This archive report was first published on 29 June 2019.
On June 28, 2019, a crowd of thousands assembled outside the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village to pay tribute to the pioneers who led a protest 50 years ago that galvanized the modern gay rights movement. The emotional rally, held on a warm summer night, commemorated the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, which began on June 28, 1969, when police officers raided the bar, sparking a clash that turned into a call to arms for the gay liberation movement.
As reported on June 29, 2019, the rally was part of the WorldPride festival, a global event that has previously been held in Rome, Jerusalem, London, Toronto, and Madrid. Many Pride celebrations, including WorldPride, can trace their origins back to the Stonewall uprising. The bar, now a national monument, has become a tourist destination for those looking to honor L.G.B.T. history.
Continued Fight for Equality ¶
Advocates and politicians, including Marti Gould Cummings, a New York City drag performer and activist, emphasized that the fight for equality is far from over. Cummings stated,
“We as an L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.-plus community need to fight now, more than ever, as the rights of our community are rolled back.”
Corey Johnson, the openly gay and H.I.V. positive City Council speaker, also called for continued resistance, saying,
“Fifty years ago, those brave activists stood on this street and fought back. Let’s keep fighting.”
The rally was attended by a diverse group of people, including Frits Huffnagel, 50, the chairman of Amsterdam Pride, who said,
“All the Prides we have in the world, it started here. We are all standing on the shoulders of the people that were here.”
Kiyomi Calloway, 20, who was handing out rainbow lollipops in front of the Stonewall Inn, noted that it was
“surreal and confusing and powerful”
to stand on a street where 50 years ago the police attacked a crowd of gay people, and now the police were protecting a larger crowd.
Legacy of the Stonewall Uprising ¶
The Stonewall uprising marked the beginning of a new era in gay rights activism. In the days after the riots, a new group, the Gay Liberation Front, emerged, holding demonstrations that built off the momentum of the energy at Stonewall. On the first anniversary of the rebellion, that group and others joined for the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, viewed now as New York’s first Pride march.
In 1970, the Gay Liberation Front and other groups continued to push for change, but the community was soon ravaged by the AIDS epidemic, which struck down many leaders in their primes. Despite this, activists continued to fight for change, motivated by the perceived indifference of political leaders.
Today, the Stonewall Inn remains a symbol of the gay rights movement, and the rally on June 28, 2019, served as a reminder that the fight for equality is ongoing. As Anthony Zullo, 62, who grew up in New York City and remembered the uprising, said,
“It’s not about a party. It’s about your rights and your freedom.”
