Pride Month History

A Brief History on Pride Month –

The history of the LGBT movement can be traced to the Stonewall Inn in New York’s Greenwich Village. Stonewall marked the first time that gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people as a group forcefully and vocally asserted their rights to equality under the law. Historically, the LGBT community was subjected to civil laws that, in New York City, allowed bars to refuse service to LGBT patrons. Arrests, harassment and instances of entrapment by police were frequent. Civil laws reinforced their actions. Establishments often cited Section 106, Subsection 6 of the New York State Penal Code to refuse service to LGBT patrons. The code barred premises from becoming "disorderly houses." Many, including the courts, considered LGBT patrons to be disorderly. LGBT patrons were often entrapped by plain clothes police officers, posing as regular bar patrons. Transgender people were openly arrested on the streets. One establishment where LGBT patrons found refuge was the Stonewall Inn. When police raided the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969, the street erupted into violent protests. There were reports of stilettos, bottles, coins, bricks and debris thrown. The altercation spilled into the streets and more LGBT street youth joined in the uprising. As word spread, more LGBT people from surrounding neighborhoods joined the riot. The rebellion, which lasted six days, marked the beginning of the modern LGBT rights movement. The Stonewall riots, as they came to be known, marked a major turning point in the modern LGBT civil rights movement in the United States and around the world. The event was significant from the day it occurred - creating changes in LGBT people's lives immediately. On the one-week anniversary, there was a gay march. On the first year anniversary, the first gay pride march was held in New York City, as well as in other cities. The events of Stonewall opened the door for millions of LGBT Americans to begin pressing for full and equal civil rights. Indeed, within a few short years of Stonewall, thousands of gay and lesbian civil rights organizations had sprung up all across America.

Source: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/PA_NRCSConsumption/download?cid=nrcseprd1166207&ext=pdf