Behind the Stonewall Riots
Homosexual march toward freedom began in chaos and riot
By David Lewis |
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On June 27, 1969, Greenwich Village queers were forced to patronize Mafia-owned dives if they wanted to dance or drink with each other. These patrons were subject to frequent harassing raids by Public Morals Squad police officers, ruthless mobster management, and unsanitary conditions. One such bar was the Stonewall Inn, where the absence of running water behind the bar meant patrons were lucky if their glass was rinsed before served.
On June 28, everything changed.
After a particularly harassing PMS raid, during which the cops molested several lesbians, protests from patrons prompted the officers to arrest everyone in the bar: all 200 of them.
As the police started to bring the unruly gays out and shove them into waiting paddywagons, a crowd gathered. When a handcuffed lesbian, identity unknown, was pushed and kicked from the bar, she turned on her oppressors and fought back. While handcuffed, she managed to fight for ten minutes, and every eye in the crowd was on her. Every eye saw the billy club land on her head, too; every ear heard the dull thud of the baton against her skull. And every ear heard her voice when she implored the crowd, "Why don't you do something?"
The reaction was immediate, anxious, and ferocious. The crowd quickly overwhelmed the police, throwing bottles and change and chanting, "Gay Power!" The police retreated to the bar and called for backup. The raging mob of queers and trannies, dykes and queens, tore the Mafia plywood off the windows and ripped open the door, surging inside the bar, finding the cops with their guns drawn, their hands trembling.
The rioters were chased, kicked, and beaten by arriving riot police. Some of them formed kick lines, like the Rockettes, and danced while they were beaten and driven back.
The first of several riots that took place over the coming days, the Stonewall incident was a catalyst for the gay rights movement. It was the first time in American history that gays, long considered the most easily oppressed minority, fought back. Distinct from other protests, complete with angry men in drag, kicklines, and showtunes, the Stonewall riots were well timed; the political volatility of the 1960s was the perfect environment for the fomentation of a gay revolution.
Now, things are much quieter.
"Post-Stonewall, there's not been much," acknowledged Jeremy Hall, 26, during an interview on the patio at Union Station. "We've become complacent. I don't think most people even know what happened at Stonewall; they've heard the phrase, but they don't know what happened there."
"We, as a culture, aren't that united," agreed his partner, whose identity is being withheld . . . because he hasn't yet been able to come out to his family.
"You know, we live in an area where it's okay, but it's localized, and I think a lot of people forget that," continued Hall. "We have one little microcosm of gay, here [in the Short North], but we still live in a Mid-western state that is conservative, where we still can't get married."
Hall and his partner are planning on attending the Columbus Pride 2009 celebration on June 19 and 20. Known for being one of the largest and most elaborate gay pride celebrations in the Midwest, this year's theme is 'Freedom,' and all of Columbus is invited to come show their support. Columbus will celebrate the anniversary of the historic Stonewall Riots with a massive celebration. This year's celebration will be held at Goodale Park. This is a year of new beginnings, of new attitudes toward old stereotypes. While everyone should be thrilled that there is less need for a violent response to the oppression of the gay community, there is still a long way ahead to equality.
Originally Published: June 1, 2009
