Stonewall Uprising – Documentary Screening

With the Chicago Pride Parade right around the corner, we will be screening the documentary Stonewall Uprising this Wednesday, June 19. We will be hosting the screening in Room 124 on 5255 N Ashland Ave. at 7pm and it is open to the public.

It was not too long ago that simply being gay or lesbian in the United States was illegal and punishable by imprisonment. Given the reality of the government-sponsored system that persecuted sexual minorities in the 1950s and 1960s, it was only a matter of time until individuals stood up and revolted against the oppressive social and political climate that perpetuated such treatment.

So when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City on June 28, 1969, it was understandable that pent up frustrations gave way to violent protests and demonstrations. In that day, it was common for police to regularly raid or go undercover to the Stonewall Inn to arrest individuals and their names would then be printed in local newspapers, incurring social ostracization and often the loss of their jobs. But on that night, some of the patrons finally had enough and their protest helped to awaken and give voice to the collective feelings of frustration and discontent that were lying under the surface. The protest spilled out onto the streets and the ensuing six days of riots are now commonly viewed as the genesis of the gay rights movement in the United States which is now commemorated with the annual Pride Parade in respective cities across the country.

We hope to see you there!

Much love.