ipl-logo

How Did Silvia Rivera Influence The Stonewall Movement

1270 Words6 Pages

"The word is out. Christopher Street shall be liberated. The gays have had it with oppression." The Stonewall riots were arguably the most important event in US, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) history. There might be some people you have heard of like Marsha P Johnson that rioted at Stonewall for a significant amount of time and helped lead the revolution. However, one of the most influential, significant, and yet unknown individuals to lead and participate in the riots was Silvia Rivera. Rivera's role was one of the most important activists during the inception of equality for the LGBT community because she incited the Stonewall riots, she continued on in her activism by being incredibly active as a leader in civil rights …show more content…

It's been debated on who exactly started the Stonewall Riots; however, Silvia Rivera certainly helped make the riots happen. Many say Silvia Rivera threw the first brick, but she actually claims herself that she threw the second molotov. This second molotov incited the riot as everyone followed Silvia after she made that brave decision. On top of that, she never left the riots, and continued to encourage others to protest. “Rivera said in an interview in 2001 that while she did not throw the first molotov cocktail at the police (a long-enduring myth), she did throw the second” (Rothberg 2021). If Silvia didn't follow after the very first molotov, others would not have had the bravery to riot. Humans tend to follow the crowd as a way to protect themselves. If a large group; of people saw only one person throwing a molotov, they will …show more content…

“The Gay Liberation Youth Movement in New York: "An Army of Lovers Cannot Fail" : Stephan Cohen : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, 14 August 2019, https://archive.org/details/cohen-gylib. Accessed 23 March 2023.
K, Kristi. “Something Like A Super Lesbian: Stormé DeLarverie (In Memoriam).” Hello 40s (formerly the Kword), 28 May 2014, https://hello40s.com/2014/05/28/something-like-a-super-lesbian-storme-delarverie-in-memoriam/. Accessed 22 March 2023.
Miller, Shawn. “About | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month.” Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/. Accessed 23 March 2023.
Rothberg, Emma. “Sylvia Rivera.” National Women's History Museum, https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sylvia-rivera. Accessed 22 March 2023.
“Who was at Stonewall? | American Experience.” PBS, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/stonewall-participants/. Accessed 23 March 2023.
Wilson, Doric, and Edmund White. “Stonewall riots.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots. Accessed 23 March

Show More
Related

How Did Asa Philip Randolph Influence The Civil Rights Movement

820 Words | 4 Pages

Asa Philip Randolph was a well-known civil rights activist in the U.S. who devoted his life to fighting for African Americans' equal rights and against social injustice. As a leader in the labor movement, he moved on to play a pivotal role in the civil rights movement, pushing for the end of racial inequality. His labor movement activism and his part in planning the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom have made him the most well-known person in this field. In the 20th century, Randolph's advocacy and leadership were crucial in furthering the civil rights movement.

Read More

Helen Chavez's Contribution To The Chicano Community

1555 Words | 7 Pages

https://hiplatina.com/chicana-activists-chicano-movement/ https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/15-latina-activists-who-inspire-me https://www.gale.com/primary-sources/womens-studies/collections/hispanic-women-in-history-and-activism Helen Chavez was an important figure in the Latinx community and played a significant role in the labor movement alongside her husband, civil rights activist and labor leader Cesar Chavez. While she was not directly involved in the Latinx feminist movement, her contributions to the labor movement and her support of her husband's activism helped to pave the way for greater equality and opportunities for Latinx women. Helen Chavez also helped to found the United Farm Workers (UFW) credit union, which provided

Read More

The Lgbtq Community In The 1960s

1262 Words | 6 Pages

A year later the same day was when the christopher street day liberation march was held. Stone wall was known heavily by the police because they were always down there arresting the queers and fine the establishment. The raiding officers were sometimes rough which turned into making police brutality a common occurrence especially at bars around the country. A raid on june 28 1969 sent fairies, drag queens, trans people and gender nonconforming people on a standoff that lasted 3 days and this is how it became known as the stonewall riots. Months after the riot it sparked a major turning point for the gay rights movement Howard participated in the march as well and Howard also a year later organized the christopher street liberation day march to mark the stonewall riots first anniversary.

Read More

When Brooklyn Was Queer Summary

807 Words | 4 Pages

Because their biological families may not always embrace their sexual orientation or gender identity, many LGBT people will experience feelings of isolation and loneliness. As a result, queer people regularly form their own families and communities in addition to developing intimate bonds with other LGBTQ individuals. In "When Brooklyn Was Queer," Ryan shares a series of touching stories that exemplify how these groups give LGBT people a sense of love, inclusion, and support. The focal point of these communities and chosen families is typically physical sites like bars, clubs, and other places where people gather. These spaces have had an essential function in the history of the queer communities in Brooklyn because they provide sites where participants may engage, form connections, and express themselves openly.

