LGBTQ+ people face widespread discrimination. Homosexual activities are illegal in most states, and police regularly raid gay bars, often publishing the names of those arrested in newspapers, causing many to lose their jobs and be ostracized by their families.
The Stonewall Inn opens as a bar catering to the gay community. Unlike many establishments, it welcomes drag queens, transgender people, and homeless youth who are often turned away from other venues.
Police officers raid the Stonewall Inn under the leadership of Deputy Inspector Seymour Pine. They announce that everyone is under arrest and begin checking identification. The standard procedure is to release those with identification, arresting those without ID and those dressed in clothes of the opposite gender.
Instead of dispersing as they typically would during police raids, patrons and neighborhood residents begin to gather outside the bar. The atmosphere grows increasingly tense as police roughly handle those being arrested.
The crowd erupts after a woman, believed by many accounts to be Stormé DeLarverie, is struck by an officer while resisting arrest. People begin throwing coins, bottles, and other objects at the police. Officers, outnumbered by the growing crowd, barricade themselves inside the Stonewall Inn.
The Tactical Police Force arrives to disperse the crowd, but protesters lead them on a chase through the streets of Greenwich Village. The riots end at dawn, but the uprising has only just begun.
The Stonewall Inn opens again, and hundreds of people gather. Rioting resumes and continues for several more nights. Protesters distribute leaflets and organize, marking the beginning of more coordinated activism.
The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) is formed, motivated by the energy of the Stonewall uprising. This marks a departure from the more conservative approach of previous gay rights organizations.
The first Pride marches take place in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. These become the model for annual Pride celebrations around the world.
The American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its list of mental disorders, a major victory influenced by the post-Stonewall activism.
Stonewall's legacy continues with achievements like the overturning of sodomy laws, the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and the legalization of same-sex marriage in many countries.
On the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill formally apologizes for the department's actions in 1969, saying, "The actions taken by the NYPD were wrong—plain and simple."