Chapter Five: The Stonewall Riots (1969)

For more recent bibliographies of LGBT direct action, see: 

LGBT Direct Action Bibliography, Chronology, and Inventory, 1965-1973, by Marc Stein

Documents 73-75, 80, 83, 85-86, 91: Mainstream Media Coverage

The documents reprinted in The Stonewall Riots are “Village Raid Stirs Melee,” New York Post, 28 June 1969, 4; Dennis Eskow, “3 Cops Hurt As Bar Raid Riles Crowd,” New York Daily News, 29 Jun. 1969, 30; “4 Policemen Hurt in ‘Village’ Raid: Melee near Sheridan Square Follows Action at Bar,” New York Times, 29 June 1969, 33; “Police Again Rout ‘Village’ Youths: Outbreak by 400 Follows a Near-Riot over Raid,” New York Times, 30 June 1969, 22; “Hostile Crowd Dispersed Near Sheridan Square,” New York Times, 3 July 1969, 19; Jerry Lisker, “Homo Nest Raided, Queen Bees Are Stinging Mad,” New York Daily News, 6 July 1969, M1, M6; Jay Levin, “The Gay Anger behind the Riots,” New York Post, 8 July 1969, 36; E. W., letter to the editor, New York Post, 11 July 1969, 40.

For related sources, see “N.Y. Homosexuals Protest Raids,” Washington Post, 1 July 1969, E2; “Cop Injured: 5 Seized in Village,” New York Post, 3 July 1969; Nancy L. Ross, “Homosexual Revolution,” Washington Post, 25 Oct. 1969, C1-C2; “Policing the Third Sex,” Newsweek, 27 Oct. 1969, 76-77; Christopher Cory, “The Homosexual: Newly Visible, Newly Understood,” TIME, 31 Oct. 1969, 56-67; Tom Burke, “The New Homosexuality,” Esquire, Dec. 1969, 178, 304-318.

Documents 76-77: Demonstration Fliers

The documents reprinted in The Stonewall Riots are Homophile Youth Movement, “Get the Mafia and the Cops Out of Gay Bars,” c. 29 June 1969, Craig Rodwell Papers, Box 5, New York Public Library; Mattachine Society of New York, “Where Were You during the Christopher St. Riots?” c. 29 June 1969, Mattachine Society of New York Records, Box 11, Folder 6, New York Public Library.

Documents 78-79, 96-102: LGBT Media Coverage

The documents reprinted in The Stonewall Riots are [Dick Leitsch], “The Hairpin Drop Heard around the World,” Mattachine Society of New York Newsletter, July 1969, 21-23; D. L. [Dick Leitsch], “Gay Riots,” Mattachine Society of New York Newsletter, July 1969, 24-25; D. L. [Dick Leitsch], “Gay Riots in the Village,” Mattachine Society of New York Newsletter, Aug. 1969, 1-2, 4; D. L. [Dick Leitsch], “The Stonewall Riots: The Police Story,” Mattachine Society of New York Newsletter, Aug. 1969, 5-6; D. L. [Dick Leitsch], “The Stonewall Riots: The Gay View,” Mattachine Society of New York Newsletter, Aug. 1969, 13-14; A. B. and C. F. [Ada Bello and Carole Friedman], “Give Me Liberty Or…,” Homophile Action League Newsletter, Aug. 1969, 1-2; The Insider: Newsletter of the Mattachine Society of Washington, Aug. 1969, 1-3; “Cross Currents,” The Ladder, Oct. 1969, 40; Don Jackson, “Reflections on the N.Y. Riots,” Los Angeles Advocate, Oct. 1969, 11, 33.

For related sources, see William B. Kelley, “Riot, Tree-Cutting Mark NYC Gay Scene,” Mattachine Midwest Newsletter, July 1969, 7; C. Thorp, “Go to Christopher Street,” Committee for Homosexual Freedom Newsletter, 25 Aug. 1969, 3; “D.D.’s New York,” Mattachine Society of New York Newsletter, Aug. 1969, 18-19; “Boys Out of Jail,” Mattachine Society of New York Newsletter, Aug. 1969, 19; Bobbie Huff, “N.Y. Po-lice Scream at Queens,” Magpie, Aug. 1969, 14; Editorial, Tangents, Aug. 1969, 2; “Tangents,” Tangents, Aug. 1969, 14-15; Dick Leitsch, “Police Raid on N.Y. Club Sets Off First Gay Riot,” Los Angeles Advocate, Sep. 1969, 3, 11-12; Homophile Youth Movement, “Get the Mafia and the Cops Out of Gay Bars,” c. 29 June 1969, reprinted in Gay Power (1.2), c. Sep. 1969, 3; “The Birth of Gay Power,” Daughters of Bilitis New York Newsletter, Sep. 1969, 1-2;  “Homophile News Fronts,” Vector, Oct. 1969, 4; Charles P. Thorp, letter to the editor, Los Angeles Advocate, Nov. 1969, 20; Lige and Jack, “Remember the Stonewall!” GAY, 29 June 1970, 5.

Documents 81-82, 84, 87-90, 92-95: Alternative, Underground, Left Media Coverage

The documents reprinted in The Stonewall Riots are Lucian Truscott IV, “Gay Power Comes to Sheridan Square,” Village Voice, 3 July 1969, 1, 18; Howard Smith, “View from Inside: Full Moon over the Stonewall,” Village Voice, 3 July 1969, 1, 25; Leo Laurence, “Gays Hit NY Cops,” Berkeley Barb, 4 July 1969, 5; Ronnie Di Brienza, “Stonewall Incident,” East Village Other, 9 July 1969, 2; “Queen Power: Fags against Pigs in Stonewall Bust,” Rat, 9 July 1969, 6; letters to the editor, Village Voice, 10 July 1969, 4, 49; Walter Troy Spencer, “Last Call: Too Much My Dear,” Village Voice, 10 July 1969, 36; John Gabree, “Homosexuals Harassed in New York,” National Guardian, 12 July 1969, 14; Jefferson Fuck Poland, “Lady Inspectors,” Berkeley Barb, 16 July 1969, 17; Leo E. Laurence, “Mafia in the Middle,” Berkeley Tribe, 18 July 1969, 13; Lige [Elijah Hadyn Clarke] and Jack [John Richard Nichols], “Pampered Perverts,” Screw, 25 July 1969, 16.

For related sources, see Bill Wingell, “Great to Be Gay: A Time for Holding Hands,” Distant Drummer, 10 July 1969, 8; Leo Laurence, “Gays Get Panther OK,” Berkeley Tribe, 25 July 1969, 7; A. B. [Ada Bello], “The Second Largest Minority,” Homophile Action League Newsletter, Aug. 1969, 2.

For police reports on the Stonewall Riots, see Jonathan Ned Katz, “Stonewall Riots Police Reports,” OutHistory, June 2009, “http://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/stonewall-riot-police-reports.

There are also several dozen photographs of the Stonewall Riots and numerous oral histories. With respect to photographs, be advised that many on the internet are mistakenly and misleadingly presented as photographs of the Stonewall Riots.