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Fortieth Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots

Ways to Commemorate Gay History and Celebrate Pride 2009

Jun 11, 2009 Judith Faucette

2009 marks the 40th anniversary of Stonewall, and of gay pride. Find out how to learn more about this important event in gay history and celebrate pride this year.

The Stonewall riots were not only a defining moment in LGBT history and the gay liberation movement. They also were the start of the concept of "gay pride." The first pride parade, taking place in New York City, followed Stonewall, as did many meetings, campus groups, and protests all across the country.

How to Find Out More About the Stonewall Riots

A number of good books have been published to chronicle the events of Stonewall and the gay liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Two of the best are the character-driven Stonewall by Martin Duberman (Plume 1994, ISBN 0452272068) and Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution by David Carter (St. Martin's Griffin 2005, ISBN 0312342691), which goes more in depth on the riots themselves. For a fictional account of this time period and the difficulties of lesbian liberation, one classic is Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg (Alyson 2004, ISBN 1555838537).

Those who are more interested in delving directly into Stonewall's history can try the New York Public Library, where many of those associated with Stonewall and the gay liberation movement have archived their papers. Reference librarians can help find these and other items of interest for those looking to do some research. Though the Stonewall Inn itself has gone through many reincarnations since the riots, it is now open again as a bar at 53 Christopher Street.

Gay Pride Events in New York and Around the Country

For those looking to celebrate Pride this year, there are celebrations all around the country. One fun way to have a special 40th anniversary celebration for those in smaller towns is to plan a trip, alone or with friends, to one of the bigger Pride celebrations in a major city. The first big Pride weekend, June 12-14th, features events in Boston, DC, and Los Angeles. San Francisco, Seattle, New York, and Chicago all have Pride the weekend of June 27th-28th. These cities all feature marches, rallies, parties, and tons of events throughout the weekend and surrounding weeks.

In addition to the usual march and Pridefest, those celebrating Pride in New York can check out a photo exhibition entitled Stonewall: The Revolution at Chair & the Maiden (19 Christopher St.) in the week leading up to Pride (through the 28th). There will also be a panel and reception for the 40-year reunion of the Gay Liberation Front at the LGBT Community Center (208 W. 13th St.) on June 25 at 6 pm.

Sources:

NYCpride.org

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