How the Stonewall Riots Catalyzed Social Revolution

Ienne Zielinski
13 min readJun 3, 2021

How the Stonewall Riots Improved LGBTQ+ Representation and Catalyzed Social Revolution

Abstract

This paper will discuss the effects that the Stonewall Riots had upon the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer+ (LGBTQ+) movement and society in general. Proper analysis will be given to the events leading up to the riots, the riots themselves, and the resulting aftermath which ushered in both social and political change. Smaller-scale rebellions and LGBTQ+ culture prior to the Stonewall Riots are evaluated. The first night of rioting is explained, including the catalyst for its eruption that evening. Multiple key contributing LGBTQ+ activists will be noted, along with their contribution to the community. The resulting social revolution of LGBTQ+ people and the communities formed surrounding liberation are examined. Discrimination within the LGBTQ+ community itself will be presented. LGBTQ+ representation in the media is considered. The political response to the LGBTQ+ movement is examined, along with the HIV and AIDS Epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s. The governmental response to aids and how it reflects on governmental perception of LGBTQ+ people” is analyzed. A conclusion is given which addresses continuing issues in LGBTQ+ discrimination along with the substantial impact of the Stonewall Riots.

Keywords: Stonewall Riots, Stonewall, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, LGBTQ+, discrimination, social revolution, representation, AIDS, HIV, epidemic, liberation

How the Stonewall Riots Improved LGBTQ+ Representation and Catalyzed Social Revolution

What Were the Stonewall Riots

Throughout history, LGBTQ+ individuals have been systemically marginalized and segregated. This treatment all changed in 1969 with the Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall Riots were a series of public uprising which began after an unsuccessful raid of the Stonewall Inn in downtown New York City. These riots served as the turning point in LGBTQ+ social activism and resulted in the first Pride celebration one year after. Stonewall catalyzed change and forced social and political progression and acceptance. Succeeding events would likely never have transpired without the existence of Stonewall. The Stonewall Riots changed American’s perception of the LGBTQ+community forever and inaugurated social revolution.

LGBTQ+ Prior to Stonewall

In various great empires throughout history, it is believed it was the social norm to practice sexually fluid behavior. The ancient Romans, ancient Greeks, and other notable empires famously normalized and practiced homosexual relationships. Analyzing more modern history though, the lack of LGBTQ+ information is acutely apparent. Somewhere within the last millennia, same-sex relationships became taboo and regarded as sinful. Homosexual behavior was especially ridiculed on a legal front. The United States Army issued a “Blue Discharge” to any solider caught practicing homosexual behavior during World War 1 (Huerta 2015)

This regression in societal acceptance resulted in the disappearance of explicit information regarding LGBTQ+ individuals or behaviors. The prevalence of LGBTQ+ figures within this time period is largely up to speculation. LGBTQ+ minorities primarily lived unnoticed lives. They remained underground outside of the public sphere, coveting their private lives and concealing them from the gaze of society (Hughes 2015). The gays of society began to develop their own hidden subculture. This community began to gain traction in the 1920s. The underground culture facilitated by prohibition catered well to the LGBTQ+ community (Hughes 2015). The community was so underground that most credible records are impossible to excavate.

The mid-1900s. After the end of prohibition, the LGBTQ+ movement continued its underground operations. Approaching the mid-1900s, there was an observable increase in LGBTQ+ specific establishments. LGBTQ+ activism also began to take hold in this time period. One of the earliest acts of rebellion was a “sip-in’ in 1966 by a group called the Massecuttes Society. A group of three men and several reporters traversed several bars in downtown New York City, announcing they were homosexuals at each establishment and requesting that their drinks served regardless (Simon 2008). Homosexuality had begun to be noticed by the general public. LGBTQ+ people were perceived as “unclean” and “unsafe”, as highlighted in a 1958 radio excerpt discussing homosexuality. The “editor of the Mattachine Society’s newsletter the Mattachine Review,”(DPLA) is questioned along with various other influential individuals. The resulting consensus is generally that those in the LGBTQ+ community needn’t change to meet the expectations of society, but society needs to evolve to accommodate them (KPFA Radio 1958). This was an extremely radical viewpoint at the time, as homosexuality was still classified as a mental disorder (Socarides 1962). It marked an initial shift in perception before Stonewall. These initial acts of defiance and convocation of allies preceding Stonewall were imperative to its success and existence at all.

