Stonewall york maine


A Visit to York, Maine with Stonewall Kitchen

Since our home renovation started in July, every room in the house, besides our bedroom, is covered in a thick layer of chalky dust. We’re also living without a kitchen and master bath. Our master is the only bathroom in the house with a shower so we’ve been living like nomads — eating and showering wherever we can.

Naturally, I’ve been trying to get away as much as possible, so when Stonewall Kitchen approached me about coming to York, Maine to visit their headquarters a few weeks ago I was THRILLED. Not only was I excited to get out of the house for a few days, but it sounded like so much fun to learn more about Stonewall Kitchen. Plus, Maine is absolutely beautiful (especially during the summer months) and we have friends who live in Portland, Maine so I was able to extend my trip and enjoy a few days with them as well. Such a perfect little trip!

If you’re not familiar, Stonewall Kitchen is a specialty food producer based out of a York, Maine. The company started with two guys selling handmade jams and jellies at local farmers markets, fairs and festivals. This was back in 1991, and the company has grown exponentially since! Their products are sold in over 6,000 locations and they now have 10 company stores. In my opinion, they’re most well-known for their wild blueberry jam and pancake mixes.

For this trip, Stonewall Kitchen invited seven bloggers to come to York, Maine to visit the company headquarters and main production facility, learn about the brand, try the products and explore. Highlights of the trip included a VIP tour with Stonewall Kitchen’s CEO, John Stiker, a food/prop styling workshop with the photo team, Stonewall Kitchen cooking class, and last but not least, a sunset bonfire on the beach (in case everything else wasn’t awesome enough!).

For this post, I thought I’d share a quick recap with a few photos from the trip, as well as some of my favorite spots that we visited while in York, Maine.

York is your quintessential New England beach town with a mix of quaint restaurants and quirky beach shops. The beautiful coastline provides cliff walks with views of the Nubble Lighthouse and large sandy beaches. It was so cute and charming — I would definitely visit again!

Must-See Spots in York, Maine

Stonewall Kitchen — As I mentioned, Stonewall Kitchen is headquartered in York and their flagship store/cafe is right off the highway exit, so it’s a convenient spot to grab breakfast or lunch. I loved being able to grab a quick coffee and frittata at the cafe and then sit outside on the patio to enjoy it.

The actual Stonewall Kitchen shop is large and filled with all of their products — many of which are open for sampling — so you can try everything from the bellini jam and ghost pepper aioli to the simple white crackers before purchasing. The place is a mainstay for tourists so the shop gets pretty busy, especially on the weekends.

Photo taken by Lexi of Lexi’s Clean Kitchen

Photo taken by Justine of Pretty in Pistachio

They also offer daily cooking classes with a variety of chefs. The classes are demo style so you can sit back and enjoy the food while watching the chef and taking notes on each dish. The classes include a 3-4 course meal, which leaves you feeling full with loads of new cooking knowledge!

York Harbor Inn – This is the hotel we stayed in. The accommodations are charming and the location is perfect — right across the street from York Harbor Beach and walking distance to the Wiggly Bridge and the Cliff Walk. We had dinner at the Ship’s Cellar Pub, which serves the same menu as the main dining room. I highly recommend the cobb salad with lobster. It was so good!

We also grabbed wine and appetizers at the Chapman Cottage Tavern one evening. It has a super cute outdoor patio with string lights – the perfect spot to grab a drink and sit outside before or after dinner.

Wiggly Bridge – True to its name, this bouncy walkway may be the world’s smallest suspension bridge.

Cliff Walk – An awesome little walkway along the coast with beautiful ocean views. If you’re visiting York, I definitely recommend doing this walk. It’s about 20 minutes out and back.

Dinner at Stage Neck Inn – For dinner one night, we walked from the York Harbor Inn over to Stage Neck Inn, which is right on the water with a lovely view. The menu is extensive with lots of local seafood options. Everything we ordered was delicious and I highly recommend the brussels sprouts.

Nubble Lighthouse – An authentic Maine lighthouse located on a rocky coastline. It’s the perfect picturesque backdrop for photos.

Photo taken by Lexi of Lexi’s Clean Kitchen

Fox’s Lobster House – Located right beside the Nubble Lighthouse, this popular restaurant offers all things lobster (rolls, salads, soup), delicious sides (like coleslaw and crispy fries) as well as ice cream and Maine blueberry pie. We sat outside on the patio and it was the perfect lobster-filled meal.

Anthony’s – An unassuming gas station that has a coffee shop, bakery, lots of prepared foods and a good selection of wine/beer. It’s also known for its whoopie pies (Maine’s official state treat).

Photo taken by Lexi of Lexi’s Clean Kitchen

Photo taken by Lexi of Lexi’s Clean Kitchen

Wiggly Bridge Distillery – A small batch distillery with an expansive cocktail menu. They offer everything from bourbon and whiskey to rum, vodka and gin!

Beaches – Choose from York Harbor Beach, Long Sands and Short Sands, and Seapoint (which is a little outside of York in Kittery). Seapoint beach is where we did a cozy sunset fire on the beach (with s’mores because, duh!).

Lexi and I were joking that this totally looks like a honeymoon shot. 😉

New Finds in Portland, Maine

After the trip with Stonewall Kitchen, I met up with my friend, Jenny, and her family at the Long Sands beach for a little fun in the sun before heading back to their place in Portland. Isaac and I love Portland so we’ve visited several times. See my previous posts here: fall weekend in Portland, Maine + summer weekend in Portland, Maine.

