Stonewall Celebration

In the 1960s, the attitude towards gay and lesbian people was somewhat disrespectful, and such communities often suffered from police brutality. Bars do not usually welcome the gay and lesbian community. Those establishments where they were welcome were often run by the mafia and other organized criminal organizations. Police raids on these bars were also common. The Genovese crime family owned the Stonewall Inn located on Christopher Street. It was a place reported to sell drugs and other illicit activities. But it was also the only place that allowed gay people to dance openly. 

On June 28, 1969, two undercover cops entered the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village in New York to collect visual evidence, with the Public Moral squad waiting outside for their signal. Once the officers, along with Detective Charles Smythe and  Deputy Inspector Seymour Pine arrived, events began to unfold. The police actions became brutal, and patrons of the inn along with bystanders reacted equally violently. The entire event led to the protests and riots that started the LGBT movement.