Stonewall inn

The stable building at Christopher Street 51-53, was built in the years 1843-46. In the 1930s, the building was converted into a restaurant . After the fire in March 1966, three members of the Genovese family ^[1] converted the Stonewall Inn restaurant into a gay bar , investing $ 3,500 in it. At that time, it was the largest gay bar in the country.

Once a week, a police officer picks up an envelope with cash. Stonewall Inn did not have a license to sell alcohol ^{[1] [2]} , there was no drinking water in the bar and glasses were washed in a barrel. Fire exits in the bar were also absent ^[2] . Although prostitution was not practiced in the bar, drugs were sold there. It was the only gay bar in New York where one could freely dance with each other ^[1] , since initially the Stonewall Inn positioned itself as a dance club ^[2] .

Since 1969, all visitors to the bar have been welcomed by a bouncer who checked those who came through the peephole. First of all, visitors were supposed to be over 18 years old. In order to avoid unwanted visitors, namely disguised policemen, who were called: “Lily the Lawyer”, “Alice in a blue dress” and “Betty with a badge” ^[1] , the guard usually let in only regular customers or people with a pronounced homosexual appearance. The cost of two entrance tickets (on weekends) was $ 3. Inside, tickets could be exchanged for two drinks. The bar housed two dance floors, the interior was painted black, which made the room very dark. Along the perimeter of the bar, special spotlights were hung. In case the police broke into the bar, the spotlights turned on sharply. This was a kind of signal for visitors ^[1] . At the back of the bar was the so-called “Queen's Hall”, which was attended by men who wore makeup and long hair ^[1] . Stonewall Inn's customers were mostly men, but lesbians sometimes came to the bar. The age range of clients was from 18 to 30 years ^{[1] [3]} . The Stonewall Inn quickly gained fame outside Greenwich Village. ^[2]

Police raids on gay bars took place on average once a month. Many bars were equipped with special caches for storing alcohol ^[1] . The administration of the Sixth District warned the bar management in advance about the planned raid, which was usually carried out early enough before peak hours, so that the bar could return to its normal night mode ^[1] . During the raid, a light was lit in the bar, customers lined up and provided identification cards for verification. Clients of the bar, who did not have a certificate with them, were arrested, while the rest were allowed to calmly leave. Women were required to wear at least three elements of women's clothing. Otherwise, they were arrested. At the same time, employees and the management of the bars were also arrested ^[1] .

In January 2007, it was announced that the Stonewall Inn was undergoing major repairs. In March 2007, the bar reopened.

In 2011, Stonewall Inn became the venue for celebrations marking the adoption by the New York Senate of a law allowing same-sex marriage .

• Page "Stonewall Inn" in the register of national historical monuments of the USA
• [Three Sequoias, Bartender from Stonewall http://www.svoboda.org/content/article/24941593.html ] (unopened) . Radio Liberty. Date of treatment November 25, 2013.