Pride Vermont

A friend of mine said to me recently that some gays don't know what the Stonewall Riots were. I couldn't believe it. A gay person not knowing Stonewall is like an African American saying "Rosa Parks, who?"

The Stonewall Riots, according to Wikipedia, "were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. They are frequently cited as the first instance in American history when people in the homosexual community fought back against a government-sponsored system that persecuted sexual minorities, and they have become the defining event that marked the start of the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world".

TRANSLATION: The cops raided a gay bar, and the gays fought back! C'mon folks, you really gotta know this stuff. It's like de rigueur for gays and lesbians.

OK, OK, if you really don't know what Stonewall is, well, at least you're still reading this post and nobody else knows yet. Before anyone else finds out, here's what you do:

1 - Go read the whole Wikipedia page on Stonewall. Yes, the whole thing. You've slacked until now on your history responsibilities, you can at least read a few hundred words.
The Stonewall Riots in Wikipedia

2 - Whew, that was a lot of reading. Some pictures will help rest your tired eyes and brain. Go to Google Images and lookup Stonewall Riots. Look at those pics, page after page, and just take it in. Have you ever protested? Marched? Stood up for your rights? If you haven't, this is what it looks like.

3 - Next, go march like it's Stonewall. The Pride Parade is Saturday July 25th! It's fun, it's a walk around town, it ends with a big party, and instead of threats from the police (a la Stonewall) we're usually cheered and loved along the whole route (thanks Burlington!)

4 - Finally, join the Dance RIOT at Higher Ground! You were probably thinking "if this were really an important cause, there would be a way that I could dance and support it". Well, you're right, there is! After the Pride Parade and Rally, on Saturday night, it's RIOT! The Stonewall Celebration. By this point, you will have educated yourself on history (steps 1 and 2) and marched in a real Pride Parade (step 3), now it's time to officially boogy at Higher Ground.

Now you know everything you need to know to plan your Pride Saturday and you know just enough so you don't look like a deer in the headlights when someone says "Stonewall".

HAPPY PRIDE!