meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Throughline

Before Stonewall

Throughline

NPR

Society & Culture, History, Documentary

4.715K Ratings

🗓️ 27 June 2019

⏱️ 40 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Fifty years ago, a gay bar in New York City called The Stonewall Inn was raided by police, and what followed were days of rebellion where protesters and police clashed. Today, that event is seen as the start of the gay civil rights movement, but gay activists and organizations were standing up to harassment and discrimination years before. On this episode, the fight for gay rights before Stonewall.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Before we get started, a quick heads up, this episode contains language that some might find objectionable, including slurs.

0:07.0

Okay, on to the show.

0:10.0

Homosexuality is an emigma.

0:15.0

Given in the era of old sexual morays, it remains a subject that people find disturbing and embarrassing.

0:21.0

There is a growing concern about homosexuals in society, about their increasing visibility.

0:26.0

The Queens were the only ones that ever fought.

0:29.0

The Queens were the only ones that made the bars that the rest of us could sneak into.

0:33.0

And we could be gay for one night.

0:36.0

The dilemma of the homosexual, told by the medical profession, he is sick.

0:42.0

By the law that he is a criminal.

0:44.0

We're going to do things.

0:45.0

It's demonstrating very picket signs and be like Dr. King and take over.

0:50.0

We want to sit here and clause it anymore and play bingo.

0:53.0

We can go out and do stuff and take over the world and change everything.

0:56.0

Shun by employers, rejected by heterosexual society.

1:00.0

I think it takes a lot of courage and I think a lot of people who do it and will suffer the color.

1:06.0

But I think any movement either 13th and 11th, courageous, march.

1:11.0

At the center of his life, he remains anonymous, a displaced person, and outsider.

1:18.0

It was the match that started the Renaissance of awakening, if you will.

1:24.0

We stood up and were comfortable.

1:31.0

Hey, I'm Ramti and I'm Bluey.

1:33.0

I'm Ram Dabdel Fattah.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.