A Page From the KIDPROJ
Multi-Cultural Calendar
Stonewall Rebellion/Pride Month
- Several countries
by
April Gonzalez-Barton
, Diana Gonzalez-Barton
28 June
The Stonewall Rebellion
The Stonewall Rebellion was a spontaneous act of resistance to the police harassment that had been inflicted on the Gay and Lesbian community since the inception of the modern vice squad in metropolitan police forces.
The Stonewall Inn was a gay bar located in New York City’s Greenwich Village. On the night of June 28th, 1969, a police inspector and seven other officers from the Public Morals Section of the New York Police Department arrived shortly after midnight, served a warrant charging that alcohol was being sold without a license, and announced that employees would be arrested.
The patrons were ejected from the bar by the police while others lingered outside to watch, and were joined by passers-by. The arrival of the paddy wagons changed the mood of the crowd from passivity to defiance. The first vehicle left without incident apart from catcalls from the crowd. The next individual to be forced from the bar was a woman. She put up a struggle that galvanized the bystanders into action. The crowd erupted and the confrontation between the police and Gay people lasted through the following two nights.
The event sparked a new, highly visible, mass phase of political organization for Gay and Lesbian rights. The event has been commemorated by Pride Parades and Festivals held each year in New York City on a designated weekend in June. Events and Pride Parades are held in many metropolitan cities throughout the United States.
The Stonewall Inn was declared a national historical landmark, and one of three percent of U.S. landmarks deemed to be of national importance. Andrew Dolkart, historian at Columbia University, was quoted as saying “It’s a key site in 20th century history." Source: http://www.sbu.ac.uk/~stafflag/stonewall.html
Throughout June my partner, our daughter and I have Bar BQ's, picnics, gatherings or potlucks, with friends that have become our family. We celebrate by remembering that it is OK to be different, be Proud of who you are and Love makes a family.
From United States
by
April Gonzalez-Barton
- Adult
Diana Gonzalez-Barton
- Adult
Email: womyn-nrg@worldnet.att.net