This time around, we explored a little more and I tried a few new-to-me spots like Crisp, a new fitness studio that offers cycle, yoga, boot camp classes and personal training all in one space. Jenny and I took a heated yoga class one day and a boot camp class the next. I love this idea because the boutique fitness experience is awesome, but it’s usually pricey for a membership so most people pick one thing and stick with it rather than adding variety to their workout routine. This concept lets you join one studio while still being able to enjoy a variety of workouts! We need a gym like this in Richmond, hint hint. 😉

Baharat – A food truck turned brick and mortar with inspired middle-eastern street food, a cocktail-focused full bar and a cozy, welcoming interior. This might be my new favorite spot to eat at in Portland. The hummus and pita dish was absolutely amazing. Highly recommend.

Liquid Riot – A fun brewery right on the water in old Portland. They also serve wine and mixed drinks if beer isn’t your thing.

Holy Donut – After multiple trips to Portland, I finally tried Holy Donut and now I totally get the hype. These potato donuts are absolutely delicious and I love that they have vegan and gluten-free options. We tried a bunch of different flavors, but I think the gf chocolate sea salt and the blueberry are my favorite. I need to try the sweet potato donuts next time!

Blake Orchard – A local spot for smoothies, juices and coffee. So many people recommended this spot so I wanted to include it here, but I didn’t get to try it because they were out of coffee when we went and I wasn’t hungry for a smoothie. It’s on my list for next time!

Verbena – A cute and quiet coffee shop and eatery — great for posting up to get some work done. Jenny recommended ordering the grilled veggie sandwich with tofu as a salad and it was SO good — extra large and super filling. And it has sweet potatoes on it… my fav!

Scratch Baking Co – Super cute spot in South Portland for bagels, bread, cookies, cakes and more. They also serve sandwiches and coffee. The gluten-free chocolate chunk chewy cookies were so delicious.

Overall, this trip solidified my love for Maine and has inspired me to explore more of New England. The weather is perfect during the summer months and there are so many cute towns to explore. Have you ever been to Maine? What were some of your favorite spots?   

Stonewall Kitchen Announces Opening of First Ever Stonewall

| Source: Stonewall Kitchen, LLC. Stonewall Kitchen, LLC.


York, Maine, April 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, award-winning specialty food and home goods producer Stonewall Kitchen opened its first ever Stonewall Home Company Store, located at the company’s campus headquarters in York, Maine.   The new retail location is more than 1,500 square-feet and will offer a unique shopping experience, showcasing Stonewall Kitchen’s growing selection of home goods brands, including Village Candle and Michel Design Works. Stonewall Kitchen will also feature its Fine Home Keeping line and and its Stonewall Home brand.

“We’re thrilled about this opportunity,” said Stonewall Kitchen’s Vice President of Retail Operations, Alyce Morris. “The Stonewall Home store, along with our flagship Company Store, Café and beautiful garden will really add to the overall guest experience here on campus. We’re so much more than jams these days, and this beautiful new space will glisten with wonderful soaps, lotions, candles, home goods and garden décor!”  

Stonewall Kitchen acquired Michel Design Works in October of 2021, a brand that features elegantly designed and premium crafted personal and home care products, and Village Candle in January of 2020, a brand of fragranced candles, gifts and accessories. Like its sister stores, the Stonewall Home Company Store has a premium feel, but is designed to look and feel unique. Cool tones of blue and white cover the walls, along with decorative textiles and artwork. The space also features a specially designed kitchen intended to spark inspiration as guests peruse the store.  

“With spring just beginning, we’re excited for our guests to come browse the campus and check out the new space,” Morris added. “So, whether you’re a local resident, in town on vacation or just passing through…please, come visit us!”

Stonewall Kitchen’s headquarters are located at 2 Stonewall Lane in York, just off of exit 7 on route 95. The Stonewall Home Company Store will be open daily from 9AM-5PM. The official ribbon cutting will take place on Thursday, April 13 at 2PM and is open to the public.

About Stonewall Kitchen

Stonewall Kitchen is a leading specialty food, home goods and personal care producer headquartered in York, Maine.   Founded in 1991 by partners Jonathan King and Jim Stott, the two established the Stonewall Kitchen brand by selling jams and jellies at local farmers’ markets with a flavorful line of distinctive and high-quality products. Over time, they expanded the brand to include sauces, condiments, crackers and baking mixes, always focusing on innovative product development, beautiful packaging, and exceptional guest service. Today, Stonewall Kitchen is the premier specialty food and home goods platform in North America, home to a family of premium quality brands including the flagship Stonewall Kitchen brand; the Michel Design Works brand of elegantly designed and crafted personal and home care products; the Vermont Coffee Company brand of high quality, non-GMO, certified organic coffee; the Urban Accents brand of globally-inspired spice mixes, seasonings, and sauces; the Village Candle brand of fragranced candles, gifts and accessories; the Tillen Farms brand of pickled vegetables and cocktail cherries; the Napa Valley Naturals brand of olive oils, culinary oils, balsamic vinegars and wine vinegars; the Montebello brand of artisan organic pasta imported from Italy; the Vermont Village brand of organic apple sauce and apple cider vinegars; and the Legal Sea Foods brand of restaurant-quality seafood sauces and condiments.  The company boasts more than 19,000 stores nationwide and internationally; a thriving catalog and online division; café in York, Maine; and eleven retail Company Stores throughout New England. As winners of 34 prestigious awards from the Specialty Food Association and the recipient of the coveted Outstanding Product Line Honors three times, Stonewall Kitchen is proud to be one of the most awarded specialty food companies in the country.

