Stonewall

**This riveting exploration of the Stonewall riots and the national gay rights movement that followed is "enlightening, inspiring, and moving" (Kirkus Reviews).

"A powerful and moving account . . . Bausum's conversational storytelling whisks readers back to an era when homosexuality was criminalized."—Publishers Weekly, starred review**

That's the Stonewall.
The Stonewall Inn.
Pay attention.
History walks through that door.

In 1969 being gay in the United States was a criminal offense. It meant living a closeted life or surviving on the fringes of society. People went to jail, lost jobs, and were disowned by their families for being gay. Most doctors considered homosexuality a mental illness. There were few safe havens, few places to go where it was okay to be gay. The Stonewall Inn, a Mafia-run, filthy, overpriced bar in New York City's Greenwich Village, was one of them.

Police raids on gay bars happened regularly in this era. But one hot June night, when cops pounded on the door of the Stonewall, almost nothing went as planned. Tension was high. The crowd refused to go away. Anger and frustration boiled over.

The raid became a riot.
The riot became a catalyst.
The catalyst triggered an explosive demand for gay rights.