Pride is celebrated to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall uprising, a key turning point in the LGBTQ rights movement. In its immediate aftermath, new activist groups emerged fighting for liberation and visibility. However, New York City has a long and vibrant LGBTQ history that spans several centuries.
Join Ken Lustbader from the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project on a walking tour of pre- and post-Stonewall historic sites associated with early LGBTQ activism and community, all of which influenced American culture and politics.
Starting at Christopher Park, across from Stonewall, learn about the long-standing oppressive practices which led to the 1969 uprising and, before that, the 1966 “Sip-In” at Julius’ Bar. Stops along the tour will also highlight locations that have been especially impactful on the lives of LGBTQ people, including the starting point of the first-ever NYC Pride March (in 1970), popular gay and lesbian bars such as the Duchess and the Snake Pit, and places connected to the Mattachine Society (NYC’s first gay rights group), the Gay Activists Alliance, Radicalesbians, and the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR).
Meeting Place: Stonewall National Monument at Christopher Park (by the Gay Liberation sculpture) at 7th Avenue South and Christopher Street (the small triangular park bounded by West 4th, Christopher, and Grove Streets) across the street from the Stonewall Inn.
