Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights

Bausum, Ann. Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay Rights. 2015. 122p. ISBN 978-0-698-14375-3. Available as an ebook on Overdrive.

Society constantly evolves and changes. Often, it is for the better as years of oppression and violence are replaced by fundamental realignment of values and acceptance of what was once forbidden. For most of the 20th century it was a crime to be a LGBTQ+ individual. Not only was society actively opposed to LGBTQ+ rights, but it was actively repressing people who called themselves homosexuals. 

The power of civil disobedience that African-Americans used to effect changes throughout the United States was also harnessed by LGBTQ+ groups that sought to legalize their status and leave in peace, without fear of retaliation or being considered to have a mental illness. In 1969, in New York City's Greewich Village, a bar called the Stonewall became the flare that light up demands for LGBTQ+ rights. 

The epicenter for a movement that grew from marginalization to being a part of society, Stonewall was a Mafia-run bar that allowed LGBTQ+ individuals to congregate, enjoy dancing, music, and each other's company. when New York City police raided the place a second time in the same week, what was thought to be a routine police operation degenerated as LGBTQ+ people and their supporters fought against the police and demanded an end to their persecution. Within days, Stonewall became the face of what was wrong with the way the city selectively enforced the law. Steps were taken to promote equal rights for LGBTQ+ individuals through Pride parades. AIDS set the movement back in the 1980s, but by the 1990s most laws criminalizing homosexual behavior had been removed. By the 2000s, social attitudes had changed further, and in June 2015 the Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage was legal.

The fight for LGBTQ+ rights is not over, however, and we must continue to ensure that every citizen is protected under the United States Constitution to seek life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.