Stonewall Uprising

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June 26, 2009: Stonewall Riots 40th Anniversary: A Look Back at the Uprising that Launched the Modern Gay Rights Movement

The uprising began at 1:30 in the morning on June 28th, 1969, when New York City police officers raided a gay bar called the Stonewall Inn, located on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. As the police began dragging some of the patrons out, members of the gay community fought back, sparking three days of rioting.

Historian Lillian Faderman wrote that Stonewall was, quote, “the shot heard round the world… crucial because it sounded the rally for the movement.”

Gay and lesbian groups soon sprung up around the country. According to one historian, at the time of Stonewall there were fifty to sixty gay groups here in the country. A year later, there were at least 1,500. Within two years, there were 2,500. One of the most significant groups, the Gay Liberation Front, was formed immediately after the Stonewall riots.

We play a documentary, Remembering Stonewall, with the voices of people who were there and speak with historian David Carter.

June 26, 2009: A Look at the Gay Rights Movement Beyond Marriage and the Military
Forty years after Stonewall, where is the gay rights movement headed? What does the focus on marriage equality mean for the goals of gay liberation? We speak with activist, writer and historian, Lisa Duggan.