Stonewall, 1969
The riots following the June 28, 1969, police raid on New York City's Stonewall Inn did not start the discussion on gay rights, but they certainly became the catalyst for a national movement. When the Mafia-owned bar that offered a safe place for gay men and lesbians to drink and dance was shut down as part of a citywide crackdown on homosexual life, Greenwich Village erupted into several days of unrest. Violent police beat-downs and open mocking of the authorities by the protesters escalated the neighborhood protest into a full-scale rally for acceptance and equality. Prior to the Stonewall riots, the gay-rights movement had been mostly underground; only two years later, there were organized groups in every major city in America.
Stonewall's legacy lives on today. After the New York state senate voted in favor of same-sex marriage on Friday night, June 24, revelers from around the city congregated in front of the bar to celebrate.