The Gay Bar. The first LGBTQ+ catering or “gay” bar in the United States, Cafe Lafitte in Exile, opened its doors to the public in 1933 (Simmons 2008), and more were soon to follow. The gay bars were a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals where they could be themselves without the ridicule of the outside world. The Stonewall Inn on 35 Christopher Street (Picano 2015) in downtown New York was one of these establishments. The bar itself was no marvel to behold. It was rundown, dark, and dirty (LGBT Center NYC 2019). Despite its limitations, patrons still flocked to Stonewall night after night. Picano quotes Miss Majors, a participant in the Stonewall Riots, regarding the Stonewall Inn, “That was our club, where the other T’s and I could hang out and relax and be ourselves” ( Picano 2015). The Stonewall Inn was run by the local mafia who had a deal with the local police department to avoid unannounced raids (Hughes 2015). That particular evening in June though, the police arrived very much unannounced.

The Night of Stonewall

Gay bar raids by police were not an uncommon occurrence. So when police paddy wagons surrounded Stonewall, no one assumed it would spark the reaction it did. Picano quotes Rita Mae Brown, “We figured that it was the usual “clean up” by the vice squad. You know, the cops would go into a bar and take people out in a paddy wagon.” (Picano 2015). Police forcefully extracted LGBTQ+ patrons from the premises of the bar. That particular evening, police aggressively approached Storme DeLarverie, a local butch lesbian and self-proclaimed ‘guardian of the village’. Patrick Hinds offers a description of DeLarverie, “She is described by witnesses as a woman dressed in a man’s clothes, who was clubbed when she got “lippy” with a cop” (Hinds 2008). It is heavily debated who actually threw the first brick at Stonewall, some say it was DeLarverie herself. Others cite Marsha P. Johnson or Sylvia Rivera, both trans women of color who helped define LGBTQ+ culture after Stonewall. The most widely accepted account of how the riots erupted is described by Mitchell Reyes, David P. Schulz, and Zoe Hovland, “violence broke out when a lesbian being manhandled by the police allegedly shouted, ‘Why don’t you guys do something!’”(Hovland, Schulz, Reyes 2018, p.1). That lesbian was DeLarverie, and her cry to action was heard across the nation as defiance to the unjust treatment of LGBTQ+ people.

The Riot. The first Stonewall riot erupted throughout the streets of New York. “Soon they were pelting [police] with coins, rocks, bottles, and bricks. When the stunned detectives retreated into the bar, the result outside was surprise and delight, followed by a surging sense of power at having challenged and intimidated long-feared authority figures” (Marotta 2006). Several participants described the formation of “Rockette style” (Duberman 1993) kick-lines by transgender women (New York Times 2019). The women chanted “We are the Stonewall girls. We wear our hair in curls. We don’t wear underwear. To show our pubic hair” to the tune of Howdy Doody ( New York Times 2019). The rioting continued until the early morning hours before the police were able to assert any form of control. Toby Marotta describes the aftermath, “By the afternoon, the Stonewall had reopened as a juice bar. Its employees were handing out balloons. Its owners… had been put on notice that there was a new force in town — what the eye-catching graffiti chalked onto their storefront called ‘Gay Power’ and ‘Queer Power’” (Marotta 2006). The streets of New York had become a playground for LGBTQ+ expression. A 1969 photograph of a shop window displays the words “WE HOMOSEXUAL- OUR PEOPLE T- MAINTAIN PEAC- CONDUCT ON T- THE VILLAGE” (Davies). Despite the fragmented statement, the sentiment is clear. LGBTQ+ individuals were claiming their personhood, and standing up to discrimination. The riots continued for several more nights, and the rebellion they had started continues to this day.

