Stonewall was not the first uprising. Three years earlier, trans women fought back at a 24-hour cafeteria in San Francisco. Read the story of the Compton's Cafeteria Riot, the trans uprising that came before Stonewall.
Stonewall sparked the idea of marking the anniversary every year. Read the full story of the first Pride parade on June 28, 1970, when a few thousand people walked 51 blocks up Sixth Avenue and made the date stick.
Want the wider story of how the U.S. government persecuted LGBTQ+ Americans during this era? Read about the Lavender Scare.
For the full history of drag, the houses that built ballroom, and the performers who turned a costume into a movement, see our guide to what drag is and why it matters.
Related: Pride Month exists thanks to a bisexual organizer named Brenda Howard. Read our full profile of the Mother of Pride.
Stormé DeLarverie's arrest outside Stonewall the same night is the moment many witnesses say lit the fuse. Read her full story here.
Before Stonewall there were the Daughters of Bilitis and the Mattachine Society, organizing in living rooms in the 1950s.
If this is your first time at a Pride parade this June, our companion guide on what to expect at your first Pride parade covers what to bring, what to wear, route strategy, and the first-timer mistakes to skip.
For more context, read about Anita Bryant and the Save Our Children fight is the chapter that bridges this story.
New to the community or just want the basics down? Start with our plain-language guide to what LGBTQIA+ stands for, every letter explained.
