Photo FeaturesWhy Playbill's 2019 Pride Logo Is a Nod to the PastPlaybill commemorates and celebrates 50 years since the Stonewall Riots.
By
Playbill Staff
June 01, 2019
The Stonewall Inn
Marc J. Franklin
In the early hours of June 28, 1969, police officers raided the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street. Unlike typical raids of gay establishments at the time, this one did not come with an advance warning and those being rounded up by the cops did not wait quietly or peacefully. Instead, a riot broke out as patrons of the bar and bystanders who gathered to see what the commotion was about began to rebel, attacking police officers, throwing bricks through windows, and letting the authorities know that they were no longer willing to participate in their own persecution.
That night launched many things, among them the Stonewall Inn’s reputation as the birthplace of the gay rights movement. But most importantly, June 28 offered the feeling that there was an LGBTQ+ community, one that could band together to fight back against injustice. Now, 50 years later, that community has only grown stronger as the country makes great strides towards equality while also suffering devastating setbacks. But every step forward that we take stems from that first night in 1969, when a group of people bravely risked imprisonment and public humiliation in the newspapers to resist.
That’s why this year the Pride banner on the cover of the Playbill in your hand is a departure from previous years. To commemorate 50 years of gay rights and the courageousness of those at Stonewall in 1969, we’re paying homage to those first bricks thrown in the fight for equality, ones that continue to echo throughout the country now, even as the fight wages on in different ways.
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Playbill Celebrates the Stonewall Uprising With Pride 2019 Covers
Playbill Celebrates the Stonewall Uprising With Pride 2019 Covers
Playbill Pride returns with a new rainbow banner honoring the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
43 PHOTOS
Ain't Too Proud Playbill - June 2019
Aladdin Playbill - June 2019
Be More Chill Playbill - June 2019
Beautiful Playbill - June 2019
Beetlejuice Playbill - June 2019
The Book of Mormon Playbill - June 2019
Burn This Playbill - June 2019
The Cher Show Playbill - June 2019
Chicago Playbill - June 2019
Come From Away Playbill - June 2019
Dear Evan Hansen Playbill - June 2019
The Ferryman Playbill - June 2019
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Playbill - June 2019
Frozen Playbill - June 2019
Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus Playbill - June 2019
Hadestown Playbill - June 2019
Hamilton Playbill - June 2019
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Part One Playbill - June 2019
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Part Two Playbill - June 2019
Hillary and Clinton Playbill - June 2019
Hillary and Clinton Playbill - June 2019
Ink Playbill - June 2019
King Kong Playbill - June 2019
King Lear Playbill - June 2019
Kiss Me, Kate Playbill - June 2019
The Lion King Playbill - June 2019
Mean Girls Playbill - June 2019
Mel Brooks on Broadway Playbill - Opening Night
Moulin Rouge Playbill - June 2019
My Fair Lady Playbill - June 2019
Network Playbill - June 2019
Oklahoma! Playbill - June 2019
The Phantom of the Opera Playbill - June 2019
Pretty Woman Playbill - June 2019
The Prom Playbill - June 2019
Pure Yanni Playbill - June 2019
Regina Spektor on Broadway Playbill - Opening Night
To Kill a Mockingbird Playbill - June 2019
Tootsie Playbill - June 2019
Waitress Playbill - June 2019
What the Constitution Means to Me Playbill - June 2019
From the mainstage at Playbill's Pride Festival in Times Square to their own onstage parade, the Tony-winning musical's all-queer stage management team came out from behind-the-scenes.