Social Aftermath

The Stonewall Riots catalyzed the LGBTQ+ social rebellion. Shortly after the riots, the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was established. The GLF is responsible for the majority of progress observable today in regards to LGBTQ+ liberties. A mission statement by the GLF explains, “The goals of the GLF revolve around social change. In order to accomplish this social change, political action is necessary”(Gay Liberation Front 1970). A year after the Stonewall Riots, in 1970, the first Pride marches were held. There were three nationwide, one in San Francisco, one in Los Angeles, and one in New York City (New York Times 2019). The attitude towards LGBTQ+ individuals had begun to change. “ the American Psychological Association removed homosexuality from its diagnostic manual of mental disorders in 1973” (Ferentinos 2018). Despite this, there were still hundreds of years of institutionalized discrimination to combat.

Media Portrayal. The portrayal of LGBTQ+ people in contemporary media is likely the best way to understand their social acceptance. “it had become clear by October 1973 that neither the film nor the television industry was consistently producing work that met the representational standards of various liberation groups (Connolly 2018). LGBTQ+ characters were incorporated into film and television, but their portrayal was anything but flattering. Homosexual characters were typically villains, or at the very least, their character was riddled with outdated, negative stereotypes (Connolly 2018). “As James Croteau, Charles Nero, and Diane Prosser note, ‘it is still common to fınd references to gay sexuality as promiscuous, perverted, and abnormal.’” (Hovland, Schulz, Reyes 2018). Societal progress was slow to follow the bullet that was Stonewall, but nevertheless, progress continued. ‘Coming Out’ became more common, and works by LGBTQ+ artists or depicting homosexual behavior began to be visible (NYU Alumni 2019).

Inside Segregation. Despite their message of equality, the LGBTQ+ community harbored a great deal of internalized discrimination. “The psychological oppression of homosexuals takes two forms: one is the internalized oppression of the homosexual by himself. This reflects programming perpetuated in the society that creates the feeling within many homosexuals that they are somehow “sick” or “perverted”… The second form of psychological oppression is the homosexual’s oppression of other homosexuals.” (Gay Liberation Front 1970). This second point is more notable when considering the treatment of the transgender community. Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson were two of the most influential figures in LGBTQ+ society and activism, yet, they are widely unknown and disregarded due to being trans women of color. ”Rivera’s infamous speech at the 1973 Christopher Street Liberation Day Rally, in which she is booed offstage after denouncing the rampant transphobia among the gay members of the audience” (Mayora 2018). This demonstrates how despite their substantial contributions, trans women, especially trans women of color, were shunned by their own community. Racism and transphobia were rampant within LGBTQ+ society, which hindered it in its ideals and general progress.

Political Aftermath

The Stonewall Riots not only jump-started social equality but political equality as well. The GLF, along with other LGBTQ+ activist groups pushed for equal treatment under the confines of the law. Due to their influence, LGBTQ+ people could no longer lose custody of their children, or be evicted from their homes on the grounds of sexuality (NYU Alumni 2019). In 1972, consideration was given to marriage equality for the first time (Supreme Court of the United States 1972). Two gay men in Miniappoliss Minnesota, Richard Baker and James McConnell sought to be married under federal law (Law 2019). Their case was ultimately dismissed, but the mere fact it was presented to begin with demonstrates a monumental progression towards equality. One of the most significant victories of the 20th century didn’t arrive until 1996 with the Supreme Court’s ruling against discrimination based only on sexual orientation (Law 2019). Though progress was significant, there were still many inherent biases against LGBTQ+ people, and the government, like society, was not hasty to accept its new minority.

