Queer individuals were treated poorly and wanted to demonstrate that people should not be convicted of a mental illness based on their sexual orientation. The Stonewall Riots were officially the start of the Gay Liberation Movement, as police were seen walking to the Stonewall Inn and arresting many queer individuals, creating a hot mess as these individuals tried to defend themselves.
The Stonewall Riots were seen as the catalyst for advocacy groups to stop creating a hostile environment for queer individuals to live in. Marches in 1970 occurred in NYC,