The Stonewall Riots

Marsha P. Johnson

1945-1992

Marsha P. Johnson, a Black transgender woman, was among the first to resist police at Stonewall. The "P" stood for "Pay It No Mind," her response to questions about her gender. After Stonewall, she co-founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) with Sylvia Rivera to help homeless LGBTQ+ youth. She later became a prominent AIDS activist.

Sylvia Rivera

1951-2002

Sylvia Rivera, a Latina transgender activist present at Stonewall, co-founded STAR with Johnson. Having experienced homelessness herself, she fought tirelessly for transgender inclusion in the gay rights movement and challenged organizations that excluded transgender concerns. Her activism helped ensure trans voices were heard in the movement.

Stormé DeLarverie

1920-2014

Stormé DeLarverie, a biracial lesbian whose resistance to arrest is credited with sparking the uprising. Known for her performances as a male impersonator in the Jewel Box Revue, she later became known as the "guardian of lesbians in the Village" for her protective role in the community.

Deputy Inspector Seymour Pine

1919-2010

Deputy Inspector Seymour Pine led the police raid on Stonewall Inn in 1969. Years later, he expressed regret and apologized to the gay community, acknowledging the raid's impact on civil rights history, saying, "If what I did helped gay people, then I'm glad."

Craig Rodwell

1940-1993

Craig Rodwell joined the protests after the initial raid. As founder of the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop, the first bookstore devoted to gay and lesbian authors, he helped organize the first Pride march in 1970 (Christopher Street Liberation Day). This march became the model for Pride celebrations worldwide.