The AIDS Epidemic. One indicator of how unfairly LGBTQ+ individuals were still treated by the government is the AIDS Epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s. AIDS, or “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome” (UCFS 2011) is an advanced form of HIV, or “Human Immunodeficiency Virus” (UCFS 2011). HIV itself is a virus that attacks the immune system of those infected. In the 1980s and 1990s, millions contracted HIV which when left untreated left them more susceptible to various “opportunistic infections” (UCFS 2011). The concentration of one of these infections due to HIV was known as AIDS. The LGBTQ+ community, most notably homosexual men, experienced a viral outbreak of HIV, and subsequently AIDS during the late 1900s. Thousands of patients were admitted to hospitals and “Of the patients whose sexual preference was known, 94 percent were homosexual men” (The Associated Press 1981). “As of December 31, 2000, 774,467 persons had been reported with AIDS in the United States; 448,060 of these had died” (CDC 1981–2000). The AIDS Epidemic was largely ignored by the United States government. By 1985, President Ronald Reagan still had no policy statement regarding the Epidemic (NYU Alumni 2019). In a 1987 interview, Reagan voiced his commitment to halting the AIDS crisis and praised the federal government for its initiatives to cure it (ABC News 1987). The Reagan Administration did not follow through on this policy statement though. Of the $416,000,000 allocated to the prevention of AIDS, only $213,000,000 was requested by the Administration themselves, the rest was administered by congress (ABC News 1987). This blatant disregard for homosexuals and unwillingness to enforce their wellbeing demonstrates how discrimination still dominated politics. Nevertheless, a silver lining is still visible, as there was an extra $203,000,000 allocated at all for the prevention of AIDS. Before the Stonewall Riots, this would never have happened. Stonewall forced the LGBTQ+ community into the public eye, and in turn into the political scene. Progress was in no way instantaneous, but these small victories demonstrate a larger evolution.

Concluding Statements

The Stonewall Riots will forever be known to history as the beginning of the LGBTQ+ revolution. Despite the fact they were preceded by decades of rebellion by LGBTQ+ activists and organizations, Stonewall was the beginning of LGBTQ+ visibility in society. It did not end the systematic oppression of LGBTQ+ individuals. The AIDS epidemic of the 1980s showcased the magnitude of institutionalized political discrimination, and the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters in media showcases the subsisting social prejudice. Still today we see instances of discrimination throughout society. Nevertheless, the Stonewall Riots changed everything. Though progress is slow, it would have been nonexistent without the existence of Stonewall. The revolution sparked by the riots saw the birth of numerous LGBTQ+ activist organizations, such as the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance (Marotta 2006). These organizations fought for equality, and built the powerful LGBTQ+ community there is today upon the foundation of Stonewall. The year 1969 was a turning point, and the world was never the same after that night. The voice of the LGBTQ+ community was heard across the country, and it would never be silent again.

Cited Sources

ABC News (Director). (n.d.). President Reagan delivers first major speech on AIDS epidemic in 1987 [Video file]. Retrieved August 07, 2020, from https://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/president-reagan-delivers-major-speech-aids-epidemic-1987-46492956

The Associated Press. (1981, August 29). 2 Fatal Diseases Focus of Inquiry. The New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/aids/082981sci-aids.html

Baker v. Nelson (October 10, 1972) (The National Archives and Records Administration, DocsTeach, Dist. file).

Comprehensive, up-to-date information on HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention from the University of California San Francisco. (2004, July 22). Retrieved August 07, 2020, from http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/hiv?page=basics-00-01

Connolly, M. (2018). Liberating the Screen: Gay and Lesbian Protests of LGBT Cinematic Representation, 1969–1974. Cinema Journal, 57(2), 66+. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://go-gale-com.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=marriottlibrary&id=GALE%7CA530045247&v=2.1&it=r

Davies, D. (n.d.). A photograph of the window of the Stonewall Inn in New York City, 1969. Digital Public Library of America. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/stonewall-and-its-impact-on-the-gay-liberation-movement/sources/1409

Duberman, M. (1993). Stonewall. New York, NY: Penguin.

