June 28, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots
Written by Robyn Andrews
In the early hours of June 28, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village in New York City. the raid sparked a riot among bar patrons and neighborhood residents as police roughly hauled employees and patrons out of the bar, leading to six days of protests and violent clashes with law enforcement outside the bar on Christopher Street, in neighboring streets and in nearby Christopher Park. The Stonewall Riots served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States.
Fifty years later, on June 6, 2019, New York Police Department Commissioner James O’Neill issued an apology for the actions of the department that night, stating “the actions taken by the NYPD were wrong, plain and simple. The actions and the laws were discriminatory and opporessive…and for that, I apologize.”
Furman University is committed to created an inclusive environment for all. For more information on Stonewall, and other LGBTQ-related resources including books, DVDs and music, please visit our display located in the James B. Duke Main Library.