How does a local bar create a movement? What happens to that bar after said movement
gains a life of its own? The historic Stonewall Inn in New York City answers
these questions. As a meeting place for
the most marginalized members of the queer community, Stonewall was the stage
for the 1969 riots where the queer community raised a collective voice against
police brutality, and mistreatment. This
voice sang out and spawned activist groups spanning every major US City as well
as several other countries and led to the first Pride Parade in 1970. From its past as a Mafia owned establishment
to its present as a privately owned, unassuming neighborhood bar, Stonewall is
a living piece of LGBTQ history.
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| The Stonewall Inn |
During the late 60’s and early 70’s gay life
was very prescriptive. Homosexuality was
classified as a mental illness and in most parts of the country it was illegal
to be gay. It was common to run photos
of suspected homosexuals in the paper for public shaming. There were no civil protections in place, and
gays and lesbians could lose their jobs, their homes, and their families if
they were forced out of the closet. This
led to an uncompromising “uniform” among gay men, who were all to look like the
Castro Clones (i.e. Freddy Mercury) and gay women were supposed to look like
respectable housewives. Any deviation
from this look would lead to life as a social pariah at best. There were no truly established gay bars, but
there were private clubs like the Stonewall Inn, which was run by a mob
family. Those that did attend were
forced to submit bribes and deal with blackmail and extortion. Even with all of that the Stonewall was a
haven. It was known as “the” gay bar in
New York City.
Private clubs were subject to frequent police
raids. Typically, the clubs were bribing
the police to get a warning prior to the raid, so that they could minimize the
impact on their business. This was not
the case in the fateful raid of Stonewall on June 28, 1969. The club had no warning, and was invaded by a
cadre of police officers, who attempted to corral the patrons. The men were lined up and required to present
identification. Anyone dressed like a
woman was taken to a restroom by a female officer and forced to prove their
biological sex. This raid drew a crowd
outside from other residents of Greenwich Village and took a few errant turns
from the normal raid. Protests
erupted. Violence ensued. The gays and the drag queens fought back
against the police and the riots continued for the next few days.
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| Photo by Peter Hujar |
A year after this riot there was a
commemorative march which became the first Pride Parade. It started as people remembering what their
fellow community members stood up for.
It evolved into a rally cry across the country for queer activists to
take to the streets. Within a few years,
every major city in the United States had their own Pride Parade, many of which
(Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and New York City to name a few) are
scheduled for the last weekend in June to commemorate the evening at Stonewall. Since then Pride has shifted to meet the
demands of the community at any given time, from the AIDS Crisis to Marriage
Equality and many other issues in between.
It still hearkens back to a time when the patrons at a local club stood
up and refused to be marginalized.
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| NYC Pride Parade |
After the riots, The Stonewall Inn was forced
to close. Since then the physical
establishment has changed many times.
The bar was sold, and the property was broken into parcels. What was once the main bar of the Stonewall
Inn, became several iterations of different eating establishments and is
currently a nail salon. Private owners
bought half of the property and reopened Stonewall in the 1990’s and returned
to its namesake of The Stonewall Inn in 2007.
According to Peggy, one of the bartenders there, the owners are planning
on eventually buying out the nail salon next door and returning the Stonewall
Inn to its former size.
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| Interior of Stonewall |
At a glance, there is nothing particularly
spectacular about the interior of the bar.
The wood used in the décor is warm and inviting, but not particularly
pristine or stylish. On the main level
there is a pool table, a tiny stage and a few bar tables. There are some commemorative t-shirts posted
above the bar that are for sale.
Upstairs is a larger stage and a second bar that is used for various
shows. When you look a little deeper the
history and uniqueness start to surface.
On the main floor a “Urinal Room” and “Private Stall” serve as the
restrooms for patrons. There are
newspaper clippings from the times of the riots posted on the walls. There are original signs of “This is a Raided
Premises” from the NYPD visible. There
is a recounting of the historic evening by one of the patrons who lived through
that fateful raid. Peggy mentioned that
he is in his 70’s and still comes into the bar every now and again to grab a
beer.
The history of the Stonewall Inn calls to
people who have studied the queer civil rights movement. Jason, a dear gay friend of mine with a
degree in History, heard that call. When he visited me from Seattle, one of his
definite to do list items was to see Stonewall.
He was shocked by the fact that a place so steeped in historical
significance maintained such a low-key atmosphere. It was early afternoon on a Tuesday when
Jason and I had the opportunity to chat with the bartender, Peggy. He asked her what it was like to work in such
a monumental place. Her response was
that most days it was just like working any other job. Occasionally she would encounter people that
lauded over the historical significance.
Those occasions served as a reminder to her of the weight of the
venue. We talked to her about the
various events, marches and rallies that still start there, all the while
enjoying two for one happy hour cocktails.
There was a visitor from Sevilla, Spain who had a friend translate
“Thank you Stonewall for paving the way” into English so that he could say that
to the bartender. A couple of early
twenties came in and played a few games of pool. We observed an after-work crowd come in
wearing shirts and ties. We witnessed
people taking photos of the sign out front and venturing in to read a few of
the newspaper clippings on the wall, and then turn around and leave. They saw the monumental location and that
completed their visit. We delighted in
seeing gay men beside lesbians (which is surprisingly uncommon in most queer
bars) and their heterosexual friends all coming together in a communal
establishment. Most of these
interactions are nothing even remotely out of the ordinary in a neighborhood
gay bar even though this is a place of utter historic significance for the
patrons within.
As I am writing this, I am sitting at the bar
in the Stonewall Inn. I feel the weight
of history within these walls. At the
same time, I feel the comfort and camaraderie of the neighborhood vibe of this
bar. If these walls could talk, what
stories they would have! Stories of a
historical uprising would be balanced with stories of first dates. Stories of drunken Monday nights playing Drag
Bingo would be paired with stories of after work happy hours. Stories from bartenders who have had bland
days would be matched with stories of visitors in tears at the monumental
nature of the birthplace of Pride. The
Stonewall Inn is living history juxtaposed with mundane neighborhood
appeal. Come in for history and stay for
a two for one happy hour drink with friends you’ve yet to meet.
