PRIDE MONTH: A HISTORY, Stonewall and Its Impact on Society

Stonewall refers to the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York

On June 27, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn on the pretense that liquor was being sold without a license, something police had known for two years. It was an election year and by this time gay/lesbian society were tired of the almost constant harassment by police and decided that they had had enough. This was the first time gays and lesbians had fought back. When questioned by police, people in the neighborhood said that the gays were quiet, never bothering anyone, that the gays wanted to be left alone, and that nothing ever happen at the Stonewall Inn until the police raided it. By fighting back, and with the support (willing given or not) of the neighborhood, things began to change. Urvashi Vaid shows how.

Source

According to Urvashi Vaid, the central ideas in “the Stonewall era of gay and lesbian liberation” are based on the following four principles:

1. coming out and pursuing visibility is key to freedom;
2. queer freedom is seen as profound, changing sex roles, ideas on sexism and heterosexual institutions such as family;
3. gays/lesbians, bisexuals are seen as integral part of the demand for social change becoming the tie that binds race, gender, and economics;
4. gay/lesbian counterculture seen as essential part of establishing gay/lesbian identity.

Being thus empowered, new organizations are formed.

HRC being the largest. In 1973, the APA lifts its mental illness designation of homosexuality, openly gay/lesbian persons are elected to public office, ie, Harvey Milk, and the Civil Service test is no longer allowed to discriminate against gays/lesbians.

By taking this stand, gay society made it known that gays/lesbians are here and that they are people just like everyone else. By “coming out” and making their presence known, gays/lesbians are making it impossible for the straight community to continue to ignore and/or persecute gays/lesbians. Queer freedom, changing sex roles, the high divorce rate among heterosexuals, and other factors are changing the face of the American family. No longer can we define family as mom, dad and child(ren). Some children are being raised by grand-parents, aunts/uncles, foster parents, step-parents, gay/lesbian parents, etc. Hence, gays/lesbians become an integral part of society’s demand for social change (integrating themselves with groups such as Civil Rights movement) becoming the tie that binds race, gender and economics.

Gays/lesbians begin to have groups act up making themselves more visible and harder to ignore.

They incorporate Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi’s views of nonviolent protest. New organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign give gays/lesbians a voice. In 1973 the APA finally lifts its mental illness designation for homosexuality making it harder for heterosexuals to refer to gays/lesbians as deviant or mentally deranged. With each of these victories, gays/lesbian gain more and more of the right that have been denied them for so long.

Source

As a result of Stonewall

Homosexuality begins to be seen as a way of life. Until AIDs sexual freedom was preferred, giving gays/lesbians the chance to fully explore and come to terms with their sexuality. Lesbians develop their own independent culture apart from gays. There is a rise in gay/lesbian press. The following are just a few of the examples given in class: Lawrence v Texas where two gay men are found naked in a bedroom and are arrested for violation of Texas sodomy laws; Doe v Yuntis which concerns a 15 year old boy with gender identity issues, he wanted to attend school dressed as a girl, school said no; Fricke v Lynch in which a boy wanted to bring another boy to the prom as his date.

This fight for equality continues today.

It seems like a "two steps forward one step back " kind of struggle. Legislation needs to change; what happens in the bedroom between two consenting adults is no one else's business. Medicine needs to change; we need to help are children figure out their identity, not assign it to them forcing them to be that which they are not. Society needs to change; love the person not the package. Here's one way to start to change.

Source

For more information on the history of the gay pride flag and movement see also:

GLBT Historical Society, historical society in San Francisco that houses the sewing machine used by Gilbert Baker to make the first pride flag; LGBT symbols; Queer culture; Rainbows in culture; Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence; Other pride flags; Asexual flag; Bear flag (gay culture); Bisexual pride flag; Flag gallery; Intersex flag; Transgender flags.

References:

• The National Museum & Archive of Lesbian and Gay History; Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center (1996). The Gay Almanac. New York: Berkeley Books. ISBN 0-425-15300-2. OCLC 636576927.
• Witt, Lynn; Thomas, Sherry; Marcus, Eric, eds. (1995). Out in All Directions: A Treasury of Gay and Lesbian America. New York: Warner Books. ISBN 0-446-67237-8. OCLC 37034700.

External links:

"Unsung Heroes of the Gay World: Vexillographer Gilbert Baker". UK Gay News. 17 April 2008. Archived from the original on 2016-08-25.