The early hours of June 28, 1969, were definitely a turning point for the gay community. On Friday, June 27, 1969 police officers led by deputy inspector Seymour Pine entered and raided a Mafia-owned gay bar located on 51-53 Christopher Street in Manhattan, the two-year-old Stonewall Inn. The charge was illegal sale of alcohol. Bar employees were arrested and customers, who then gathered outside to fight back for their rights, were ejected. Some books say it was a drag queen, others say it was actually a butch woman who first stood up to the police.

Word went around and the crowd kept growing. At first, coins were thrown at the police representing the payoffs gay bars had to make to stay in business; it later changed to bottles and stones. There were 13 arrests the first night (Friday, June 27th), 6 arrests on the second night and 3 arrests on the third night.

Even though the gay movement had started years before with organizations such as The Mattachine Society (founded in the 1950s in Los Angeles and dissolved in the mid-1960s) and The Daughters of Bilitis (founded in 1955 in San Francisco and dissolved in the early 1970s), the raid at the Stonewall Inn has become a legend to the GLBT community, so much that in 1999 the National Register designated the Stonewall Inn as national historic landmark because of its significance in gay and lesbian history.

Many books have been written, movies have been made, radio shows have been taped, articles and photographs of later days have been printed and since 1970, many people have and continue to march during Gay Pride Month. But it is important that we remember what and who we celebrate. It’s important that we reflect on the fear and anger of the many gay men and women who stood up and fought with the authorities for hours and then continued for the next five days.

She Magazine spoke to three women who were part of the rebellion, either on the same night or the days after. They had the guts to come out as gay women early in their lives and have dedicated many years to being activists for our community.