And half a year later it came to fruition. On November 2, 1969, along with his partner Fred Sargeant, and others, Rodwell proposed the idea for an annual march. One of the people who started the NYC parade was bookstore owner and gay rights activist Craig Rodwell. And that's because the riots inspired members of the community throughout the country to organize, so much so that within two years of Stonewall, LGBTQ rights groups had been started in nearly every major city in the US. And soon up to 600 people in the neighborhood were raging, throwing things, and chanting 'gay power.'Īccording to the National Parks Service, Stonewall is regarded by many as the single most important event that led to the development of the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement. Led by Black trans women and lesbians, a group reacted by protesting. While police were known to raid gay bars in the 60s, due to violations of liquor legislation, this particular moment resulted in outrage among Stonewall patrons.
It all began a year after the riots that took place on June 28, 1969, following the police raid of the Stonewall Inn - a gay bar located in Greenwich Village.
The annual New York City Pride Parade may be cancelled this year, but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate by thinking back to the very first Pride parade in New York, how it was formed, and what it was like.
