History of pride parades
Pride: history, politics and meanings
As Pride Month draws to a close, Dr Panagiotis Pentaris, Goldsmiths' LGBTQ+ Staff Network Co-Chair, reflects on its history and continued significance today.
On 28 June , the gay club Stonewall Inn, on Christopher Street in New York City, was raided by the New York Capital police, which led to violence and police brutality against the LGBTQIA+ community.
Until then, and many years after, the gathering of gay people (the acronyms LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA+, etc. were not used at the time) was illegal, and organisations and other establishments would not employ staff openly naming as LGBTQIA+. To enforce such laws, liquor authorities would ban the serving of alcohol to any bar, restaurant or café where LGBTQIA+ self-identified individuals would gather, considering ‘homosexuality’ as a ‘disorderly’ act.
The raid of the Stonewall Inn in led to six days of riots and violent incidents between LGBTQIA+ individuals and the police force. These riots were a milestone in the start of the Gay Rights Movement globally. At the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, on June 28, , a march of thousands of people started from the Stonewall Inn to the Ce
In Honor of Pride Month - A Little History
The History of Pride Month & the Uprising at the Stonewall Inn
During this month of Pride, we thought it might be a good idea to offer some historical context to what has turn into such a distinguishable and celebratory month for so many members of the LGBTQIA+ community. This year marks the 52nd year since the first Event parade was organized by Brenda Howard, a double attraction activist; however, Pride month was first recognized on a national level by President Bill Clinton in and During his legal title, President Barack Obama declared the month of June LGBT Pride Month. This declaration is the finding of a decades drawn-out battle for equality after a brave group of LGBT community members decided to take a be upright in New York City.
On June 28, , police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay exclude on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, New York City. During this second, in every state but Illinois, acts of homosexuality were illegal and bars and restaurants that publicly served or had employees that identified as part of the LGBT people risked being shut down. Furthermore, the Stonewall Inn was one of many bars owned by the Mob – which b
The Spirit of
Stonewall Lives On
A brief history of Pride
Originally named the Christopher Lane Liberation Day, the first Pride parade was held on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots of In the s, homosexual acts were widely illegal throughout most of the United States. Bars and restaurants could be shut down for having gay employees or serving gay patrons, so they turned many people away. However, the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village was a little-known institution that New York City’s lgbtq+, lesbian, and transgender citizens could call theirs.
Like most gay bars and clubs, the inn was operated by the Mafia. They actively paid corrupt police officers to protect the identities of wealthy same-sex attracted patrons and ignore others at the inn — including the drag queens and runaway LGBTQIA+ youth who were turned away from other bars.
On June 28, , New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn unexpectedly. The officers had arrived with a warrant for bootlegged alcohol, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct.
The raid was a breaking point. The event was a control assault on a solemn space and accentuated how marginalized the LGBTQIA+ people was.
Patrons were arrested. One woman wearing a
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