Today is the 40th Annual Gay Pride Parade here in NYC, and my wife and I just returned from walking in the West Village where we threaded our way amongst the revelers. It was a boisterous, happy crowd, and we even spotted a few drag queens along the way.
But today is a milestone in New York City history and in the history of the gay rights movement. Forty years ago this very night, at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, police raided and beat up the bar's homosexual patrons -- and they fought back hard. Dubbed the "Stonewall Riots", it was a watershed moment in the history of gay America, one of the first times where a marginalized, discriminated minority stood up for itself and resisted institutional brutality.
After that, gay men and women became more noticeable on the cultural radar, and in the 1970s more and more gay people came out of the closet. Movies like The Boys in the Band and TV shows like Soap and books like Armistead Maupins Tales of the City brought homosexual life to life for millions of Americans. Since then, homosexual culture has practically become mainstream.
Unfortunately, discrimination dies hard. There are still no Federal laws protecting homosexuals and, of course, many states have banned gay marriage and prevented millions of men and women from enjoying the same economic and civil rights that we heterosexual Americans enjoy. Shameless politicians demonize and exploit homosexuals, and play upon the fears and prejudices of the ignorant and hateful, for their own political gain. And violence against homosexuals -- which is nothing but pure terrorism -- remains a constant problem.
However, as Stonewall showed, a society can only oppress a minority group for so long before they fight back. Happily gay marriage has been legalized in several states in this country and hopefully it will be legal here in New York State soon -- if our dysfunctional legislature can ever get its act together.
So let's hope that for the gay rights movement -- which is really a human rights movement, a recognition that all men and women should have equal rights under the law -- their full acceptance by American society will come very soon.
P.S. Allegedly the people gathering in Stonewall on July 28, 1969 were there mourning the death of Judy Garland who died 40 years ago this month. This has been disputed by some but Judy was and is a gay icon so this does make some sense.
nycpride
But today is a milestone in New York City history and in the history of the gay rights movement. Forty years ago this very night, at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, police raided and beat up the bar's homosexual patrons -- and they fought back hard. Dubbed the "Stonewall Riots", it was a watershed moment in the history of gay America, one of the first times where a marginalized, discriminated minority stood up for itself and resisted institutional brutality.
After that, gay men and women became more noticeable on the cultural radar, and in the 1970s more and more gay people came out of the closet. Movies like The Boys in the Band and TV shows like Soap and books like Armistead Maupins Tales of the City brought homosexual life to life for millions of Americans. Since then, homosexual culture has practically become mainstream.
Unfortunately, discrimination dies hard. There are still no Federal laws protecting homosexuals and, of course, many states have banned gay marriage and prevented millions of men and women from enjoying the same economic and civil rights that we heterosexual Americans enjoy. Shameless politicians demonize and exploit homosexuals, and play upon the fears and prejudices of the ignorant and hateful, for their own political gain. And violence against homosexuals -- which is nothing but pure terrorism -- remains a constant problem.
However, as Stonewall showed, a society can only oppress a minority group for so long before they fight back. Happily gay marriage has been legalized in several states in this country and hopefully it will be legal here in New York State soon -- if our dysfunctional legislature can ever get its act together.
So let's hope that for the gay rights movement -- which is really a human rights movement, a recognition that all men and women should have equal rights under the law -- their full acceptance by American society will come very soon.
P.S. Allegedly the people gathering in Stonewall on July 28, 1969 were there mourning the death of Judy Garland who died 40 years ago this month. This has been disputed by some but Judy was and is a gay icon so this does make some sense.
nycpride
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