Police raids at gay bars were common, but on that particular night, the LGBTQ+ community, led mainly by Black, transgender women, decided to rise up and fight back. On a humid night in June 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a LGBTQ+ bar in NYC’s Greenwich Village that served as a safe haven for the community.Īt the time, engaging in homosexuality was illegal in 49 states, and bars and restaurants could be shut down for employing gay people or serving gay patrons.
