jen Talley, “The two nights of rioting united the gay community in New York; within months, several activist organizations and three newspapers were established in New York to fight discrimination”(“The 8 worst Riots,” Par. 9). On June.28, 1970, exactly a year after the riot took place, the very first Gay Pride March was held. And despite the threats of bombings, and assassinations, they were adamant about having their cake and eat it too. The Stonewall riots patented a significant turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement. With gay marriage being legal in a number of states including New York, it is safe to say that not only did they win the battle they ultimately won the war. And to the victor, goes the spoils, which in this case was dignity, confidence and most of all freedom.
References
Lisker, Jerry. "Queen Bees are Stinging Mad Stonewall Uprising . WGBH American Experience PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., 6 July 1969. Web. 16 July 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/stonewall-queen-bees/>.
Skillings, Pamela . "Stonewall Riots -- Modern Gay Rights Movement Was Born at New York's Stonewall Riots." About.com Manhattan - New York City. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2013. <http://manhattan.about.com/od/glbtscene/a/stonewallriots.htm>.
Stonewall uprising. Dir. Kate Davis. Perf. Veterans of The Stonewall Riots . PBS, 2011. Film.
Talley, Jen. "The 8 Worst Riots in American History." NakedLaw by Avvo.com- Exposing the law for non-lawyers.. N.p., 30 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 July 2013. <http://nakedlaw.avvo.com/crime/the-8-worst-riots-in-american-history.html>.