Demonstrators at the Stonewall Inn, New York City,

1969

Following a violent police raid early on June 28, 1969, the queer community that gathered regularly at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village fought back against routine raids, harassment, and discrimination. Several days of protest marked the beginning of the gay liberation movement, a tremendous cultural shift at a time when few were willing to openly identify as gay. McDarrah’s photograph, a rare<br>shot from the time of the uprisings, therefore offers a double act of visibility. Under a sign that reads “to fight for our county, they invaded our rights,” a group of young people poses next to the bar after it was shut down and covered in denunciatory graffiti.