A Brief History of the Stonewall Riots and the Gay Rights Movement

Gay Liberation Front, Gay Activist Alliance and Early Gay Rights Organizations

Soon after Stonewall, a new wave of gay rights organizations, such as the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) were formed in response to what was thought of as ineffective, more subdued, protests by groups like Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis.

The Gay Liberation Front:

On the third night of the Stonewall rebellion, thirty-seven men and women founded the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), a more vocal and daring organization. They were the first LGBT organization to use the word "gay" and aligned themselves with other human rights groups like the Black Panthers and anti-war organizations. The GLF organized same-sex dances, demonstrations and worked to include gay issues within the social movements of the Black Panthers and populist organizations. They believed that together, they "could work to restructure American society."

GLF, who often called for LGBT people to come "out of the closet and into the streets," had no bylaws or formal leadership. Cells, modeled after the Mattachine Society structure, were formed all throughout the country. GLF believed that patriarchy and sexism were the root cause of the disenfranchisement of people in the States. GLF also believe that assimilation wasn't the answer and that in order to gain rights, LGBT had to take to the streets.

The Gay Activist Alliance Is Born:

Some GLF members grew increasingly frustrated with the organization's focus on militarism, racism, and sexism as well as LGBT rights and in 1970 formed the Gay Activist Alliance, which focused exclusively only on LGBT issues. A number of other LGBT organizations splintered from GLF, including the lesbian feminist organization Lavender Menace, later to become Radical Lesbians.

The Gay Activists Alliance was most active from 1970 to 1974 and housed its headquarters on Wooster Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Their home, the Firehouse, was burned down by arsonists in 1974.

The GAA adopted the lower case Greek letter lambda (λ) as their logo, symbolizing "a complete exchange of energy" or balance and unity. The organization dissolved in October 1981 and would later become Act Up! GLF held its last meeting in 1971.

Next: The First Gay Pride Parades