The legacy of Stonewall: Stories of resistance and resilience

“There was a price we paid to open our mouths.” Decades after the LGBTQ movement’s riotous spark, its most marginalized members speak out.

Robert Waldron, 79, (left) with his husband Vernon May, 79

"The LGBT community has come a very, very long way. There’s still boundaries, but, right now, we should be satisfied and thankful for how far we have come.“

Photographs byRobin Hammond
Text byRachel Brown and Amy McKeever
June 25, 2019
11 min read

Early on June 28, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, arresting employees for serving liquor without a license and patrons for failing to wear at least three articles of clothing appropriate to their supposed gender.

Raids on gay bars were common and legal. But that night, the young trans and queer people who took refuge at Stonewall fought the arrests, sparking five days of riots and a national LGBTQ civil rights movement.

(How the Stonewall uprising ignited the modern LGBTQ rights movement.)

One year later, the events at Stonewall were commemorated with what is now known as the first gay pride march—Christopher Street Liberation Day in New York City. Today, it is remembered with parades held in cities around the world.

Why was Stonewall so pivotal to the LGBTQ rights movement? We spoke to members of LGBTQ communities in the United States and asked them to share their stories and experiences.

Life as an LGBTQ senior

More than 50 years after Stonewall, those who led the fight for civil rights are facing new challenges. In the photographs and videos below, they share their perspectives on the importance of knowing the history of the movement—as well as their pervasive sense of loneliness as they age. 

Ruthie Berman, 85, holding a picture of her late wife

"Young LGBT people need to know their history, because they have to know that there was a price we paid to open up our mouths."

Robert Frew Jr., 77

"When I was 16, my mother, in true fashion of the 1950s, declared to me that if any of her children was queer, she would kill them... I knew that she was talking to me, and that was enough to put me in the closet."

Sonja Jackson, 69, (left), with her wife, Evelyn Jenkins Whitaker, 83"It's about who I fall in love with. Irrespective of gender, irrespective of race, irrespective of ethnicity and class. It's about the person."
John Swallow, 73"Especially after Pulse, people are a little more aware of their surroundings, and a little bit more on guard than we used to be. I think you have to be vigilant."
Badili Jones-Goodhope, 62

"The focus of a lot of, in terms of LGBTQ movement, has been on white, gay men. And not extended to people in the community who are women, who are of color, who are trans. And so, for a lot of those people it has not yet gotten better.“

Victoria Cruz, 73, veteran of the Stonewall Riots

"If I was to be my younger self I would relive my life the way I did then, that's what's made me today. I wouldn't change a thing for the world because it's me, who I am... a trans person of color.“

Russel Hiett, 73

"There's never a time that I've come out to somebody that I haven't just been as nervous as I could be. And that comes after a lifetime of working with people and their secrets."

Challenges of being a transgender person of color

Despite having been at the vanguard of the LGBTQ rights movement, these transgender people of color say they're still pushing for the most basic of rights—from the right not to be discriminated against at work to the right to walk safely down the street.

Malaysia, 40

"In life things tend to show you not your wants but your needs. And, transitioning into Malaysia...has opened up a world of acceptance for me. Because now I am comfortable, and I've never been this comfortable in my life."

Spirit McIntyre, 41"Who I am right now is an exploration of who I used to be and who I might be in the future. And so really gender-expansive is my favorite aspect of my identity right now."
Javi, 29"Now that I pass as male, I have assumed male privilege in a very interesting way. I've assumed a privilege that I didn't have before."
Serenity Lopez Lord, 31

"I've known a lot of transgender women that have been murdered. I know a lot of transgender women that just have it hard on their everyday life, period. I thank God for me. Some of those struggles...I didn't go through."

Paxton Andrew Hail Francois, 25"I pray to somebody that she'll see the light because my mom's opinion is the only opinion that really matters to me. In a weird way, you know, I just want her to love me for who I am."
Donika Jackson, 30 (right), and her cousin Sylvia Gibson, 25, holding a picture of their late cousin, Chyna Gibson"It's just not right how some people in the trans community are treated… People love who they love, so that's how I feel."
Nyella Love, 20

"If there's any young woman who will be watching this, who is scared, who is fearful, who don't know where to go find that one space in your heart to just say "I choose me." And go for it."

When home isn't an option

Despite growing acceptance and celebration of the LGBTQ community, many young people tell stories of being kicked out of their homes and being left to fend for themselves on the streets or in homeless shelters where they fear for their safety.

Sophia Lee, 25

"The unfortunate reality for many LGBT youth is that they have to sacrifice so many things just to live authentically. For me, I've had to sacrifice the love of my father."

Kaiden M. Corbin, 20, (right), with his girlfriend, Abrene Ellison, 18"I'm finally free. I don't have to walk around and pretend any more. I'm free. The weight on my shoulders and my heart are lifted. I don't have to tolerate anyone's intolerance.“
Dom, 24"There's no right way to be a man or woman. Masculinity is a spectrum, an array of entities, and my identity is so validated. I'm beautiful but no lady, intense and resilient, but not a him."
Peanut, 20

"Outside, you see my face and I'm just, I'm a regular person. I'm nonchalant. But inside I'm screaming for help. I'm really gasping for air because I feel like I can't breathe. Like I really want help. Like somebody, just yo, just listen. Nothing. There was nothing."

Julian, 22

"Growing up in the Mormon church, it really affected my mental health because I was all of these things they didn't like. I was queer. I was trans. I didn't know it at the time but I was."

Photographer Robin Hammond has spent his career documenting human rights issues. His project, “Where Love is Illegal,” takes an in-depth look at abuse and intolerance faced by LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex) people with the mission of ending persecution based on sexuality and gender identity.