Subsequent marches took place throughout the country every June.

On the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the first Pride march took place in NYC with nearly 4,000 people marching from the Stonewall Inn, now a national monument, to Central Park. It sparked activism among the LGBTQ community and within two years, gay rights groups had a presence in most major cities. Although police raids were not uncommon, this event, which came to be known as The Stonewall Riots, served as a turning point in the fight for gay rights. At that time, homosexuality was considered a crime in New York state, so bars operated without the proper permitting thus making them susceptible to police raids. As part of our company's PRIDE Month celebration, this email was sent to our team members marking the start of the event.įor six days in June 1969, the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, and queer) community and thousands of supporters protested against New York City (NYC) police officers after they raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the City.