What were the stonewall riots
Up until the late 1960s, routine raids of New Yorks gay and lesbian bars were frequent. Same-sex couples were routinely arrested for dancing together, kissing or showing others signs of affection. Individuals were also arrested for wearing clothing of the opposite sex which was considered unlawful by the police. The Stonewall Riots were named after the Stonewall Inn, the Greenwich Village gay bar outside of which the riots took place on June 27-29th, 1969. The riots were three nights of violent street protests and arrests involving over 300 gay people who finally grew tired of the verbal slurs, unfounded arrests and beatings police had subjected them to. The Riots have since been credited with sparking the modern queer liberation movement throughout the world. Twenty years later, in 1989, Heritage of Pride had Christopher Street at the site of the riots renamed Stonewall Place.
