Civil Rights: The Stonewall Riots

While the movement for LGBTQ+ rights has accomplished many things, there is still an overwhelming number of problems we face in our lives. The constitution has been, and continues to be used against LGBTQ+ people just as much as it is used to protect us. The constitution cannot change unless people do, and so far in 2017, things have been looking down for LGBTQ+ people. From vandalism at LGBTQ+ centers to more than 100 anti-LGBTQ+ bills being introduced in two months, it seems like we’re moving backwards. There are a few constitutional amendments that offer protections for LGBTQ+ people, including the 1st, 4th, 9th, and the 14th, which all guarantee the right to be “left alone”.

The First Amendment, which guarantees the right to freedom

In 1969, when it was illegal to solicit homosexual relations, gay bars were places LGBT people could go to socialize in safety from harassment. These bars were often subject to police harassment. On the night of the riots, nine police officers arrested employees of the bar for selling liquor without a license, and arrested anyone who wasn’t wearing at least three articles of non-gender conforming clothing. Rather than scattering like people did most of the time, patrons began to throw bottles. The riots continued for five nights and they are considered the first time LGBTQ+ people began to stand together and demand rights. Following the riots, more and more LGBTQ+ organizations popped up around the

The New York Supreme Court ruled in her favor, and she competed in the US Open in 1977. The judge ruled that “This person is now a female” and requiring Richards to pass the Barr body test, which verified a woman’s gender by the number of chromosomes they had, as “grossly unfair, discriminatory and inequitable, and a violation of her rights.” This case shows the public beginning to shift the way non-binary people are seen and should be treated. Most of the issues debated today are the same as they always have been - same-sex marriage, adoption, LGBTQ+ people serving in the military, trans and non-binary people using bathrooms that match their gender rather than their sex, and whether or not discrimination against LGBTQ+ people should be legal. Most of the arguments against these things are based in religion. Some people believe marriage should remain “traditional” - between a man and a woman. They also believe that LGBTQ+ couples shouldn’t adopt, serve in the military, or have protections against