Term Paper on "Stonewall Riot"

Term Paper 4 pages (1074 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Stonewall Riot

Throughout history, the quest for civil rights has been waged by many groups of people, seeking not only acceptance in society, but also granting of equal rights to the majority of those societies. Among the groups which has struggled with issues of acceptance and equality are gays and lesbians, who have been accepted only to a certain extent, with injustice periodically rearing its ugly head. One pivotal event in the gay and lesbian civil rights struggle occurred on June 28, 1969 in Greenwich Village, New York, when police clashed with the patrons of the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay and lesbian nightspot, an event that in retrospect would become known as the Stonewall Riot.

In this paper, the timing and significance of the Stonewall Riot will be discussed, as well as the context of the event in terms of the history of gay and lesbian rights, citing relevant literature where necessary.

Timing of the Stonewall Riot

When discussing the timing of the Stonewall Riot, there were two specific events that coincided with the event that may have accelerated the ensuing violence. Overall, the summer of 1969 was a time of social and cultural change in America, as young people fought to express themselves and oppose the actions of the government, especially the increasing level of military involvement in Vietnam (Bull, 2001). Focusing exclusively on the City of New York and its gay and lesbian populations, these individuals were especially distraught in late June, 1969 due to the death of celebrity, and homosexual icon Judy Garland, whose funeral was being held in New York at the time of the Stonewall Riot (Marcus, 2002). In retrospect, it appears that the high emotions among the homosexual community of New York turned aggressive when police raided the Stonewall Inn on that hot summer night.

Stonewall Riot as a Landmark in the Civil Rights Struggle

There are several key reasons why the Stonewall Riot soon became a landmark in the Civil Rights struggle. Overall, the riot stood as an indication of the social climate of the time, when the general feeling in society was that those in authority-in this case the New York City Police, were taking too many liberties with their power and needed to be prevented from abusing that power. The riot also sent a strong message that the homosexual community would no longer tolerate unfair and unequal treatment in society, and demanded equal rights and recognition. Lastly, the riot has such significance because it represents the climax of a struggle which had literally been centuries in the making.

As was mentioned previously, the Stonewall Riot, it can be argued, was also brought about due to the general sociopolitical environment of late 1960s America. Many groups of people who were on the so-called fringes of society, homosexuals included, were staking claim to their piece of the American dream and their fair share of the rights that the Constitution supposedly grants to all Americans without exception.

Taking a step backward so to speak, the significance of the Stonewall Riot is amplified when its basic premise is put into historical context, namely the fact that homosexuals sought equal acceptance and rights in society and were willing to fight for it.… READ MORE

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