57 Years Later: Stonewall – From There To Here

Fifty-seven years ago, in a small Greenwich Village bar, a raid by New York police unwittingly gave birth to the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

That journey would include the free-wheeling 1970s, the horror of the AIDS epidemic which galvanized our community in the 1980s, the rise of openly LGBTQ politicians in Congress, governor’s offices and state legislatures, the increased visibility in the media, the repeal of Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell, and marriage equality.

And that just scratches the surface of the beginning of our story.

It might seem like a lot in a relatively short amount of time, but for those who were there at the Stonewall Inn and since, every slur suffered, every homophobic confrontation, every Pride flag raised in solidarity, has been its own journey.

I never forget those whose shoulders we stand upon today. And, the vast number of LGBTQ allies who stood with us on the way to here, and continue forward as we look forward.

Stonewall is more than a moment in history. It’s a reminder of the resilience of a community that refused to be silenced.

Fifty seven years later, we honor those whose courage continues to inspire generations to live openly and authentically. #NOH8 pic.twitter.com/d6xR9ZeXld

— NOH8 Campaign (@NOH8Campaign) June 29, 2026

The spirit of protest that led the patrons at #Stonewall to rise up against their mistreatment now drives us today as we continue their protest by celebrating #Pride.

As we remember 57 years since Stonewall, we celebrate how far we’ve come—and recommit to the work still ahead. pic.twitter.com/vkOcqFvC1g

— Congressional Equality Caucus (@EqualityCaucus) June 28, 2026

Back in 2011, in my first blog post for The Randy Report, I shared that growing up as a kid in Texas I was “afraid of everything.”

It’s only because of the heroes of Stonewall that I somehow got on a train in April 1993, traveling from New York City to Washington DC alone (but not really) to take part in the Gay & Lesbian March on Washington.

Just over ten years later, it surprised no one more than me that I would walk into a Toronto courtroom and exchange actual marriage vows with my husband, Michael, before anyone in the United States could legally marry.

And, that I would find the nerve to take to this blog every single day for years to write about LGBTQ equality and more.

If you had told my ten-year-old self this would ever be possible, I’d have never believed you. #Forward