[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 79 (Monday, June 7, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE SPIRIT OF STONEWALL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 7, 1999

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 
thirtieth anniversary of the modern gay rights movement. On Friday, 
June 27, 1969, the New York City Police Department raided and attempted 
to close the Stonewall Inn for the perceived crime of operating a dance 
bar that catered to homosexuals. Recall, that in 1969 New York it was 
illegal for men to dance with men, although, oddly, it was legal for 
women to dance with women.
  In New York City and almost everywhere, police raids on gay bars were 
routine. Usually, the patrons scurried, fearful of the repercussions of 
being caught in a gay bar. On this night, brave young men and women 
stood up to the police. They were no longer willing to accept daily 
harassment and the abridgement of their civil rights.
  The Police operated in their customary fashion, hurling a string of 
homophobic comments, as they evicted the bar patrons one by one. As 
patrons and onlookers gathered outside, the crowd grew. A parking meter 
was uprooted and used to barricade the door. Thirteen gay people were 
arrested that first night.
  This was the beginning of a number of nights of demonstrations that 
drew national attention. Moreover, it demonstrated to the gay community 
that there was an alternative to continued oppression. It also showed 
the community at large that gays were no longer willing to be silent in 
the face of injustice. After that night the movement to protect the 
rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and the transgendered gained 
strength and respectability.
  In the last thirty years, much has changed. Gay bars can be found in 
almost every town--from Anchorage, Alaska to Wheeling, West Virginia. 
More important, bookstores, hotlines and support groups have appeared 
in smaller communities to ease the isolation previously felt by many 
gays. The legacy of Stonewall can be seen in the lives of hundreds of 
thousands of men and women who are able to live their lives honestly 
and out of the closet. The Stonewall Revolution inspired men and women 
to ``come out'' and showed young gays and lesbians that they are not 
alone. Today, an openly gay person is no longer automatically 
disqualified from holding public office or other positions of trust. 
Now, numerous communities have embraced the post-Stonewall reality by 
passing laws specifically protecting against discrimination based on 
real or perceived sexual preference.
  I am proud to represent thousands of gay and lesbians, in Manhattan 
and Queens and I am proud of my close relationships with an support of 
the Stonewall Veterans Association, a group of those actually present 
on that fateful night.
  As we celebrate the anniversary of the modern gay rights movement, we 
recognize the expansion of freedom has not been uniform and much 
remains to be done. So we celebrate the important, but incomplete, 
steps toward equality for those previously banished to the closet. Much 
more remains to be done to eliminate irrational prejudice against those 
who are different. And we must recommit ourselves to the fight against 
all types of bigotry whether based on race, religion, national origin, 
sex or perceived sexual preference.

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