In bejeweled attire, trans individuals actively participated in the 1969 unrest that occurred at Stonewall Inn, fueling the contemporary LGBTQ+ movement. This was the scene as described by the witnesses present there. A sudden launch of a glittering heel from the back door of a police van marked the beginning of the protest. The stiletto-wielding drag queen delivered a solid kick to an officer, sending him sprawling across the concrete. When the officer recovered and stormed the van, the crowd outside Stonewall Inn cheered. A commotion of grim noises emanated from the van, which left a lasting impression on those present, including Stonewall regular Martin Boyce.
It’s undeniable and extensively recorded that trans individuals significantly contributed to the Stonewall riots, a pivotal moment in the struggle for LGBTQ+ equality. A law enforcement incursion on a popular bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village, amongst the turbulent happenings of the late 1960s, triggered six days of upheaval deemed the inception of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. The bar’s clientele, a vibrant mix of gay individuals, lesbians, trans folk, bikers, and homeless youth, had dealt with police harassment and similar invasions on numerous prior occasions. But during the police intrusion that hot summer morning, their tolerance had been exhausted. They retaliated fiercely, displaying the wrath of a community weary of being persecuted for their identities.
The historical significance of the Stonewall riots led to the establishment of the bar’s exteriors, the nearby park and surrounding streets as a national monument by President Barack Obama in 2016. This action ensured that the event and its principal figures would forever be memorialized. However, President Donald Trump, in later years, attempted to modify this history. In February, references to trans people involved in the Stonewall uprising were removed from the monument’s website as part of Trump’s wider attempts to acknowledge only male and female sexes and oppose what he termed as ‘gender ideology’.
Trans individuals, who stood alongside gay men and lesbians during the Stonewall event, had been wiped off the official recounting of the incident by the government. Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a participant in the riots who presently resides in Little Rock, Arkansas, condemned this revisionist account. Miss Major, as she prefers to be addressed, is a trans activist who has long contended that the roles of trans Americans in the Stonewall uprising have been insufficiently recognized. On a similar note, gay activist Mark Segal, an eyewitness of the Stonewall raid, expressed his dismay over Trump’s attempts to rewrite LGBTQ+ history. Segal emphatically stated he would not let history be censored.
Segal was near Stonewall’s dance floor where other young individuals were gathered when the raid occurred on a Saturday at 1:20 a.m. He had only been in New York for six weeks and had found a sense of belonging among friends at Stonewall. Fred Sequoia had similarly found his way to Greenwich Village a few years before. Attracted by the neighborhood’s alluring mix of clubs, coffee shops and, casual encounters, he had become a regular at Stonewall, which opened in early 1967.
Legend has it that Sequoia was dancing at the bar when the police launched their raid. Around 200 patrons, including Sequoia, were inside the bar. As police stormed in, the music halted and lights blinked on. A friend known as Gypsy raised a loud protest: ‘Don’t touch me!’ inciting chaos. Though the police justified their incursion with claims of illegitimate alcohol sales, for the patrons, this was another instance of the relentless harassment they had grown accustomed to.
The police in their attempt to control the situation broke bottles, damaged the jukebox and cigarette machine, and began demanding identification from the patrons. While many, including Segal and Sequoia, were allowed to leave after a while, trans individuals were separated for gender identification verification. The unjust treatment prompted several rebukes. Out on the streets, the news spread and a crowd emerged to observe how the police were forcefully removing protesting patrons and loading them into a waiting van.
Boyce and his friend Robert Birdie Rivera were strolling towards the bar when they saw the unfolding situation. Sensing the police line-up, the sight of swirling police car lights and the growing crowd, they headed towards the bar. Witnessing the humiliation of the drag queen in studded heels being pulled out of the bar, and her resistance against the officer, the crowd broke into assurances of support and laughter. The officer, after a moment of conflict inside the van, reappeared. His grim command for dispersal did nothing to deter the crowd, but instead increased the tension.
There’s still a debate about the catalyst that escalated the encounter into a full-scale riot. Boyce suggests that it was the officer’s threatening reaction after being knocked to the ground, while others argue that it was the sight of a lesbian hitting an officer. Regardless of the specific trigger, the bystanders’ exasperation gradually turned into outright defiance. ‘We found objects from our pockets or lying on the ground and started hurling them at the barricaded door,’ Segal recollected. Meanwhile, recognitions of encouragement rang out from the dimly lit windows of nearby apartments.
As the revolt spilled over to the neighboring streets, the authorities responded by calling in the riot squad. In defiance, a group of young protestors mockingly formed chorusing kickline, echoing the melody of the tune ‘We wear our hair in curls’. Following several hours of disturbances, the crowd eventually dispersed, with around thirteen people, including Stonewall employees and patrons who were arrested. However, the protests continued sporadically over the next five days.
Post Stonewall riots, organizations like the Gay Liberation Front emerged, advocating for an end to police brutality and demanding equal rights. A small yet passionate group of protestors marched from Washington Square Park to Stonewall in late July, proclaiming ‘gay power’. This demonstration, which occurred on July 27, is recognized as New York’s first openly gay pride march, marking the birth of a new era.
The Stonewall uprising stands as a monument to the efforts of the LGBTQ+ community’s relentless fight for equality. June is universally celebrated as Pride Month as a tribute to trans, lesbian, and gay activists who showed courage at Stonewall. The history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement is essentially segmented into the pre-Stonewall and post-Stonewall periods.
Today, Stonewall’s legacy lives on. The same location in Greenwich Village that once attracted oppressed individuals seeking a sanctuary is now a global landmark for the LGBTQ+ community. It continues to stand as a beacon of equality, welcoming people from all over the world. Given its historical significance, ensuring its preservation and educating younger generations about Stonewall’s legacy is crucial. As one of the bar’s current owners, Stacy Lentz states, understanding history is imperative for shaping a meaningful future.