June 28 is a date held close to most LGBT+ people across all generations all over the world.
The Stonewall Riots, which took place 52 years ago in 1969 New York is believed by many to be the spark that ignited the modern gay liberation movement.
In the early morning at the Stonewall Inn a demonstration broke out, with members of the community fighting back against the police after a raid of the venue began to fall into violence. From this evening, and the days to follow, the streets of the Greenwich Village in New York were filled with LGBT+ people demanding better treatment and equal rights.
A date that signals the end of Pride Month, the Stonewall uprising is a stark reminder of the conditions the LGBT+ community were, and continue to be subjected to across the world by various governments. From inadequate healthcare to jail times, the Stonewall memorial day is the motivating date in the calendar that reminds activists and members of the community to keep strong.
This past year here in Wales, LGBT+ activists have not let the Covid-19 pandemic sway them from organising protests and supporting the LGBT+ community. From a mutual aid being set up to support transgender people in south Wales to protests surrounding changes to the Gender Recognition Act, Wales is home to many who are inspired by the actions of those who came before.
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"Today I still think Stonewall is important and relevant. Trans folks are still struggling for recognition and police are still regularly called to break up protests. I think it’s important to remember the history of Stonewall when celebrating pride and remember that it is a protest", activist and jewellery maker, Keira from Port Talbot, said.
"I personally found the 2010 spate of suicides of gay and lesbian teenagers really impacted me. At the time I was 14 and hadn’t become aware that I was a lesbian. But I had LGBTQ+ friends and siblings and I saw how the toxic culture at the time was impacting them. I found Stonewall’s campaigning at the time really connected with me and later gave me the confidence to explore my sexuality and come to terms with the fact I am a lesbian.
"I felt as a young person I had to take action and ordered Stonewall’s education pack and put posters up in the home education group I attended. Unfortunately, I had a negative response from the majority of the people that ran the group, and they took them down. I later helped stage a protest outside the building to highlight how the group was perpetuating homophobia and not listening to their LGBTQ+ youth. I think this action was formative to me and although it was over 10 years before I’d dip my toes back into LGBTQ+ activism I knew that my voice had power."
"For me, the Stonewall riots is an important reminder that Pride is always a protest. It's to protect and celebrate our identities, to show that we are stronger together, in solidarity with each other", activist and co-founder of Trans Aid Cymru Shash Appan said.
"It showed me that in the face of adversity, a society that doesn't fully accept us, let alone tolerate us, we can always fight for our rights."
"They all had this same burning rebellion and a sense of audacity to stand up at a time where it would have been safer to hide," activist and co-founder of Trans Aid Cymru Rudy Harries said.
"For me I grew up in an insular conservative religious home and went to school during the hangover of section 28, so I had no knowledge of queer history for most of my teens. I later learned about Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera and Mar Aston.
"I guess that's what I carry with me. To display flagrant audacity, to shake things up and not sit down and play it safe, and to understand that it's not about me winning, it's about doing what I can while I'm here and empowering the next generation to take up the mantle. That, along with the camaraderie from my fellow queer people, is what drives me to keep going."
Iestyn Wyn, Campaigns, Policy and Research Manager at Stonewall Cymru said we must "not forget" the richness and importance of LGBT+ history.
"[Monday] mars the 52nd anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, where we remember the many LGBTQ+ people, particularly trans and gender non-conforming people of colour, who took enormous risks to protest the marginalization of LGBTQ+ people", he explained.
"As we remember the lessons of the past, and honour the richness of our histories, we must not forget that it is only by standing in solidarity with one another that we protect and extend our rights.
"This Pride Month we have come together to celebrate who we are, how far we've come and fight for the freedom, equity and potential of every single one of us."
