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Stonewall 40th Anniversary

Last Updated on Wednesday, 31 December 1969 15:59 Written by Howie Holben Friday, 01 January 2010 10:20

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City. On June 27, 1969 police raided the Stonewall Inn, a little bar in New York City's Greenwich Village. Police raids of known "homosexual gathering places" were a common occurrence in the 1950's and 1960's, and this raid was no different than any of the earlier frequent raids. Government sponsored persecution of homosexuals was a fact of those times and arrests of people just because they were thought to be homosexual was common place.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City. On June 27, 1969 police raided the Stonewall Inn, a little bar in New York City's Greenwich Village. Police raids of known "homosexual gathering places" were a common occurrence in the 1950's and 1960's, and this raid was no different than any of the earlier frequent raids. Government sponsored persecution of homosexuals was a fact of those times and arrests of people just because they were thought to be homosexual was common place.

The police got quite a surprise when they raided the Stonewall Inn on June 27, 1969. This time instead of just running or hiding, the patrons of the bar, joined by many others, stood their ground. Standing outside the bar, the crowd began yelling and soon began throwing bottles and trash cans at the police. The Stonewall Riots have become known as the first time gay people fought back as a group against their persecution.

Several people were arrested, some were injured and some police were also hurt. The riots were repeated the next night with even a larger number of people participating in the revolt. The Riot Squad needed to be called in to bring it to an end; the Gay Rights movement had begun.

We LGBT people have come a long way in gaining equal rights and acceptance since those nights in June of 1969. Becoming accepted by society has not been an easy journey. Showing that we are just like everybody else has taken a long time, but our efforts have paid off.

Our lives and relationships are portrayed widely in mass media, from TV to movies to news broadcasts. It is almost commonplace to have gay couples in mainstream TV shows and there are feature films about gay relationships. Many companies, municipalities and cities recognize domestic partners. Some states have even legalized same sex marriage or implemented civil union laws. Advertisers now point their marketing directly to our community.

This does not mean that our work for acceptance is at an end. Homophobia still exists not only in the United States, but also in countries all over the planet. Gay teenagers still kill themselves and gay hate crimes are even on the rise. We still have ignorance and hatred to overcome.

However, in our efforts to be accepted and to show the world "that we're just like everybody else", let's not lose sight of the fact that we are different than roughly 90% of the people around us. Our Creator made us different, and in doing so gave us gifts and talents that the world is in need of; let us not forget to celebrate the uniqueness of these gifts and talents.

Being gay, we walk between the worlds of typical male or female gender roles. We are more keenly aware of both our masculine and feminine attributes. This awareness allows us to more easily see, and be open to, many aspects of life that others cannot see. Thus, many of us are known as being unifiers; people with the ability to bridge gaps between others and heal relationships of all kinds. Walking between worlds can also make us more receptive to the "unseen" things in life and we become healers and shamans.

We are known to be intensely creative and many of us are involved in the arts. We are musicians, dancers, poets, singers, teachers, painters, song writers, actors, and yes, hair stylists and fashion designers! We are also world class athletes and Nobel Prize scientists. There seems to be an innate need in us to "give back", to help others and in general make the world a better place for everyone.

I love the following quote from Marianne Williamson. Even though it is not directly addressed to the gay community, I think it speaks deeply to the gay experience of hiding ourselves and our gifts from the world:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

So, let us acknowledge and celebrate our differences. Every person on this earth is different; there are no two of us that are exactly alike. All people, gay and straight, and no matter what skin color or religious beliefs, have been given talents and gifts unique to them. Let us all shine together.