For more information about Stonewall Kitchen, please visit: www.stonewallkitchen.com

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  • Stonewall Home Company store

Stonewall Home Company storeOn April 1, 2022, Stonewall Kitchen opened a first of its kind Stonewall Home Company Store located ...


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Home Care Home Goods Personal Care Home Decor Maine New England Lifestyle Expansion Grand Opening


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 Jacob Ouellette Stonewall Kitchen, LLC. 207-351-2713 [email protected] 
 

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New York in early June: samsebeskazal - LiveJournal



New York in early June.

I haven't been in New York for a whole month, and during this time, as it turned out, a lot has changed in the city. The main thing is that people have stopped wearing masks en masse on the street. If earlier 80% of passers-by were wearing masks, and 20% without, now everything is exactly the opposite. For now, you still need to go to the store in a mask, go down the subway and put it on in other similar places, but I think that this will end soon. In my New Jersey, almost all covid restrictions have been removed. In New York state, they promise to cancel everything as soon as 70% of the adult population receives at least one shot of the vaccine. Now the first dose has received 68.6% of the population.

On the whole, the city somehow became more cheerful, became more crowded and began to look more cheerful. The long-awaited tourists have appeared, there are still many empty windows, but various new establishments have already begun to open in place of the closed ones. Helicopters roar overhead, tourist double-deckers pass by, and yellow cabs pick up voters from the streets. All this is accompanied by the usual New York sound cocktail consisting of city noises, screams, car horns and the occasional wail of fire and ambulance sirens. This is what a normal city should sound like.

The parks are full of vacationers, and cafes and restaurants are slowly getting rid of covered street verandas. They are either converted into open ones, or completely dismantled. In the 30-degree heat, the New York public, exhausted by restrictions, prefers to dine in a comfortable air-conditioned room.

People have fun and relax, but sometimes this fun goes too far. Local residents began to complain about noisy night parties in the parks and the police began to impose a local curfew there. For example, instead of midnight, Washington Square Park now closes at 10pm. Since the youth hanging out in the park did not agree with this arrangement, the park had to be cleared by police units, which usually fight the protesters. As a result, 23 arrested and 7 injured cops. I thought yesterday to shoot how it would happen, but the police changed their mind at the last moment and dumped. The people rejoiced at their victory and began to have fun with a vengeance :)

P.S. If you are reading this post, then I was able to beat Facebook!

1. The general mood in the city on these hot days, it seems to me, is best conveyed by this new statue laid (I wanted to write installed) in a Harlem park.

2. For a month of absence in New York, I somehow lost the habit of traffic jams, but already at the entrance I received a reminder that this is not Oklahoma for you.

3. View from the parking lot in Midtown to the Empire State Building.

4. New York Taxi keeps up with the times.

5. The city has maintained a street closure program that was introduced during the height of the pandemic, and thanks to it many neighborhoods are becoming a little cozier and more pedestrian-friendly on weekends. Here, right on the roadway, a rolled lawn was spread and people relax, drink, lie on the grass or sit on chairs.

6. Many pretty girls appeared. It is not clear where they were during the winter.

7. Biking with a friend.

8. Old car on Broadway.

9. The woman with the cart looks like some actress, I think. But I'm not sure.

10. Not local. The inscription on the T-shirt - "I solemnly swear that I'm not up to no good."

11. Conversation at the table.

12. A girl and a red Mercedes.

13. Announcement that Washington Square Park will temporarily close at 10pm. Visitors did not approve of the innovation.

14. On a hot day at the fountain.

15. Alone at home, but not at home and not alone.

16. Some Asian women were filming a clip in the park. Since they danced without sound, the musical style remained unknown.

17. Like a boss.

18. Policemen on duty in the park.

19. You won't believe it, but he takes pictures like that. The phone is attached to the steering wheel.

20. A member of the Israeli Communist Party at a rally in support of Palestine. The inscription on the flag is Marxism-Leninism-Anti-Zionism. The socks and T-shirt of the one on the right are also cool.

21. I was filming demonstrators, but then a TV man entered the frame.

22. Women's conversation.

23. Once, two Britons met in the Village. One from Virginia and one from California.

24. Old fireman.

25. The iron is still in the forests.

26. Somehow two men got together, sat down at a table on Broadway, took out knitting needles and yarn and started knitting.

27. The line at the entrance to the new store in the Harry Potter universe.

28. Waiting for a passerby.

29. Street arm wrestling in Union Square.

30. The city was decorated for Pride.

31. At the legendary gay bar Stonewall Inn. A lady (I'm not sure here) sang "I will survive", and the audience thanked her actively.

32. Beard.

33. Smoke break.

34. In the evening they were collecting turf, and the man lay down and refused to leave :)

35. In the evening in the Meatpacking District.

36. Late night party for police retreat from Washington Square Park. The people there were going to actively resist, some even prepared for a fight, but the cops didn’t come :)

Source: New York at the beginning of June

69 years in the New York gay bar "Stonewall Inn" happened an event that changed history: its visitors for the first time rebuffed the police. The sudden riot escalated into a six-day resistance that became the first mass protest in defense of gay rights and marked the beginning of LGBT activism.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Weekend reveals how a random bar brawl sparked a gay revolution


Chapter 1 Protest

On June 27, 1969, Yvonne Ritter was about to spend an evening at her favorite bar - for the first time with a real ID. She turned 18 that day, and it was worth noting: drinking and just being in bars was now legal. For the holiday party, Yvonne stole makeup and a black-and-white sleeveless dress with a deep back from her mother, took ten-centimeter black stilettos from a friend, and went to get ready for her friend Kiki, whose house made it easier to get to the bar on Christopher Street.

