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What Happened At Stonewall: The Guardian of the West Village

  • Writer: Crystal Libby
    Crystal Libby
  • Mar 9
  • 4 min read

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The air inside the Stonewall Inn was charged with tension. The patrons, weary of constant police harassment, were no longer willing to endure it in silence.


Among them was Stormé DeLarverie, a well-known figure in the community. Tall and strong, dressed in her signature butch style—a white shirt, black pants, and a leather jacket—Stormé stood with calm resolve.


When police officers stormed in, shoving people and smashing glassware, Stormé couldn't just stand by. In the heat of the moment, her response was swift. Her fist connected with an officer's jaw, sending him stumbling back; the impact reverberated like a thunderclap. The police retaliated, hitting her on the head with a billy club, leaving her bleeding. 


As they handcuffed her while she sat there injured, Stormé's usual Southern drawl turned to a sharp, defiant edge as she yelled to the other patrons, "Why don't you guys do something?!"


Her words resonated through the bar, stirring something profound in the crowd. A shift took place. No longer passive, the patrons pushed back. Voices rose in protest, glass shattered, and a powerful sense of resistance surged through the room. The police, caught off guard, hesitated as the crowd united to defend one another.


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Who is Storme Delarverie?


As a self-taught singer, dancer, and actor, Stormé began performing as a drag king in the 1940s, boldly challenging traditional gender norms. During performances, she wore tailored three-piece suits, effortlessly transitioning between identities as she could pass for either a woman or a man, regardless of race. 


At that time, laws mandated that individuals wear clothing matching their assigned gender, leading to Stormé's arrest on multiple occasions for wearing women’s clothes while being identified as a man in drag. Defiant in her self-expression, she began wearing her suits in public as well as on stage, inspiring other lesbians to adopt more “manly” attire. Today, she is credited with influencing gender-nonconforming fashion long before unisex styles became mainstream.


"It was never a question of being gay or straight. It was about equality and justice," Stormé once said. Through her role in the Jewel Box Revue, she advocated for representation, demonstrating that queer and gender-nonconforming individuals deserved visibility. Her activism linked race and gender issues, as she participated in LGBTQ+ events while building solidarity with civil rights and feminist groups. Stormé’s life exemplifies the concept of intersectional activism, which was being forged long before it gained widespread recognition.


Stormé's identity as a Black, lesbian drag king challenged prevailing norms of gender and sexuality. By openly defying traditional gender roles and expectations through her performances and activism, she expanded the conversation around gender identity and expression within feminist and queer theory. Her presence in the drag scene not only highlighted the diversity of LGBTQ+ identities but also demonstrated that femininity and masculinity are socially constructed rather than inherently tied to biological sex. This perspective has influenced feminist theorists and queer activists to explore the complexities of gender beyond binary definitions, allowing for a broader understanding of gender nonconformity.


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Preserving Stonewall’s History


At the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York City, tensions between police and the LGBTQ+ community had been escalating. Raids and harassment were commonplace, but June 28th, 1969, was different. 


Stormé DeLarverie, who had previously worked as a bodyguard for gay bars and events, was well-positioned to confront police brutality directly. When police attempted another raid, Stormé resisted, throwing the first punch and earning her nickname "the lesbian who threw the first punch." Her open defiance sparked the crowd into action, igniting the Stonewall Riots. As a protector and instigator, Stormé's resilience marked the beginning of modern LGBTQ+ activism, influencing others to push back against oppression, and she continued to play a leadership role during the riots, helping organize and rally the crowd.


In 1990, Stormé co-founded the Stonewall Veterans' Association (SVA) to honor the legacy of the Stonewall Riots participants and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. The SVA aimed to document and preserve the history of the riots, gathering oral histories and creating archives to promote awareness of LGBTQ+ issues within the broader context of civil rights. By recognizing the contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly those involved in the Stonewall Riots, the SVA ensured their inclusion in the historical narrative of the civil rights movement. 


As Stormé powerfully stated, "If it wasn't for the women, Stonewall would not have happened." This quote highlights the crucial role women played in the uprising and underscores the importance of recognizing diverse contributions to the struggle for rights. Today, the SVA's work is more crucial than ever, as the government seeks to erase the true history of Stonewall by removing words like "trans" and "queer" from monuments and resources. Ultimately, Stormé's impact transcends history, and her approach to activism—bridging communities and viewing justice as a collective responsibility—remains essential today.


Crystal Libby

Founder, Queer Edge Consulting



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