The Stonewall Uprising, 50 Years Later – Part 3 of 3

During the 1960s, gay bars, like the Stonewall Inn in New York City, were some of the only places where LGBTQ people could meet with each other and simply be themselves. This included people who had been kicked out of their homes for being LGBTQ, or people who feared losing their homes, jobs, or families if they were found out. At this time, it was common for the police to raid gay bars, arresting patrons for cross-dressing or for dancing with a member of the same sex. When one such raid happened on the Stonewall Inn in June 1969, the people inside, eventually joined by many others, fought back against the police, sparking riots outside the bar that lasted for the next several days. In the aftermath of the Stonewall uprising, many new LGBTQ rights groups were formed, and Stonewall is often cited as a catalyst for the modern gay rights movement. While it may not have caused a turning point, it certainly marked one.

This summer, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprisings, and we reflect on how weve gotten to where we are today with LGBTQ rights in the United States. In this series, OutCaster Andrew speaks with the veteran gay journalist and activist Andy Humm about the historical progression of LGBTQ life and activism since before Stonewall.

Earlier in the series, Andrew and Andy talked about what life was like for LGBTQ people before the early activism of the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis. They talked about how activism became more militant in the years leading up to the Stonewall uprising, the uprising itself, the rapid proliferation of activist groups almost immediately afterward, and the AIDS crisis.

On this program, we pick up the story in the 1990s, as new drugs were being released that transformed HIV/AIDS from an almost universally fatal disease to a chronic but manageable condition. We continue through the fight for marriage equality, talk about Stonewall’s role in the context of the LGBTQ rights movement, and consider just how much work still lies ahead for the movement. OutCaster Alex also gives a gay teenager’s perspective on the importance of Stonewall and observes that it’s important that everyone — not just LGBTQ people — have an awareness of Stonewall and the movement.

This is the final part of a three part series.

Featuring:

Andy Humm, veteran gay journalist; OutCasting youth participants Andrew and Alex

Credits:

OutCasting youth participants Andrew, Alex, Amalee, Dante, Dhruv, Lucas, Kaspar. Executive Producer: Marc Sophos.

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