An excerpt from a 1958 radio program discussing gay people in the US. (november 24, 1958). Digital Public Library of America. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/stonewall-and-its-impact-on-the-gay-liberation-movement/sources/1407

Ferentinos, S. (fall 2018). Beyond the Bar: Types of Properties Related to LGBTQ History. Change Over Time, 8(2), 144–163. doi:10.1353/cot.2018.0009.

The Gay Liberation Front platform statement, December 2, 1970. (december 2, 1970). Digital Public Library of America, 1–3. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/stonewall-and-its-impact-on-the-gay-liberation-movement/sources/1411

Hinds, P. (january-february 2008). Uncovering the Stonewall Lesbian: Storme DeLarverie was there that infamous night. Now she’s coming clean about it all. Curve, 18(1), 64. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://go-gale-com.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA173406625&v=2.1&u=marriottlibrary&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w

HIV and AIDS — — United States, 1981–2000. (2001, June 1). Retrieved August 07, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5021a2.htm

Homosexual in Our Society (Part 1 of 2) [Radio broadcast]. (1958, November 24). Berkeley, California: KPFA.

Huerta, M. (2015, April 29). Silent Warriors, Silent No More. English and Women’s Studies 245: Introduction to Lesbian and Gay Studies. Retrieved from https://sites.psu.edu/245spring2015/

Hughes, K. (Director). (2015, July 2). The Stonewall Riots Explained [Video file]. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZrQeNBMqOk

Law, T. (october 8, 2019). 9 Landmark Supreme Court Cases That Shaped LGBTQ Rights in America. Time. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://time.com/5694518/lgbtq-supreme-court-cases/

LGBT Center NYC (Producer). (2019, June 3). Stonewall Forever — A Documentary about the Past, Present and Future of Pride [Video file]. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjRv7dJTync

Marotta, T. (march-april 2006). What made Stonewall different? The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide, 13(2), 33+. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://go-gale-com.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA143242420&v=2.1&u=marriottlibrary&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w

Mayora, G. (2018). Her Stonewall Legend: The Fictionalization of Sylvia Rivera in Nigel Finch’s Stonewall. CENTRO: Journal of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies(, 30(2), 452+. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://go-gale-com.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA557578980&v=2.1&u=marriottlibrary&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w

The New York Times (Producer). (2019, May 31). The Stonewall You Know Is a Myth. And That’s O.K. | NYT Celebrating Pride [Video file]. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7jnzOMxb14

NYU Alumni (Producer). (2019, June 28). Stonewall at 50 Documentary [Video file]. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31CX1Y0cen8

Picano, F. (july-august 2015). The remains of the night: Six Observers: Felice Picano talks with eyewitnesses to the Stonewall Riots. The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide, 22(4), 29+. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://go-gale-com.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA421079904&v=2.1&u=marriottlibrary&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w

Reyes, G. M., Schulz, D. P., & Hovland, Z. (spring 2018). When Memory and Sexuality Collide: The Homosentimental Style of Gay Liberation. Rhetoric and Public Affairs, 21(1), 39. doi:10.14321/rhetpublaffa.21.1.0039

Simmons, D. (july 15, 2008). Cafe Lafitte in Exile. The Times-Picayune. Retrieved May 5, 2016, from http://www.nola.com/bar-guide/index.ssf/2008/07/cafe_lafitte_in_exile.html

Simon, S. (2008, June 28). Remembering a 1966 ‘Sip-In’ for Gay Rights. Npr National. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91993823

Socarides, C. W. (july 1, 1962). Theoretical and Clinical Aspects of Overt Female Homosexuality. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 10(3), 579–592. doi:10.1177/000306516201000307

--

--

Ienne Zielinski
0 Followers

Hi! My name is Ienne, I'm an 18 year old high school graduate and I made this as a fun way to share some of my work!