During the 1960’s New York City had made it hard for the LGBT community to coexist among everyone else. There were laws making it illegal to be gay. It is crazy to think that people these people had to be ashamed of who they were. The city made liquor laws that stated if any establishment served alcohol to any “sexual deviant” their liquor license would be removed. If homosexuals were caught by the police they would be arrested and their names would be published in major newspapers. This newspaper was read by everyone from most to least important and this enabled them from getting jobs. It put these people in a “do not touch” category, picking them out as one to not associate with.

On June 28, 1969 police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, and instead of just allowing the unfair treatment by police on the homosexual community, the gays fought back. There was a campaign in New York City called clean up the city that was targeted for police to raid gay establishments to rid the rid of these people. The people who owned the Stonewall would water down the beer to pass the liquor laws. They also paid the cops to give them a heads up if they were coming to the bar to ensure safety for the gays. The night on the Stonewall riot, they did not give the owners a heads up. Many got arrested for alcohol violations but also injured because the people in the bars grabbed anything they could find and started throwing it at the police. Years of mistreatment from society led to the gays to start riots. The community members formed groups that targeted civil rights for all LGBT people. Greenwich village became a meeting place and a safe haven for all LGBT people. This would be where the movement started and where it would grow, demanding for equality.