The riot that lit the rainbow

In the early hours of June 28, 1969, a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York's Greenwich Village met unexpected resistance. Fed up with years of harassment, LGBTQIA+ patrons fought back. What followed was six days of unrest—and the start of a movement. Led in part by trans activists like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, the uprising challenged not only police brutality but society's silence. Stonewall wasn't the beginning of queer existence, but it was the moment people said 'no more' loud enough to be heard worldwide. Today, Stonewall stands as a symbol of resilience. It reminds us that Pride began with bricks, not branding. So, as rainbow flags wave each June, remember the power of resistance—and that the first Pride was a riot with a cause.
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