Before Stonewall provides a historical overview of the development of the experiences within the LGBTQ community in the US in the 20th century, leading up to the police raids and riots at the Stonewall Inn in New York City in 1969. The documentary begins in the early 1900s. In this time nobody really knew anything about the gay community, in fact the word gay was “dirty.” If there were any suspicions that a person had gay tendencies they were committed to a mental institution.
As the 20s’ came around speak easies began to pop up in bohemian neighborhoods in places such as San Francisco and New York. The gay communities gathered at these speak easies because they still had to hide from the rest of the world.
The 20s’ was also the time of prohibition so the gay community …show more content…
This gave them the publicity they needed.
Many began to picket outside of the white house and helped lead other movements for civil rights and feminism.
All of these events and the political movements led up to the riots at Stonewall
Inn of Friday June 27th, 1969. The movement was violent; people were hurling rocks and bottles at the police during the raid. The riots went on for days and brought the gay community together. The injustice that was felt at the bar struck a match across the country all the way to the West Coast. People wanted to come together to start the “gay rights movement.” The gay community finally felt they could gain power and their voices were being heard.
Recently, President Obama designated Stonewall and the surrounding neighborhood as a National Historic Site, which signifies positive change and commemorates the start of greater equality in our nation. The president is shedding positive light on the uprising of a watershed movement for LGBT civil rights and a major transformative event in the civil rights of the United States. In making Stonewall a national monument he is ensuring that future generations will learn about the
As the 20s’ came around speak easies began to pop up in bohemian neighborhoods in places such as San Francisco and New York. The gay communities gathered at these speak easies because they still had to hide from the rest of the world.
The 20s’ was also the time of prohibition so the gay community …show more content…
This gave them the publicity they needed.
Many began to picket outside of the white house and helped lead other movements for civil rights and feminism.
All of these events and the political movements led up to the riots at Stonewall
Inn of Friday June 27th, 1969. The movement was violent; people were hurling rocks and bottles at the police during the raid. The riots went on for days and brought the gay community together. The injustice that was felt at the bar struck a match across the country all the way to the West Coast. People wanted to come together to start the “gay rights movement.” The gay community finally felt they could gain power and their voices were being heard.
Recently, President Obama designated Stonewall and the surrounding neighborhood as a National Historic Site, which signifies positive change and commemorates the start of greater equality in our nation. The president is shedding positive light on the uprising of a watershed movement for LGBT civil rights and a major transformative event in the civil rights of the United States. In making Stonewall a national monument he is ensuring that future generations will learn about the