Fresh off New York's legalization of same-sex marriage on Friday night and yesterday's Pride Parade, the celebration continues in Greenwich Village. Today is the 42nd anniversary of the Stonewall Riots that helped jumpstart the gay rights movement in New York. Police raided a gay bar known as the Stonewall Inn (53 Christopher Street), which is still standing strong today. Stonewall didn't have a liquor license at the time, so police proceeded to shut it down—but not without a fight. Rebels kicked, bit, and hit officers with rolled up newspapers. As the police began arresting people, a crowd formed outside the bar and threw coins, rocks, and bottles at officers. Chants of "gay power" rang out and protesters let it be known that the LBGT community ain't nothing to eff with.
Street View: See the Site of the Stonewall Riots, Key Moment in the Gay Rights Movement
Without moments like this, Friday night might not have happened.
Image via Complex Original
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