Stonewall and the Origins of Pride Month

Note: Although today we use the term LGBTQ to denote lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, this term was not used during the time of the historical events described below. This article will use LGBTQ rather than the historical terms of that time, which typically referred to “Gay Liberation” and “Gay Pride.”

Many thanks to Bonni Graham Gonzalez from the Scantron Women's Network for letting me share this article, which was published in the June 2021 Women's Network newsletter.

Most people are familiar with LGBTQ Pride Month, which occurs every June in the United States and throughout the world. Cities large and small hold Pride parades and other events to create community for LGBTQ people and to promote awareness of LGBTQ issues.

But did you know that the original Pride parades, which began in 1970, started as activist marches to commemorate the Stonewall riots that had taken place a year earlier in June 1969?

The Stonewall riots are named for the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, a bar owned by the Mafia that catered to LGBTQ individuals. It and other local Mafia-owned bars were some of the few places LGBTQ people could gather to drink and dance during a time when public gatherings by LGBTQ individuals could result in violence and arrest. Then, as now, being “out” could get one attacked or fired or discriminated against. Being “out” also could result in arrest because of the criminalization of homosexuality in many jurisdictions.

The Stonewall Inn was one small public haven for LGBTQ people to gather and socialize because the Mafia would pay off local police to prevent raids. However, on June 28, 1969, the New York City Police raided the Stonewall Inn.

Officers quickly lost control of the situation because patrons of Stonewall, of other Village LGBTQ bars, and neighborhood people fought back when the police became violent. Tensions between New York City police and LGBTQ residents of Greenwich Village erupted into more protests the next evening, and again several nights later.

The Stonewall riots are one of the most important events leading to what was then called the gay liberation movement and the fight for LGBTQ rights in the United States. After the riots, people in Greenwich Village and beyond began to publicly organize into activist groups. They first concentrated their efforts on establishing places for LGBTQ people to be open about their identities without fear of being arrested. This expanded over the years to include marriage equality and other civil rights causes.

The first Pride events occurred in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago a year after Stonewall in late June 1970. These activist marches, which were held to commemorate a historic event, were also a celebration of pride after years of hiding. To this day, Pride encourages the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people as a social group.

Pride also reminds us that while there is far more legal and cultural acceptance of LGBTQ people than 52 years ago when the Stonewall riots took place, LGBTQ people still lack full equality in the eyes of the law and in society, culture, and day-to-day life; it is especially a challenge for LGBTQ people of color and for transgender people. As we celebrate Pride this June and throughout the year, let’s expand our understanding, awareness, and advocacy for the diverse individuals that make up the LGBTQ community and continue to build equity for all LGBTQ people. 

Learn more:

• “Before Stonewall, Cherry Grove: How a beach town became a gay 'safe haven'” (NBC News, May 14, 2021): A story on “Safe/Haven: Gay Life in 1950s Cherry Grove,” an exhibit at the New York Historical Society
• “How the Stonewall Riots Inspired Today’s Pride Parades” (CNN, June 28, 2019)