Read More

Stonewall Uprising Dbq

1930 Words | 8 Pages

Thus revealing smaller and less influential rebellions that came prior to stonewall. Roughly a year after, The Stonewall Uprising took place in Greenwich village on the 28th of June 1969. Transcripts (Source E) from Micheal Levine, a participant of Stonewall describes the events occurring at stonewall as “not a riot in the sense of people breaking furniture and police hitting people over the head” but “just an enormous crowd of people” standing when police were telling them to leave. He recounted “dancing in the street” and others forming chorus lines, maintaining the common themes of relatively

Read More

Analysis Of Steven Seidman's Revolt Against Sexual Identity

200 Words | 1 Pages

Steven Seidman’s Revolt Against Sexual Identity provides anecdotes that describe the liberation that comes with rejecting these norms, “...her identities as transgender, female,

Read More

Stonewall Riots: The Rhetoric Of Destroying Property

1846 Words | 8 Pages

The act also created a sense of urgency as it displayed that queer people could no longer tolerate the injustice they faced and thus had to turn to committing such a bold act, and this galvanized the support of neighboring people and forced them to join the protests. The destruction of property placed the same anger and frustration of the patrons onto the neighbors which drove them to participate in the protests. The Stonewall Riots, which were effective mainly through the destruction of property, has a legacy of increasing the number of gay rights organizations which sparked the Gay Rights

Read More

The Effect Of Loffreda's Attack On The LGBT Community

261 Words | 2 Pages

On the other hand, Loffreda notices the problem that is practically neglected by the media and the public, which the LGBT people’s position in the community are rather hard and the problem of hate and intolerance towards minorities are not yet solved. From the university president Phil Dubois, “nothing could match the sorrow and revulsion we feel for this attack on Matt. It is almost as sad, however, to see individuals and groups around the country react to this event by stereotyping an entire community, if not an entire state” (Loffreda, 244). The media is categorizing everyone in Laramie as the same, full of hate and prejudice, not because they are just generalizing the problem, but they want to feel superior and tries to show that they have more progressive mindset compared to the citizens in Laramie.

Read More

Stonewall Riot Essay

1539 Words | 7 Pages

When thinking about one of the key trigger moments that set-in motion the LGBT movement against the oppression and police brutality, the Stonewall Riots of 1969 is a moment that might come to mind for most people. However, three years prior there was a similar moment that has gone under the radar for the most part. Despite its unspoken history, this event has played an essential role in the burgeoning LGBTQ movement in San Francisco. This moment in time was the Compton Cafeteria Riot in August of 1966. This took place in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco.

Read More

Stonewall Riot Research Paper

1110 Words | 5 Pages

Thus, the Stonewall Riots are recognized as a crucial day in history for the gay community, and the reactions it provoked will continue to drive groups of activists everywhere to continue the fight for what is humanly

Read More

David Carter's The Stonewall: The Riots

949 Words | 4 Pages

While the gay movement did not begin with the Stonewall Riots, the protestors served as the catalyst to push the LGBT community into action. Therefore, any movements towards change for the homosexual community can be brought back to Stonewall, which is why former President Barack Obama bade the Stonewall Inn a national

Read More

Essay On The Stonewall Riots

621 Words | 3 Pages

“I got my rights!” Marsha Johnson shouted as she slammed a shot glass into a mirror . On a summer night in 1969, the police raided a popular gay bar in New York City as they often did. What was expected to have been the routine raid of a local dive bar quickly escalated because, this time, the patrons decided to fight back. Tired of being harassed, the patrons of the bar resisted arrest, which intensified the situation into a full-scale riot that lasted over the course of five days.

Read More

Stonewall Rioters Dbq

76 Words | 1 Pages

The mid-20th century was a time of sociopolitical defiance in America, with the Civil Rights Movement, the anti-Vietnam War protests, second-wave feminism, and gay rights groups at the forefront. In this era, any sexuality or gender identity outside of the societal norm was condemned as not only illegal but a mental defect as well. By fighting back against the police that night in July, the Stonewall rioters took a stand for their rights and their

Read More

How Did Rosa Parks Influence The Civil Rights Movement

1537 Words | 7 Pages

Rosa Parks’s influence on the fight for equality was arguably the most impactful of all the leaders in the Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks first embarked on her Civil Rights journey by becoming involved with the NAACP. The author of the History website page on Rosa Parks claims, “in December 1943 Rosa also joined the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP, and she became chapter secretary” (Rosa Parks). Rosa started out as a follower, but became dedicated to the organization so she ran for a board position. About ten years later, the famous Rosa Parks story took place in Montgomery.

Read More

Stonewall Riots Research Paper

1368 Words | 6 Pages

Rivera was present in the bar at the time of the raid and later gave an account of her experiences. In the years following the riots, she went on to become a prominent activist for LGBT rights, particularly for young people. Rivera and her friend, Marsha P Johnson, opened a shelter for homeless LGBT people, called STAR (Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries). She also became heavily involved with groups such as the Black Panthers and the Young Lords, as well as both the GLF and GAA. Rivera is considered to be one of the most important activists to be involved in the riots, and is referred to by some as the Rosa Parks of the transgender rights

Read More

More about How Did Silvia Rivera Influence The Stonewall Movement

Related Topics

Open Document