Gay rights nyc

The Spirit of
Stonewall Lives On

Heritage of Pride is a nonprofit organization that plans and produces Modern York City’s official LGBTQIA+ Pride events each year to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969 — the beginning of the modern Gay Rights movement.

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Early in the morning on June 28, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a Greenwich Village bar that had become a staple of New York City's underground gay community. But this time, tired of the ongoing raids, people members fought back, eye-catching what would become famous as The Stonewall Riots.

Early in the morning on June 28, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a Greenwich Village exclude that had become a staple of New York City's underground gay people. But this time, fatigued of the ongoing raids, community members fought support, striking what would develop known as The Stonewall Riots.

Early in the morning on June 28, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a Greenwich Village bar that had develop a staple of Fresh York City's underground same-sex attracted community. But this day, tired of the carried on raids, community members fought back, striking what would become known as The Stonewall Riots.

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LGBTQ+ Rights

Are you an LGBTQ+ New Yorker facing discrimination, eviction, or issues accessing health care, immigration relief, housing or other public benefits? Are you living with HIV/AIDs and experiencing discrimination?

Legal Services NYC provides FREE legal assistance to the LGBTQ+ society and people living with HIV and AIDS in a wide range of areas. With one of the oldest and largest LGBTQ+/HIV legal practices in the city, our priority is to advocate for LGBTQ+ people facing the most significant barriers to stability and life-saving services and benefits.

For free legal help, call Legal Services NYC at 917-661-4500 Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn more about our intake process here.

* The information does not constitute legal advice. You should always consult an attorney regarding your matter. Legal help subject to capacity and location.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still change my gender marker on my passport?

Yes, you can currently update the gender marker on your U.S.-issued passport thanks to a court order in Orr v. Trump, which allows eligible individuals to correct documentation to reflect their correct gend

Stonewall Inn

History

From June 28 to July 3, 1969, the Stonewall uprising that began inside the Stonewall Inn, which occupied the two storefronts at 51-53 Christopher Road, spread outside across the street in Christopher Park, and on several surrounding streets. The event is credited as a key turning point in the LGBT rights movement.

Lillian Faderman, historian

The two buildings were assembled as stables in the mid-19th century. In 1930, they were combined with one façade to property a bakery. In 1934, Bonnie’s Stonewall Inn opened here as a famous Greenwich Village bar and restaurant, and operated until 1964, when the interior was destroyed by heat. In March 1965, the estate that had owned the property for over 150 years sold it, along with five adjacent properties, to Burt and Lucille Handelsman, who were wealthy real estate investors.

The original Stonewall Inn was a gay bar that, like virtually all homosexual bars since the 1930s, was operated by, or with some, Mafia involvement. Starting in 1934, after the end of Prohibition, the New York Express Liquo

Every year for 15 years, starting in 1971, the New York City Council considered a homosexual rights bill. Every year for 15 years, they rejected it. But in 1986, Mayor Ed Koch reworked the measure’s language, specifying that the bill did not endorse a particular way of life while defining sexual orientation more clearly. Koch spoke in support of the legislation, despite jeers and sometimes violent opposition. The measure passed on March 20, 1986, with a vote of 21 to 14.

New York City had the country’s largest gay population, but it was the 51st city to go by anti-discrimination laws for homosexuals.

The bill forbade discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing, employment, and public accommodations. Violations were punishable by fines of $500 and up to a year in jail. Councilman Noach Cherished , who voted against the bill, said, “We are in the initial stages of an insidious crusade.”

Koch said, “It is simply civil rights legislation . . . giving people protections so that your sexual life . . . will no longer be a factor in your getting a occupation or renting an apartment or going to a restaurant or theater or any public place of accommodation.”