Stonewall

Stonewall usually refers to the Stonewall uprising, which began during the night of June 27 to 28, 1969, after a police raid at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The bar was an important meeting place for queer people, including gay men, lesbians, trans people, drag queens, and queer youth, who at the time were often criminalized, harassed, and socially excluded.

When the police carried out the raid, patrons and people from the neighborhood resisted. Over several nights, this developed into street protests and confrontations. Stonewall was not the first queer protest, but it is widely regarded as a major turning point and an important catalyst for the modern lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer civil rights movement.

The events are commemorated worldwide through Pride events. In German-speaking countries, many of these demonstrations and celebrations are called Christopher Street Day, or CSD, named after the street where the Stonewall Inn is located. They combine remembrance, visibility, political demands, and advocacy for equal rights and protection from discrimination.