The Stonewall Riots Essay examples - 1957 Words

Life for most homosexuals during the first half of the Twentieth century was one of hiding, being ever so careful to not give away their true feelings and predilections. Although the 1920s saw a brief moment of openness in American society, that was quickly destroyed with the progress of the Cold War, and by default, that of McCarthyism. The homosexuals of the 50s â€Å"felt the heavy weight of medical prejudice, police harassment and church condemnation †¦ [and] were not able to challenge these authorities.† They were constantly battered, both physically and emotionally, by the society that surrounded them. The very mention or rumor of one’s homosexuality could lead to the loss of their family, their livelihood and, in some cases, their†¦show more content†¦The founders â€Å"greatly admired Martin Luther King’s nonviolent methods in forcing integration† and attempted to emulate those principles in their struggle. The problem was not in their efforts, or intentions, but the fact that their society was politically weak, garnering little support among the homosexuals of that era. As the civil unrest of the 1960s continued to grow, with more radical and leftist movements emerging, the Mattachine Society was viewed as traditional, conservative, and unwilling to literally fight for the rights of their people. It was not uncommon for the New York Police Department Morals Task Force to raid gay bars. In fact, during the two decades leading up to the Stonewall Riots, the raids were more commonplace than naught. Many have speculated as to why the raids were common – some saying it was because of the Italian Mafia’s involvement in owning those establishments, and consequently forgetting to bribe the local police; others believe it to be based in bias, hatred, and ignorance of people different from oneself. In the Stonewall Inn’s specific case, it could have been a combination of both. The Inn, w hich was owned by the Mafia, was actually a bottle club, meaning they did not own a liquor license. You had to be a member to drink there. While these various theories are most likely true, as far as ancillary causes, the fact remains that there was anShow MoreRelatedThe Stonewall Rebellion Or Stonewall Riots1591 Words   |  7 PagesThe Stonewall Rebellion or Stonewall Riots was a series of violent riots that took place between gay and trans activists, drag queens, and other patrons of The Stonewall Inn against the police after a raid had been carried out by the Sixth Precinct police. The days and rebellions that followed are monumental moments in LGBT and World history. For New York’s gay and trans communities the 1960’s marks a turning point in their history; Sodomy had been reduced to a misdemeanour, with a maximum sentenceRead MoreHistorical Impact of The Stonewall Riots in Stonewall Essay1041 Words   |  5 Pageslook into the historical impact of the Stonewall Riots in Stonewall: The Riots that Sparked the Gay Revolution. This engaging book adds to the genre of sexual orientation discrimination. Carter extensively analyzes the various factors that played a role in igniting the Stonewall riots and the historical impact that the riots had on the Gay Revolution and movement for gay equality. Through the use of interviews, newspapers, and maps, Carter argues that the riots were a product of many geographical,Read MoreThe Stonewall Riots And Its Impact On Lgbt Society1034 Words   |  5 Pagesand decided to take a stand against the unjust acts of the New York Police Department, which would forever change LGBT history. The Stonewall Riots were preceded by several years of mistreatment, and began when a beloved gay bar was raided; this created a major impact on LGBT rights and activism. LGBT Americans have been prejudiced against long before the Stonewall Riots. Those who identified as a person in this community would be sent to mental institutions and affectionate acts between these individualsRead MoreThe Stonewall Riots And The Lgbt Rights Movement Into Motion1912 Words   |  8 Pagesfor their basic human rights not only to get married, but also to be protected in the workplace and use the restrooms in which they feel comfortable. Throughout much of history, they have been dehumanized and referred to as sexual deviants. The Stonewall Riots put the LGBTQ+ Rights Movement into motion. The photo being analyzed today was taken one year later on June 28, 1970, at what is now known as the first ever Gay Pride Parade. The photo is owned by gettyimages, though the watermark suggests thatRead MoreThe Stonewall Riots of 1969 Jumpstarted the Gay Movement Essay1043 Words   |  5 Pagesnever have been conceptualized in the United States. This unforgettable incident, the Stonewall riots of 1969, altered the public’s view of the gay community and arguably jumpstarted the next revolution in an entirely new civil rights movement. In the wee hours of June 28th, 1969, members of the gay community were forced to enter a string of intense protests when the New York City Police began to raid the Stonewall Inn, a popular hangout spot for drag queens and members of the LGBT community, in GreenwichRead MoreStonewall Riot Essay743 Words   |  3 PagesThe stonewall riot was the most revolutionary movement in LGBT+ history.Life before the stonewall riot.Plus, the stonewall movement in action and how it played off and ended.The ripple no from the stonewall riot.Also, did you know that the stonewall riot was the first more important rebel for LGBT+ rights. Before the stonewall riot, homosexuals were completely miserable because of police and homophobes.According to Dissent Magazine â€Å"both the New York Times and the Washington Post ran pieces thatRead MoreEssay on The Stonewall Riots1229 Words   |  5 Pagesabout prejudice against homosexuals in both riots and artistic forms. Therefore, these people seek to prove to the heterosexual world that homosexual ‘deviancy’ was a myth. The media considers the1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City the spark of the modern gay rights movement. This occurred after the police raided the Stonewall bar, a popular gay bar in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. Allyn argues that the new energy and militancy generated by the riot played a crucial role in creating the gay liberationRead MoreStonewall Riots Essay2631 Words   |  11 PagesStonewall Riots Liberation for gay people is to define ourselves how and with whom we live, instead of measuring our relationships by straight valuesÂ… To be free territory, we must govern ourselves, set up our own institutions, defend ourselves, and use our own energies to improve our lives (Wittman, 75). Carl Wittmans Refugees from Amerika: A Gay Manifesto, drew together many of the themes dealing with gay liberation. This quote demonstrates the goals of the gay and lesbian movement, a movementRead MoreThe Stonewall Riot of 1969830 Words   |  3 Pageswomen’s liberation movement, gay liberation in the late twentieth century still sought to impress upon the marginalizing and sectarian constructions that subjugated gays to an imposed peripheral existence of personal and public abhorrence. The Stonewall Riot of 1969 signaled the start of a substantial social movement, the dissemination of which would permeate the gay community and call into action an assault on the mechanisms of social o rder, public legislation and cultural dispositions that sustainedRead MoreThe Stonewall Riots Of 19692157 Words   |  9 PagesFrancisco in the 1950’s to the political and social groups that came to be following the Stonewall Riots of 1969, they would speak out and not allow themselves to be kept down anymore. The aim of this paper is to establish the events and opinions that led up to the uprising at the Stonewall Inn such as perceived and real discrimination by police, medical professionals, and society itself, what actually happened at Stonewall, and how they sparked the modern LGBT movement in the United States over the next