[Image: History : How Stuff Works]
Pride is and will always be a poignant moment marking human rights for the LGBTQA+ community and our 2019/20 president Gigi is here to tell us where it all started and what it looks like today
Pride: Where did it all begin?
Pride has become one of the biggest events in the Human Rights Calendar. Whether you’re in Leeds, Brighton, London, or any other major city across the world, Pride is like a pair of sunglasses - a summer staple. In some cities, Pride-themed events take place across the whole of June; in others, a specialised week of LGBTQ+ events is organised; but no Pride is complete without a parade.
But, where did it all begin?
In the early hours of June 28th, 1969, a riot broke out following a police raid of the Stonewall Inn, located in Greenwich Village, New York City. The tavern was accustomed to police raids; the U.S. liquor licensing agency refused to grant licenses to LGBTQ+ establishments, forcing many to sell alcohol illegally and consequently have their alcohol confiscated on a regular basis. However, unlike other occasions, there had been no warning of a raid on this particular Saturday night.
The raid did not go according to plan: cross-dressers were refusing to have their gender identities checked; the patrol wagons used to collect alcohol from the premises were late on the scene; and outside the bar, a crowd was gathering, where ejected patrons began to mock the officers. The initially festive atmosphere soon turned vicious when a lesbian woman was accosted by the police as they attempted to take her into custody. It was this that provoked bystanders to take violent action, escalating into hours of chaos, with the streets only beginning to clear by around 4:00 am.
The Stonewall riots could have ended here. However, unlike any riot that had come before it, this was just the beginning: centred around Stonewall, rioting continued for another five days, with each day being more organised, purposeful and heartfelt than the last. Rioting spread into multiple NYPD precincts before finally coming to an end on 3rd July.
[Images: Teen Vogue, Harvard Gazette, Riverdale Press]
But, why Stonewall?
Many have questioned what it was about the Stonewall Inn that made these riots different from any other. Besides, earlier in the decade, comparable riots had broken out in San Francisco, Los Angeles and even in New York, where the Stonewall Inn is situated.
What was unique about the Stonewall Inn was its inclusivity. Unlike other bars in the gay district, the Stonewall Inn did not turn anyone away. Drag queens and trans people were often barred from entering other popular gay institutions at the time, such as the Sewer and the Snakepit. These more reputable bars would also refuse entry to underage homosexuals. Unlike these bars, Stonewall opened its doors to all.
[Image: Out Minutes]
Another vulnerable group who came flocking to Stonewall’s doors were those who were left homeless, often as a direct result of coming out as gay to their families. Stonewall’s comparatively cheap entry fee of only $3.00 made it an idyllic refuge for those in most need of one, creating a homosexual haven which undoubtedly saved the lives of hundreds of homeless LGBTQ+ people during the course of the decade.
Its inclusivity is what has led Stonewall to hold such a fond place in the memory of
many LGBTQ+ individuals. It truly was a space for all members of the LGBTQ+ community which set it apart from almost all other gay institutions of the period.
This inclusive atmosphere is personified in the character of Marsha P. Johnson, one of the leading figures in the Stonewall riots. Being black, a drag queen, and gender non-conforming, she would have been denied entry to many of the other gay bars at the time; however, at the Stonewall Inn, Johnson was welcomed. She was to play a major role in the Stonewall riots, involving herself heavily in the protests that played out over the six days, and then going on to join the Gay Liberation Front. On the first anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion in June 1970, she participated in the Christopher Street Liberation Pride rally, the event which helped to solidify Pride marches as an annual commemorative occasion.
Ultimately, the Stonewall Inn has become central to LGBTQ+ collective memory as a site of bravery, rebellion, and above all, inclusivity.
[Image: BBC]
So, what is Pride like today?
Pride is now bigger than ever before. It has become a truly globalised event, with Pride parades taking place in more and more cities every year. Sadly however, it is not solely LGBTQ+ activists who make use of this month. Pride has increasingly been taken over by capitalism and commercialisation, with brands exploiting LGBTQ+ symbols and messages in their merchandising for their own economic advantage. Many clothing brands sell items adorned with rainbow imagery; but where is LGBTQ+ representation every other month of the year?
[Image: Evening Standard]
It is tempting to suggest that the increase in support for the Pride movement has been at the cost of the LGBTQ+ movement’s original aim to change society, not conform to it. More work needs to be done to ensure that those associating with the Pride movement understand what it is they are standing for, where Pride originated, and make a promise to commit to it every month of the year, not just one.
So, when you go to a Pride parade this summer, make sure you know what and who you are commemorating. The fight for LGBTQ+ equality is far from over.
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