They arrived at the bar at ten in the evening. It was crowded, there were songs by The Rolling Stones and The Supremes, and go-go dancers in gold swimming trunks performed. The friends drank a few shots and went dancing in anticipation of friends who promised to come closer to the night. But the friends never came. At about twenty minutes past one, white lights came on in the bar, which meant that the police were about to turn up and we had to stop dancing. Soon, a few plainclothes police officers actually appeared, and visitors were lined up to check documents. Yvonne tried to escape through the toilet window, but one of the police officers grabbed her at the last moment. Yvonne was not so much afraid that she would be arrested, but that her photo would get into the newspapers and her parents would see her in her mother's dress. Yvonne Ritter was transgender and the ID card she received that day had the name Steve Ritter on it. Steve/Yvonne came to celebrate his birthday at the Stonewall Inn, the very day from which it is customary to count the history of the modern LGBT movement and the struggle for gay rights.

Guide to New York Gay Places with Stonewall, 1968

Photo: LGBT Community Center National History Archive.

Stonewall plan, 1968

Photo: NYC Department of Buildings

Stonewall attendees that evening included whites, blacks and Hispanics, transsexuals, drag queens, underage hustlers from Times Square, 30 year old gays and lesbians average wealth. All of them, like Yvonne, were surprised by the unexpected raid - the previous one had passed just a few days before, on Tuesday. According to the laws of the state, persons who behave provocatively and violate public order were forbidden to sell alcohol - a demonstration of homosexuality was considered a violation of public order, therefore, formally, open gays could not sell alcohol in gay bars. Once a month, the police organized a planned raid - they came on a weekday late in the evening, when there were not so many people, they warned the owners about the visit, gays stopped hugging in advance, the bartenders hid alcohol, the police checked documents, beat a couple of visitors, received a bribe of $ 1200 from the owners, and life went on. This time it wasn't like that.

Seeing the police, the club's patrons thought they wanted more money and became indignant. Transgenders were especially tired of the raids: during the check, they had to undergo an examination to determine the sex - if the clothes did not match the gender, they were sent to the department to draw up a protocol. Yvonne Ritter still managed to escape: a young policeman liked her, who put her in a paddy wagon, but left the door open and turned away when she got out. Perhaps if she had known what was going to happen next, she would have been in no hurry to run away.

“There were no problems until the police arrived. Homosexuals went about their business and did not touch anyone, did not fight, did not shout. And then the police stuck to them - as if a swarm of hornets attacked butterflies "

Shirley Evans, resident of
Christopher Street

While Yvonne was fleeing Stonewall, a strange thing was happening around him: usually dispersed after another raid, the patrons of the bar did not leave this time. Dissatisfied with the arbitrariness of the police, they remained at the bar. Friends gradually began to pull up to the indignant crowd, and after some time clashes with the police began. No one could imagine that homosexuals were capable of such a thing. When someone in the crowd yelled “Gay power!” Inspector Seymour Pine, who had set up the raid and was accustomed to two cops being enough to intimidate a couple of hundred gays, realized that he was in trouble: “Suddenly they were no longer submissive and afraid, what about their orientation learn. There were ordinary angry people in front of us.”

“All the years of oppression seemed to lead up to this particular night in this particular place. The raid was the last straw. We finally felt free. Or free enough to fight for your freedom"

Michael Fader, member of the
riot

8 police officers, including Inspector Seymour Pine, raided the Stonewall Inn on the night of June 28, 196

3 an item of clothing, corresponding to the sex indicated on the identity card, must have been worn by the person during the police examination. Socks and shorts were not considered


Chapter 2 Rights

By 1969, America was not surprised by an angry mob. In 1963, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom drew about 250,000 people; about 100,000 people took part in the march on the Pentagon against the Vietnam War in October 1967. People gathered in thousands to express outrage at the assassination of Martin Luther King or oppose the production of napalm. But most often - to assert their rights. Feminists and students, Hispanics and African Americans - in the 60s everyone defended their rights. Except for homosexuals, before the incident at Stonewall, they did not arrange mass actions, although their position was not to be envied.

In 1969, all states except Illinois made homosexuality a crime. Consensual sex between two adults of the same sex was punishable, ranging from a fine to life in prison, depending on the state. In many states, there were other laws that limited the rights of homosexuals: somewhere they were not sold alcohol in public places, somewhere they were fined for a long stay in a public toilet, somewhere they were fired from their jobs. Dismissal was the most common form of discrimination. Gay activist Jeri Phair recalled: “If there was the slightest suspicion that you were a lesbian, you were immediately fired from your job. You weren't allowed to say goodbye to your co-workers or pick things up from the table - you just disappeared. I didn’t even think of standing up for myself, because the consequences of such a protest could be worse than being fired.” It was practically impossible to get a similar position, for example, a school teacher, after being fired: the data of those dismissed for homosexuality were entered into an open database, which was used by almost all employers.

“Our investigation showed that the presence of sexual perverts in state structures leads to the corruption of all employees. One homosexual can poison an entire office"

Report of the U.S. Cabinet Subcommittee of Investigations, 1950

The position of gays in the military and public service was not the best: homosexuality was considered a manifestation of "emotional instability that poses a threat to national security" - this was incompatible with military service or in state structures. An anonymous denunciation was enough to fire a person. In addition, the police and FBI agents were actively engaged in the search for gays: they installed listening devices and cameras in places where homosexuals usually gathered, and sometimes staged a live bait hunt, portraying gays and provoking people to reveal their sexual orientation.

