The Stonewall Riots, also called the Stonewall Uprising, began in the early hours of June 28, 1969 when New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village in New York City.
The raid sparked a riot among bar patrons and neighborhood residents as police roughly hauled employees and patrons out of the bar, leading to six days of protests and violent clashes with law enforcement outside the bar on Christopher Street, in neighboring streets and in nearby Christopher Park. The Stonewall Riots served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world.
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Section 28 was a legislative designation for series of laws that prohibited the "promotion of homosexuality" by local authorities; including schools. Introduced by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government, it was in effect from 1988 to 2000 in Scotland and 2003 in England and Wales. It caused many organisations such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender student support groups to close or limit their activities or self-censor.
The effects of Section 28 were long-reaching and caused lasting damage to the lives of the LGBTQ+ community, setting back human rights for years to come.
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