Thousands gather at Stonewall 50 years after LGBTQ uprising
NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of people on Friday converged at the Stonewall Inn for the 50th anniversary of the rebellion that catalyzed a movement for lesbians-gay-bisexual-transgender-queer (LGBTQ) liberation, marking the milestone with celebrity performances, speeches and personal reflections.
People from New York and afar came to take photos and share in the legacy of the gay bar where patrons resisted a police raid, sparking protests and longer-term organizing that made the cause considerably more visible.
“Fifty years ago, people stood up for their rights, and look where we’re at now. We’ve got flags all over the city,” said Richard Walker, 58, an airline worker from New York. “I’m getting goosebumps just really thinking about it.”
With the modern incarnation of the Stonewall Inn as the focal point, the day’s celebrations included music, speeches and an evening rally.
Lady Gaga, Whoopi Goldberg, Alicia Keys, drag performers and other artists at the advocacy organization Pride Live’s Stonewall Day Concert addressed a crowd that stretched for blocks in a nearly 90-degree afternoon.
“This community has fought and continued to fight a war of acceptance, a war of tolerance,” Lady Gaga said. “You are the definition of courage.”
On Friday evening, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio joined a grassroots rally in front of Stonewall Inn, saying “Happy Pride, everybody!” to thousands of cheering people, including activists, organizers and politicians. The Democratic mayor called those who were arrested in 1969 “brave,” setting the stage for future LGBTQ rights.
Friday’s events were kicking off a big weekend of Pride festivities in New York and elsewhere. In New York, Sunday’s huge WorldPride parade – and an alternative march intended as a less corporate commemoration of Stonewall – also will swing past the bar.
Cities around the world began celebrating Pride on Friday. Participants in a march in the Philippines went by the presidential palace in Manila, waving placards as they marked the 25th year since the first such gathering.