Notice that gays are not served at Barney's Beanery, 1969

Photo: Pat Rocco/ONE Archives at the USC Libraries

Article on the curability of homosexuality in Confidential Magazine, 1957

Photo: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries

Article on how to cure homosexuality in Real Magazine, 1953

Photo: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries

Article on modern remedies for homosexuality in Uncensored Magazine, 1969

Photo: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries

Leaflet of the Mattacine Society, 1960s

U.S. Cabinet Subcommittee of Investigation Report on Homosexuals and Other Sexual Perverts in the Public Service, 1950

The infringement of the rights of gays did not cause public protest: homosexuality was considered a dangerous disease. Despite the results of research by Alfred Kinsey, published in 1948 and showing that 37% of men have had homosexual intercourse at least once in their lives, in 1952 the American Psychiatric Association still included homosexuality in the list of mental disorders. In the 60s, psychiatrists were already talking about the epidemic and insisted on compulsory treatment with sterilization, electroshock therapy, castration or lobotomy. On TV, parents were told how to recognize the disease at an early stage: “Too delicately smoothing her hair and adjusting her collar? Normal boys don't act like that." The attitude of the population towards homosexuals was reflected in the results of a poll conducted by CBS in the 60s: "Two out of three Americans look at homosexuals with disgust, anxiety and fear."

“Society was very hostile towards homosexuals: if it became known that you were gay, then you were immediately recorded as communists or child molesters”

Randy Wicker of the Stonewall Riot

The few gay activists preferred not to defend the right of gays to homosexuality, but to level sexuality itself. Such tactics were followed, for example, by the Mattacine Society - founded in 1950 and named after a medieval secret society, it set itself the goal of promoting a "moral homosexual culture. " In practice, this meant trying to present gays to conservative Americans as just as they are and as good members of society—wearing a suit, believing in God, and avoiding talking about sex. Members of Mattachine called themselves homophiles and hoped to fit gays into puritan society, bypassing the issue of their sexuality, but by the end of the 60s it became clear that this did not contribute to the education of tolerance. Half-measures did not bring results, and the start of actions in defense of the rights of homosexuals was a matter of time. mid 19For 68 years, the famous television psychic Jeron Criswell promised his compatriots that in a year the country would be overwhelmed by homosexual protests.

25 dollars was the maximum fine for men in New York for wearing women's clothes

100 people were arrested on average weekly in New York in the 1960s on suspicion of homosexuality

4380 the military were discharged from service in the United States from 1947 to 1950 due to suspicions of homosexuality


Chapter 3 Stonewall Inn

There is a point of view that the sudden determination of gays to repulse the police was caused by the fact that the only urban space they had conquered - the gay bar - was under threat. There was no other public place where homosexuals could hold hands, hug and dance and not be afraid to be beaten for it. In a gay bar, they found not only sexual partners, but also just friends - people from whom it was not necessary to hide their sexual orientation. And at Stonewall Inn, you could also have a drink: unlike other New York gay bars, here the ban on selling alcohol to people who openly demonstrate their homosexual orientation was observed only during police raids.

Stonewall was not just a bar, but the premier gay bar in the US, if not the world. In the late 60s, New York was the gay capital of America, and the gay center of New York was the Greenwich Village area. It was here, on Christopher Street, that in March 1967, a young mobster, Tony Lauria, nicknamed the Fat Man, opened a gay bar on the site of the Stonewall Inn that burned down in the mid-60s. Tony, who at that time still concealed his homosexuality, was in a difficult relationship with his father, the famous mafia Ernie Lauria, and the decision to open a “queer bar” was dictated by the desire to annoy his father, who dreamed of raising a normal gangster from his son.

Together with two partners, Tony invested $3,500 to renovate an abandoned establishment. The repairs were more cosmetic: the charred walls were painted black, the windows boarded up from the inside with wooden boards in case the police decide to storm the bar. The air conditioners barely worked, there was no fire exit, there were no sinks for washing dishes either - the bartender, after rinsing a dirty glass in two basins, poured a drink into it and gave it to a new visitor. The unsanitary conditions at Stonewall are believed to be the cause of the outbreak of hepatitis among gay men in Greenwich Village in early 1969 years old. Tony spared no money even for a sign: a new gay club opened under the old name - "Stonewall Inn".

“I have never seen so many dancing men in my life! The first time I thought, "Men don't dance with each other, this place won't last long."

Danny Garvin, Stonewall Visitor

Formally, Stonewall Inn was not a bar, but a club. Under the ban on the sale of alcohol to disturbing the public order, it was pointless to try to get a license to open a gay bar. Tony registered Stonewall as a bottle club - a private club where alcohol is not sold, but where you can bring your own. In fact, they were not allowed to enter the bar with their drinks, and alcohol - diluted with water - was sold from under the floor at inflated prices, but to simulate a closed club, there was a book at the entrance in which its members were supposed to celebrate. Nobody wrote real names - the most frequent visitors to the establishment were Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland and Donald Duck.

