Stonewall Uprising

This 1955 educational film warns against "the dangers of homosexuality," which is described as "a sickness of the mind." The ten minute video was produced by the Unified School District and the Police Department of Inglewood, California.

Dangerous "treatments" for eliminating homosexual urges were common in 1950s and 60s.

A veteran remembers what it was like to discover he was gay. Homosexuality meant a dishonorable discharge and no one would hire you afterwards.

A policeman's 1966 lecture to teenagers on how homosexuality can destroy lives.

In the 1960s, violence was a serious risk for gays and lesbians.

In 1960s New York, gay men who dressed in women's clothing courted danger; "masquerading" was breaking the law.

Richard Inman was president of the Mattachine society, one of the earliest gay rights groups. His goal was to legalize homosexuality between consenting adults.

In June, 1969, a typical NYPD raid of the Stonewall, a gay bar in New York City, had an unexpected result—gay patrons fought back. Here are some reflections on the Stonewall riots.

Organizers of the first gay pride march had low expectations. Here, they remember the march, held in New York City, one year after the Stonewall riots, in June 1969.

The Stonewall riots inspired gay Americans to fight for their rights. It was another great step forward in the story of human rights.

On June 28, 1969, New York City police raided a Greenwich Village Mafia-run gay bar, the Stonewall Inn. For the first time, patrons stood up against the authorities, setting off a three-day riot that launched the modern American Gay Rights Movement.