Stonewall Riots 40th Anniversary: A Look Back at the Uprising That Launched the Modern Gay Rights Movement

The uprising began at 1:30 in the morning on June 28th 1969 when New York City police officers raided a gay bar called the Stonewall Inn, located on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. As the police began dragging some of the patrons out, members of the gay community decided to fight back sparking three days of rioting.

Historian Lillian Fadermann wrote that Stonewall was “the shot heard round the world… crucial because it sounded the rally for the movement.”

Gay and lesbian groups soon sprung up around the world. According to one historian, at the time of Stonewall there were 50 to 60 gay groups in the country. A year later there was at least 1500. Within two years there was 2,500.

One of the most significant groups, the Gay Liberation Front was formed immediately after the Stonewall riots.

Later in the program we will speak to historian David Carter, author of :”Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution.” But first we turn to a radio documentary produced by David Isay in 1989 for the 20th anniversary of the uprising. It is called “Remembering Stonewall.”

"Remembering Stonewall", radio documentary by Dave Isay, adapted for television.

David Carter, historian and author of “Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution.”

Related Links

• "Remembering Stonewall"
• DavidCarter.com