Announcement on closed Stonewall for rent, 1969

Photo: New York Public Library

Stonewall Inn, September 9, 1969

Photo: Photo by Diana Davies/Courtesy of the New York Public Library

Despite the high prices and the lack of basic amenities like clean glasses, Stonewall, New York's largest gay bar by area, quickly became popular. While the owners of other bars dispersed gays who sat too close to each other, Tony Lauria provided them with the opportunity not only to drink, but also to dance - to attract visitors, he even installed two stolen jukeboxes in Stonewall. Another advantage of Stonewall was its permanence: while other gay clubs were either closing or moving, rarely staying in one place for more than a few months, Stonewall by 19In 69, he worked for two years - a huge period for those times, during which the bar managed to develop its own clientele.

"Stonewall was a dump, but this dump gave at least a temporary opportunity to hide from the street"

Jerry Hoose, Stonewall Visitor

Approximately half of the visitors were white homosexuals - representatives of the middle class in the region of 30 years. The other half are homeless hustlers of all races and ages. There were especially many teenagers fleeing the hardships of street life in the bar. The mafia willingly took advantage of their position, turning teenagers into sex workers: a real private club was already equipped on the floor above, where wealthy gay men from Wall Street, who were not ready to advertise their orientation, could rent a prostitute. Clients were promised complete anonymity (there was even a separate entrance in the room, not connected to the bar), but in reality, almost all of them subsequently turned out to be victims of blackmail. The bar manager, Ed "Skull" Murphy, ran the venture. A World War II veteran and former wrestler who served 10 years for stealing gold from a dentistry, he collected information on visitors and then extorted money from them for non-disclosure. They say that he even had dirt on FBI Director John Edgar Hoover and that it was this that saved him at 1966, when the blackmailers were covered by the FBI. Murphy managed to avoid arrest: having handed over accomplices, he soon returned to a profitable business.

It is believed that Murphy's activities were one of the reasons for the unscheduled police raid. As a result of his machinations, there were suspiciously many valuable bonds on the market (apparently, Murphy managed to squeeze several gays who had access to them), some of them surfaced in Europe and Interpol became interested, Interpol sent a request to the New York police with a request to check their origin, the investigation led the police to gay bars and, above all, to Stonewall - it became clear that worse things were going on in the depths of the club than the illegal sale of alcohol. It was decided to close the hotbed of crime - the case was assigned to Inspector Seymour Pine. On the night of June 28, accompanied by a police squad, he arrived at Stonewall.

6000 dollars the average cost of Stonewall owners for a Saturday night

3 dollars cost of one drink at Stonewall - almost twice as much as in ordinary bars

26 gay bars, including "Stonewall", numbered in the Greenwich Village area in the mid-1960s


Chapter 4 Riot

Pyne came to Stonewall for the second time in a week. The first time he confiscated alcohol, but the owners were not embarrassed. “Take it, we will open again tomorrow anyway,” said one of Tony’s partners. This time, Pyne secured a court order that allowed him to remove not only the proceeds and alcohol from the bar, but also the cigarette vending machines, the bar counter and the front door - with such losses it would be more difficult to open the next day. He arrived at Stonewall around one in the morning, expecting the operation to take about thirty minutes. A few hours later, along with seven policemen, he will be forced to close in an empty Stonewall, fleeing from a crowd of homosexuals.

When the police entered Stonewall, Morty Munford, a high school graduate who was about to attend Columbia University, was standing at the bar looking at the go-go dancers. “I thought: really again? I was not afraid that I would be arrested, but I was terribly angry that the party was interrupted. Pine ordered the music to be turned off and everyone to get their documents. Michael Fader, an insurance salesman who came to New York for the weekend, recalled how he also suddenly became angry: “Why on earth should I leave? I just arrived. And why are the policemen breaking the benches in the bar, are they disturbing someone?” Customers reluctantly presented their documents and left the bar - no one had the desire to disperse in the middle of the night. When transvestites and transsexuals were told to go to a gender determination, one of them suddenly became indignant: “Actually, I have rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Why on earth? The police took him away by force, the tension increased.

“No one planned or prepared anything, everything just exploded at that moment. For no reason at all, the thought arose that everything, girlfriends, was enough for us ”

Miss Major Griffin-Gracie,
riot participant

Pine didn't understand why the raid wasn't going as usual and where the dissatisfaction of the usually submissive bar patrons came from. It is unlikely that the dissatisfied themselves understood this, in any case, in their subsequent stories there is no consensus on this matter. John O'Brien, a gay activist, believed that the bar's patrons perceived the raid as an action by the mayor of New York, who, before being re-elected, decided to clean up the city from gays and therefore ordered the police to increase the number of raids; Silvia Rivera, a transgender salesgirl who had just quit prostitution, said everyone at the bar was on edge because of the funeral of actress, singer and gay icon Judy Garland that day; The Village Voice journalist Howard Smith, who came to the bar at the beginning of the raid, believed that the general mood was affected by hot weather and a full moon; homeless teenagers are simply tired of living in constant fear of the police and have already drunk enough to lose their temper.

Police report on three detainees during the Stonewall Riot

1936 Christopher Street

Photo: New York City Parks Photo Archive

Daily News Sunday Supplement of 1969 Stonewall Riot

Photo: New York Daily News

One of them, Tommy Lanagan-Schmidt, recalled , as he stood in front of Stonewall and waited for his friends to be released. Unlike other gay clubs located deep in the lanes, Stonewall was located on the main street of the area - the rather wide Christopher Street. The news that something was going on in the club quickly spread throughout the “homosexual ghetto” – visitors to other bars and just local residents began to pull up to the bar: someone out of curiosity, someone to support friends, someone out of solidarity. When a paddy wagon arrived at Stonewall to load the arrested, about a thousand people had already gathered at the bar. Tommy said later that he had never seen so many gays. Someone shouted: "Pigs, you want a bribe - here you are" - and threw a coin, in the next moment the crowd began to shower the police with change.

