Stonewall was a Riot: Honoring the Contributions of Transgender Individuals to the LGBTQIA Movement
/By Nina Simone Grotch
Every year in June, people in the United States and around the world commemorate Pride Month, a celebration of the dignity, worth, and visibility of LGBTQIA+ people. But did you know that LGBT Pride Month was born out of a riot? Like so many movements for equality, the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights has been tumultuous and violent.
Stonewall was a Riot
On June 28, 1969, police in New York City raided The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village. The raid sparked six days of protest from the LGBTQ community and its allies. Although it was not the first clash between the LGBTQ community and police, the Stonewall riots are widely believed to mark the start of the gay liberation movement in the United States. They also an example of the incredible power of protest to change society. One year after the Stonewall Uprising, New York City held the country’s first gay pride parade.
As we celebrate Pride Month, it is important to acknowledge the diversity of those involved in the riots and the gay liberation movement. Historically, the contributions and sacrifices of certain groups, including transgender people (and particularly trans people of color), were either ignored or erased. Two trans women, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, notably fought back against the police brutality at Stonewall. Although she always denied it, Marsha P. Johnson has been credited with throwing the brick or shot glass that ignited the protest. After Stonewall, both she and Rivera continued to engage in direct action for LGBTQ rights; however both were banned from participating in the 4th annual pride march, as the gay and lesbian committee did not want “drag queens” at the event. Unwilling to accept discrimination from within the gay community itself, both women marched defiantly in front of the parade.
Continuing Discrimination Against Transgender Individuals
Much has happened in the past half-century, but transgender people – and trans women of color especially – still bear the brunt of prejudice in many areas and are often targeted for harm. To date, at least 15 transgender or gender non-conforming people have been killed in 2020. Yet in the face of violence and discrimination from all angles, the trans community continues to fight for their rights and for their voices and stories to be told
And their voices are critical to our movements, to our communities, and to our world. However, due to overwhelming prejudice, trans people are often pushed to the margins. This marginalization adds to their lack of safety. Trans people often face high rates of unemployment, poverty, and homelessness. As employment can be difficult if not impossible to find, trans people are often forced into sex work which also increases their vulnerability to violence. The Human Rights Campaign issued a report in 2018 about the epidemic of violence against the trans community. The statistics are telling:
52% of transgender people who stayed at a shelter were verbally harassed, physically attacked, and or sexually assaulted because of being transgender.
54% of transgender people report having experienced some form of intimate partner violence.
47% of transgender people have been sexually assaulted.
We cannot allow this to continue. The world needs the strength, resiliency, and leadership of transgender communities. As we continue to protest in defense of Black lives, we must also protest to defend the lives of trans people of color. We must push ourselves to be better allies to all transgender people and advocates for trans rights.
A Turning Point?
We have seen indications of positive change in the past few weeks. During this year’s Pride Month, Black Lives Matter activists and LGBTQIA+ activists have recognized the links and overlap between their movements. Trans March San Francisco declares:
“Today is the first day of a month where we commemorate Stonewall, a police riot. Trans March is built upon the legacy of Stonewall, Compton’s,[1] and the many other actions that led up to them. We commemorate and celebrate these events every year in June because they kick-started the movements for our rights. These actions were largely led by Black trans women because they were the most marginalized with the least to lose. They battled cops and destroyed property and, as a result, paved the way for us to get many of the rights we enjoy today. Every single living trans and queer person owes a huge debt of gratitude to these folks for rioting.”
Despite being disproportionately targeted by police and societal violence, many Black transgender people have not felt safe or comfortable attending recent protests. As a result, Black trans women in New York organized the “Brooklyn Liberation” march for Sunday, June 14. Members of the trans community and their allies – more than 15,000 people – marched through Brooklyn to demand justice, protection, and support for Black trans women and trans people. Marches were also held in other cities. The event was an incredible example of the importance of intersectional coalitions, grassroots protests, and following the leadership of the most impacted communities.
Trans Rights Are Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) serves as world’s moral compass and demands rights for everyone, regardless of race, gender identity, or other characteristic. It calls for protections and safety for all citizens of the world (Articles 1-3) and guarantees the right to join in public protest (Article 20).
Recently we have seen people from all over the world engage in protesting systemic racism and the violence visited upon Black bodies. Black Lives Matter marches have been held in small towns, rural and suburban areas as well as major cities. These protests seem to signal the beginning of a change where an incredibly diverse group of people has joined together to demand justice. Similarly, the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights continues to evolve. Historically, trans people, and more specifically, trans people of color were there at the forefront from the beginning. This community continues to face incredible discrimination and violence. Let’s continue to fight for equality and justice for all people.
Resources
Schools in Transition: A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 Schools | American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson | David France (director), Netflix
Trans Agenda for Liberation | Transgender Law Center
Beyond Tolerance: A Resource Guide for Addressing LGTBQI Issues in Schools | New York Collective of Radical Educators
Notes
[1] The Compton’s Cafeteria riot of 1966 was another clash between violent police and trans customers in San Francisco. See Sam Levin, “Compton's Cafeteria riot: a historic act of trans resistance, three years before Stonewall,” The Guardian, June 21, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/21/stonewall-san-francisco-riot-tenderloin-neighborhood-trans-women.