Stonewall Inn LGBT culture in New York City

the stonewall inn, located @ 51 , 53 christopher street, along several other establishments in city, owned genovese crime family. in 1966, 3 members of mafia invested $3,500 turn stonewall inn gay bar, after had been restaurant , nightclub heterosexuals. once week police officer collect envelopes of cash payoff; stonewall inn had no liquor license. had no running water behind bar—used glasses run through tubs of water , reused. there no fire exits, , toilets overran consistently. though bar not used prostitution, drug sales , other cash transactions took place. bar gay men in new york city dancing allowed; dancing main draw since re-opening gay club.

visitors stonewall inn in 1969 greeted bouncer inspected them through peephole in door. legal drinking age 18, , avoid unwittingly letting in undercover police (who called lily law , alice blue gown , or betty badge ), visitors have known doorman, or gay. entrance fee on weekends $3, customer received 2 tickets exchanged 2 drinks. patrons required sign names in book prove bar private bottle club , signed real names. there 2 dance floors in stonewall; interior painted black, making dark inside, pulsing gel lights or black lights. if police spotted, regular white lights turned on, signaling should stop dancing or touching. in rear of bar smaller room frequented queens ; 1 of 2 bars effeminate men wore makeup , teased hair (though dressed in men s clothing) go. few transvestites, or men in full drag, allowed in bouncers. customers 98 percent male few lesbians came bar. younger homeless adolescent males, slept in nearby christopher park, try in customers buy them drinks. age of clientele ranged between upper teens , thirties, , racial mix evenly distributed among white, black, , hispanic patrons. because of mix of people, location, , attraction of dancing, stonewall inn known many gay bar in city .

location of stonewall inn in relation greenwich village

police raids on gay bars frequent, occurring on average once month each bar. many bars kept liquor in secret panel behind bar, or in car down block, facilitate resuming business possible if alcohol seized. bar management knew raids beforehand due police tip-offs, , raids occurred enough in evening business commence after police had finished. during typical raid, lights turned on, , customers lined , identification cards checked. without identification or dressed in full drag arrested; others allowed leave. of men, including in drag, used draft cards identification. women required wear 3 pieces of feminine clothing, , arrested if found not wearing them. employees , management of bars typically arrested. period before june 28, 1969, marked frequent raids of local bars—including raid @ stonewall inn on tuesday before riots—and closing of checkerboard, tele-star, , 2 other clubs in greenwich village.

on june 23, 2015, stonewall inn first landmark in new york city recognized new york city landmarks preservation commission on basis of status in lgbt history, , on june 24, 2016, stonewall national monument named first u.s. national monument dedicated lgbtq-rights movement.