Most eyewitnesses agree that the turning point was the loading into the paddy wagon of a lesbian in a leather men's suit. The policemen broke her hands, pushed and beat her, and she tried to escape and asked to make the handcuffs weaker. Before she was finally shoved into the car, she managed to shout: “What are you waiting for? Help me!" At this point, the pandemonium turned into an uprising. Instead of coins, bottles and stones flew at the police. Seymour Pine to cries of "An end to police brutality!" and “We are the Pink Panthers!” hastily barricaded himself inside the bar. John O'Brien watched the police hide and felt energized: “I hated the police, but I was always afraid of them, and this time for the first time I saw frightened policemen. Black protesters ran from the police and anti-war protesters ran from the police and the police ran from the gays."

“The policemen were real pros and they got scared anyway. Even I was afraid as never before in my life, and I was in the war"

Seymour Pine, raid leader

After about an hour, during which the crowd unsuccessfully stormed Stonewall (the mafia had prepared the bar well for the police assault), several buses with rapid reaction units drove up to the bar. Surprised commandos - "Faggots never protest!" - freed Pine and the rest of the police from the bar and began to disperse the crowd. This, however, was not easy to do: the protesters, many of whom were local, knew the neighborhood well, quickly divided into groups, dispersed along the alleys and gathered again - it turned out to be impossible to squeeze them out of the area. The cordon did not work either: right in front of the ranks of the special forces, the gays danced the cancan and sang obscene songs. Sometimes random people were snatched out of the crowd and beaten, but the protesters became so afraid of the police that they piled up in a bunch and beat off their own. All this went on for several hours: without catching a single protester, the police were forced to leave Greenwich Village. At this point, the gays realized that Christopher Street was now theirs.

19 bottles hard liquor seized by police at Stonewall during a raid

45 minutes police barricaded in a bar waiting for reinforcements to arrive

4 police officers injured during a riot during the night


Chapter 5 After the Riot

In the early hours of June 28, 1969, tired Protestants went home, but the Stonewall Riot did not end there. In the evening of the same day, many of its participants, without saying a word, returned to the bar - by this time it had been slightly cleaned after the nightly pogrom, but alcohol was no longer sold. Jerry Hoose, who had danced the cancan in front of the police column the day before, recalled that he returned because, having felt free for the first time, he did not want to part with this feeling: “We were afraid that it would end and everything would be the same as before. Everyone was tense, everyone wanted to continue.”

Rumors of a "gay revolution" quickly spread throughout the city, as gay men who had never been to Stonewall before, sympathetic heterosexuals, and just tourists began to gather in Greenwich Village. On the same day, graffiti appeared on the walls of houses: “The ban on alcohol for gays feeds the mafia and corrupt cops”, “Christopher Street belongs to queens”, “Gay power!”. At nine in the evening, when about 2,000 people had already gathered in the area, police detachments arrived. This time there were more police officers, and they behaved more aggressively: using tear gas and brutally beating everyone in a row, regardless of age, gender and sexual orientation, they cleared the area in a few hours. Despite this, homosexuals and sympathizers continued to return to the bar to protest discrimination and police brutality for another four days.

The almost week-long riot in the Stonewall area became the largest and longest homosexual action at that time. The New York Times, New York Post, Daily News and The Village Voice wrote about him. Allen Ginsberg, who came to Stonewall one of those days, believed that the resistance would not end there: “The protesters were beautiful, they no longer looked downtrodden, like all the faggots a few years ago. There are 10% gays in the country, and it's time for us to declare ourselves." Ginsberg's faith was shared by many.

"I was a novice at the monastery when I heard the news about Stonewall. It hit me like lightning - I felt so angry because I had to hide all my life. I've dreamed for so long of getting up my courage and coming out, and shortly after Stonewall, I left the convent and started a new life."

Ginny Appuso, gay activist
Gay Liberation Front march, 1969

Photo: Diana Davies/The New York Public Library

Gay activist picket in Philadelphia, 1965

Photo: Temple Urban Archives

Gay activist picket in Philadelphia, 1966

Photo: Before Stonewall Inc.

Gay Liberation Front meeting, 1969

Photo: Diana Davies / The New York Public Library

The Mattacine Society tried to take advantage of the general enthusiasm, calling on homosexuals to unite under their wings in order to defend equal rights as a united front. But after Stonewall, their timid “homophile” tactics and pious pickets no longer aroused enthusiasm: instead of modestly asking the American public to recognize at least some rights for homosexuals, gays now demanded all the rights provided by the Constitution. While members of the Mattacine society condemned the protesters (“Throwing stones at the windows, you won’t open the doors”), fearing that new gay radicals who support either Fidel Castro or the Black Panthers would cause a wave of aggression from homophobes, new ones were rapidly appearing. society.

“We, free gay activists, demand an immediate end to discrimination against homosexuals and recognition of our right to feel, love, control our own bodies, and express ourselves freely”

Gay Activists Alliance Constitution, 1969

Similar to the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, the Gay Liberation Front arose, then the Lavender Menace, the Gay Activist Alliance, the Street Transvestite Revolutionaries - in just a year there were more than a thousand such societies. They planted trees in a park that had been cut down because gays gathered there, organized gay discos, rallied outside police stations after regular raids, besieged newspapers that refused to print the word "gay" (The Village Voice eventually changed its policy ), staged protests during mayoral speeches, sought housing for homeless gay men, wrote letters of protest to the American Psychiatric Association (four years after the Stonewall riots, at 1973, the Psychiatric Association excluded homosexuality from the list of diseases), published their own newspapers, picketed registry offices.

