50 years ago this month, the Stonewall Riots in nearby Christopher Park sparked the modern LGBT rights movement in the United States. Since then, NYC has honored June as LGBT Pride Month, and this year we celebrate extra hard as we mark half a century of hard-won progress. From the earliest stirrings of rebellion, Washington Square Park has been a place for LGBT activists to organize, rally, and protest, and we’re proud to help carry that legacy forward. Together we dance, we create, we march, and we remember. We remember those who came before us and those who will forge the path into the future.

As we celebrate the big five-oh, join us on a journey back through the Park’s LGBT history.

stonewall riots aftermath

One month after the Stonewall Riots, LGBT activists Marty Robinson and Martha Shelley addressed a crowd in Christopher Park. Just across from Stonewall Inn, over 500 people came out to show their support and listen to Robinson and Shelley speak, capping off a rally that began in Washington Square Park to protest the police’s actions at Stonewall.

Activist Marty Robinson addresses hundreds at Christopher Park. Photo courtesy of NBCNews.

Lorraine Hansberry

Whether she was living at 337 Bleecker Street or the home on Waverly Place that A Raisin in the Sun helped purchase in 1960, Lorriane Hansberry was a Greenwich Village fixture. She was a voracious activist; lending her voice to racial equality and LGBT rights. Whether she was writing letters to monthly national lesbian publication The Ladder or speaking out in Washington Square Park, Hansberry used her voice to try and make the world a better place, with special care for those who were on the fringes of society.

Hansberry speaking in WSP. Photo courtesy of the Lorraine Hansberry Literary Trust.

Third Pride Parade

The Third Pride Parade in 1973 began in Central Park and ended with a massive rally at Washington Square Park. Thousands of people gathered to raucously advocate for LGBT rights. Entertainers like Barry Manilow and Bette Midler lent their voices to the cause, literally.

Bette Midler performing at the Arch at in 1973. Photo courtesy of the New York Times.

DYKE MARCH

In 1993, the first Dyke March was organized to demonstrate lesbian rights and visibility. It is a tradition that continues to this day. The Saturday before the Pride March, thousands of people march from Bryant Park to Washington Square Park, exercising their First Amendment right to protest the violence that lesbians face in our communities.

The first Dyke March in 1993. Photo courtesy of Carolina Kroon.

2016 Dyke March. Photo courtesy of Gina Kropf.

TRANS DAY OF ACTION

Since 2005, Trans Day of Action has called attention to the continued violence and discrimination that Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people face while also celebrating the resilience or a community that is constantly under attack. In 2016 over 2,000 people came out to Washington Square Park to show their support. Don’t miss this year’s Trans Day of Action on Friday, June 28th from 4:00pm-6:00pm.

LOOKING FORWARD

Throughout its history Washington Square Park has been  home to protests, celebrations, and rallies for LGBT rights. That tradition continues to this day. In June, we always look forward to the vibrancy that Pride brings to the Park and the Village. We’re proud to work in a neighborhood that is a safe space for people from all walks of life to enjoy. If you’d like to join us in celebrating Pride in Washington Square Park check out our events page for some great happenings during the month of June.

If you’d like to learn more about LGBT history in NYC, head over to the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project.