Gay and Lesbian Liberation
State and local governments followed suit: bars catering to gay men and lesbians were shut down and their customers were arrested and exposed in newspapers. Cities performed "sweeps" to rid neighborhoods, parks, bars, and beaches of gay people. By Howard Rosenman. You should leave medical school and go into the arts. 1969 Stonewall Riots
If he shone it three times, they called the NYPD, who had a deal with the Mafia owners of the gay bars to arrest a quota of “faggots” each week. That’s how Stonewall happened. The raid sparked a riot among bar patrons and neighborhood residents as police roughly hauled employees and patrons out of the bar, leading to six days of protests and violent clashes with law enforcement outside the bar on Christopher Street, in neighboring streets and in nearby Christopher Park. The Stonewall Riots served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. The Stonewall Uprising and LGBT Rights
In the s, '50s and '60s, police arrested LGBTQ people based on an informal "three-article" rule. Rusty Brown started dressing as a man, first as a disguise to get a factory job since she lost. This incident ushered in a new era for gays and lesbians in the United States: an era of pride, openness, and activism. It led many gays and lesbians to "come out of the closet" and publicly assert their sexual identity and to organize politically. 1969
The police often sent attractive young plainclothes officers into clubs to entrap gay men by leading them on and then arresting them if they made the mistake of inviting them home. Rusty Brown started dressing as a man, first as a disguise to get a factory job since she lost her war-time position as a machinist at the close of World War II , then in order to work as a drag king. This is when her troubles began. 
The Gay Liberation Movement
June 28, marks the beginning of the Stonewall Uprising, a series of events between police and LGBTQ+ protesters which stretched over six days. Each of our resources is free, scholar reviewed, and easy to implement. Browse our full collection by subject, grade-level, era, or term.
How Dressing in Drag Was Labeled a Crime in the 20th Century
In the early-morning hours of June 28, , New York police raided the Stonewall Inn. These police raids on gay bars were frequent, occurring on average once a month for each bar. Police would check IDs and take customers dressed as women to the bathroom to verify their gender. .
Stonewall riots
On June 28, , a group of LGBTQ people resisted and then fought back after the police attempted to raid their bar, the Stonewall Inn, in New York City’s Greenwich Village. . 
Before Stonewall, Entrapment Was the Real Danger
Early in the morning of June 27, , New York City police staged a raid on the Stonewall Inn, a Greenwich Village bar whose patrons included transvestites, gay men, and lesbians. Raids on gay or cross-dresser bars were common at the time. .