Gay Block Island - Washgton County - Rho Island - USA

Contents:

• GAY BLOCK ISLAND (WASHGTON COUNTY, RHO ISLAND)
• BLOCK ISLAND STUNTS FORMG THEIR SCHOOL’S FIRST GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE

GAY BLOCK ISLAND (WASHGTON COUNTY, RHO ISLAND)

Stonewall rts, also lled Stonewall uprisg, seri of vlent nontatns that began the early hours of June 28, 1969, between police and gay rights activists outsi the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar the Greenwich Village sectn of New York Cy. As the rts progrsed, an ternatnal gay rights movement was born (Amy Tikkanen, Encyclopedia Branni)One such well-known gatherg place for young gay men, lbians, and transgenr people was the Stonewall Inn Greenwich Village, a dark, seedy, crowd bar, reportedly operatg whout a liquor license. It was the third such raid on Greenwich Village gay bars a short perd (Amy Tikkanen, Encyclopedia Branni) 1969 the solicatn of homosexual relatns was an illegal act New York Cy (and ed virtually all other urban centr).

Gay bars were plac of refuge where gay men and lbians and other dividuals who were nsired sexually spect uld socialize relative safety om public harassment.

” (Amy Tikkanen, Encyclopedia Branni)Stonewall soon beme a symbol of ristance to social and polil discrimatn that would spire solidary among homosexual groups for s. Although the Stonewall rts nnot be said to have iated the gay rights movement as such, did serve as a talyst for a new generatn of polil activism. Olr groups such as the Mattache Society, which was found southern California as a discsn group for gay men and had flourished the 1950s, soon ma way for more radil groups such as the Gay Liberatn Front (GLF) and the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA).

BLOCK ISLAND STUNTS FORMG THEIR SCHOOL’S FIRST GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE

In addn to lnchg numero public monstratns to prott the lack of civil rights for gay dividuals, the anizatns often rorted to such tactics as public nontatns wh polil officials and the disptn of public meetgs to challenge and to change the mor of the tim.

The broad-based radil activism of many gay men and lbians the 1970s eventually set to motn a new, nondiscrimatory trend ernment polici and helped te society regardg this signifint mory (Amy Tikkanen, Encyclopedia Branni). Through Queer Tarot Mor has helped nearly 20 people e out as gay or genr-non-nformg. It’s the summer of 1984, Margaret Thatcher is power and the Natnal Unn of Meworkers is on strike, promptg a London-based group of gay and lbian activists to raise money to support the strikers’ fai.