Raids and arrests continued, gays were still discriminated against at work, beaten and killed, but a new political force was gradually emerging from scattered gay groups. Apparently, it wasn't just gays who felt it, at least not long after Stonewall, U.S. Attorney Thomas Foran bitterly admitted, "We've lost our kids to the fucking queer revolution."

Revolution, however, was out of the question: as often happens, unity was quickly replaced by factionalism, general euphoria was replaced by an inability to agree with each other. Gay Marxists argued with black lesbians, gay radicals who supported the Black Panthers argued with transgender people. With difficulty, they managed to unite them only in order to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

3 months worked at Stonewall Inn after the riot

25,000 copies was the weekly circulation of the Gay!


Chapter 6 Parade

A man who hated Stonewall came up with the idea of ​​celebrating the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion. Craig Rodwell, a failed theologian and ballet dancer and former lover of Harvey Milk, wanted as much as the police to shut down mafia bars like Stonewall, which profited from the fact that homosexuals had nowhere else to go. Diluted cheap alcohol, unsanitary conditions, lack of fire escapes, homeless teenagers who are forced into prostitution by mafiosi, and blackmailers driving homosexuals to suicide - all this Rodwell dreamed of putting an end to during those many years that he was in Mattacine society. And yet, when the riots broke out at Stonewall on the night of June 28, he was one of the first to arrive at the scene and began calling the newspapers. The sight of homosexuals refusing to climb into the paddy wagon made an indelible impression on Rodwell - he was the first to shout: “Gay power!” Over the next few days, his thoughts were occupied with one thing: he was trying to come up with a new action that would be a continuation of Stonewall.

On July 4, along with dozens of gay activists from across the country, Rodwell went to Philadelphia to picket the building where the US Constitution was signed. The Mattachine Society has held a picket here for the fifth time, wanting to remind Americans of the infringement of gay rights. As in previous times, the event was supposed to be quiet: the organizers agreed in advance not to dress provocatively and not to behave provocatively. When two lesbians joined hands, one of the organizers immediately separated them, but this suddenly caused disagreement: Rodwell suggested that the entire New York delegation hold hands for the rest of the picket.

This incident led him to the idea of ​​organizing a march where homosexuals could safely hold hands. He suggested that the march be held in New York on the anniversary of the "spontaneous demonstration of homosexuals on June 28, 1969." To get rid of associations with the mafia, Stonewall (by this time already closed) decided not to mention - the action was called "Christopher Street Liberation Day." The march—from Christopher Street to Central Park—was supposed to end with a rally. The main slogan was "Let's say loudly:" We are proud that we are gay. 0005

“We have to go outside and stop being ashamed of ourselves, otherwise we will continue to be treated like freaks”

Michael Brown, marcher, interviewed by The New York Times, 1970

Negotiations with the police, who refused to coordinate the march and rally, and gay activists, who were afraid of a large-scale public action, took months. On the morning of June 28, 1970, Rodwell had neither permission to march nor the certainty that anyone would come out. He was even about to cancel everything, agreeing that it was not yet the time for homosexuals to march holding hands, when the postman brought official permission from the sixth police station to hold the action. Now the march had to take place, Rodwell decided, even if he marched alone.

Poster for the first Gay Pride, 1970

Photo: Peter Hujar

First Gay Pride in New York, 1970

Photo: Diana Davies / The New York Public Library

First Gay Pride in New York, 1970

Photo: Diana Davies/The New York Public Library

First Gay Pride in Los Angeles, 1970

Photo: ONE Archives at the USC Libraries

The street was already crowded with several hundred people. Participants were advised to remove their goggles and jewelry in case of an attack. Frightened to death, they moved towards Central Park with signs: "Sappho was in the subject," "Homosexual is not a three-letter word," "I'm a lesbian and I'm beautiful." Silvia Rivera recalled that, walking in broad daylight in downtown New York, she felt as if she was breaking the law - gays were so afraid to appear in public places. Although the procession was agreed upon, and police officers were posted along the entire route to protect the demonstrators, the marchers almost fled, thinking that they would be attacked.

Before going half way, Rodwell, who was at the head of the column, began to notice that people from the side of the road were gradually joining the march - by the time the column reached Central Park, there were already several thousand participants. Yvonne Flowers, an activist in the Gay Liberation Front, like many, decided to come at the last moment: "I realized that the fun was over, that if I want to protect myself, I must fight openly with the rest for our freedom. "

Almost every gay organization in New York took part in Christopher Street Liberation Day. Craig Rodwell wept and celebrated. He showed homosexuals how many of them, and heterosexuals - that gays will no longer hide in gay bars.

The following year Christopher Street Liberation Day was held not only in New York, but in a dozen American cities, as well as in Paris and London. The long name of the march did not stick: already the first participants began to call it the "Gay pride parade", a pride parade, taking the phrase from the slogan "Let's say loudly:" We are proud to be gay "".

“If a transsexual does not say: “I am gay, I am trans, and I am proud of it,” then no one will say this for him for sure”

Marsha P. Johnson, March 1970 years old

Over the next half century, gay pride events have become a universal way for homosexuals around the world to claim their rights. This year's Stonewall 50th Anniversary New York Gay Pride is expected to attract around 4 million spectators, and one of the participants may be the first openly homosexual running for President of the United States, Pete Buttigieg.


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