The words “gay” and “lesbian” are very common in today’s society. Some use them as labels for their identity, others as jokes among their friends. However, in the 1960’s, these words were seen as inappropriate and completely improper. Those who identified as homosexual were shunned from society, outcast by their families and friends. Laws were made against those who wanted to express themselves as the gender they wanted to be, not what they were assigned at birth. Homosexual males were considered perverts or mentally unwell. As with any group that is discriminated against, they eventually got tired of being treated horribly and fought back. In this paper, I will discuss the Stonewall Uprising and its impact on today’s society using information gathered by researchers…show more content… should be considered as proper cases for medical and psychiatric treatment” (Hoey). Many gay bars also operate without a liquor license, making police raids common. However, like most gay bars, the Stonewall Inn was owned by a mafia who didn’t care about the safety of their patrons as long as they were making a profit. After consistent raids, the community began to fight back against the police. Tensions between the two parties led to the Stonewall Riots (or the Stonewall Uprising, the preferred term by the LGBTQ+ community). The uprising began after 9 policemen entered the Stonewall Inn, arrested employees for operating without a liquor license, got into physical altercations with patrons, and eventually cleared the bar. This was typically how police raids went, and several patrons were arrested for not wearing the “proper” clothing. However, instead of leaving once the bar was cleared, patrons gathered outside to defend those who had been arrested and began jeering and throwing bottles and other debris at the police, who barricaded themselves inside once the crowd turned
