The Stonewall Inn
The Stonewall Inn is a gay bar, located at 53 Christopher St., which originally opened in 1846 as a traditional tavern restaurant. In the 60s, members of the Mafia bought the Stonewall Inn Restaurant and turned it into the historical gay bar it still is today. It’s most famous for the 1969 Stonewall riots which is credited to be where the movement for Gay Rights started in the United States.
The Riots:
On June 28, 1969, during early morning hours New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, and rougly forced out workers and customers. One lesbian-identifying woman was arrested and hit over the head by a cop then encouraging fellow bar-goers to act against the force. With that, the historical 6-day riot began.
According to History.com, “solicitation of homosexual relations was illegal in New York City [in the 1960s], and there was a criminal statute that allowed police to arrest people wearing less than three gender-appropriate articles of clothing.” Therefore, gay bars such as the Stonewall Inn gave the community a safe place to act in ways they wanted without fear of law enforcement.
Police, fire fighters and even journalists locked themselves in the bar to insure no one would be able to get in. However, the mob instead tried to set the Stonewall on fire. Additional fire fighters brought to the scene were able to stop the fire and save the individuals inside. The Stonewall Inn continued to stand and the riot went on for another 5 days.
After the riot, the bar was closed only to re-open in 1972.
(first picture from Vintage Everyday, second picture from HISKIND magazine)
One year after the riots ignited, the first ever Pride parade in the United States led from Greenwich Village to Sheep Meadow in Central Park on June 28, 1970. From there, the Gay Pride parade was an annual tradition and eventually spread to other areas of the country and the world.
In June 2016, President Barack Obama opened a park across the Stonewall Inn as the “Stonewall National Monument,” the first LGBTQ+ national monument.
(first picture by Kay Tobin Lahusen found in the New York Public Library of the first NYC Pride in 1970, second picture from ABC7 News of the 2018 Pride in NYC)
The Stonewall Inn Today:
The Stonewall Inn is still open every day from 2pm-4am at the same location. Every week there is a number of events held such as karaoke nights, stand-up comedy, and drag shows.
Crowds are typically heavy during the weekends, and even during the weekdays if we’re being real. Drinks are notably cheaper than the $12 standard at other bars and has the expected pre-frozen, crappy food to munch on.
It’s a tourist stop but also essential for all NYC locals to embrace as part of the community or as allies.