A Gay Pride Guide to Greenwich Village

The air is full of waving pride flags for the entire month of June in Greenwich Village, New York. In fact, the air is often filled with rainbow flags in the Village, because Greenwich doesn’t reserve its Gay Pride for Pride Month alone. Residents of The Village have long prided themselves on their rich history, and diverse community. For decades, the Village has been a haven for minorities of all stripes, be it racial, political, or sexual. 

Today Greenwich celebrates this history with pride and remains an integral epicenter for the LGBTQ community. Come along with us as we pay homage to the hes, shes, and theys who have proudly marched the streets of the village in this gay guide to Greenwich Village.

A Gay History of Greenwich

It’s time for a pop-culture fun fact! Did you know that the group “Village People” was named after Greenwich Village? Even by the time the disco group formed in the 1970s, the Village’s reputation as a diverse, LGBTQ-friendly place was firmly established. This is in no small part due to The Village’s long history of acceptance and inclusion dating all the way back to the early 20th century. 

Once upon a time, Greenwich Village was considered a cheap place to live. The rowhouses which sell for millions today, used to have low rents that attracted artists, writers, and immigrants. This influx of “bohemian” people made The Village, creating an environment in which unmarried and same-sex couples could live openly.

Over the years, Greenwich Village started to develop a strong LGBTQ culture, though the community was far more fractured than what we see today. Gay and lesbian bars run by the Mafia became more common, despite police raids that regularly attempted to shut them down. It was one such raid that sparked the fire of the modern LGBTQ Civil Rights Movement. 

On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar of the era. Unlike previous raids, the members of the community didn’t take this one lying down. Instead, they fought back, starting an event that would be called the Stonewall Riots, or the Stonewall Uprising. One year later, on the anniversary of the uprising, the first Gay Pride March was held by the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee. 

From here, the movement started gaining momentum and making progress despite the many hurdles that stood in their way. Some key events in gay history include:

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  1973, homosexuality was officially declared “not a mental illness” and was removed by the DSM-II. 
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  1979 the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights was held on October 13, cementing a national community for the LGBTQ. 
• 
  1981, the AIDS Epidemic began to decimate gay and bisexual men in the community, becoming a leading cause of death in that demographic in the US.
• 
  1984, the word “Pride” became associated with the LGBTQ community when the Heritage of Pride was founded to plan New York City Pride events.
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  1993, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is passed and becomes the official policy of the US Military regarding LGBTQ service men and women. The same year, Heritage of Pride renamed the “Christopher Street Festival” to “PrideFest”
• 
   2000 - 2013, the fight for marriage equality began when states began to pass the first laws allowing for Civil Unions and Same-Sex Marriage. 
• 
  2013, The Supreme Court ruled to recognize the validity of same-sex marriage in states where they are already legal.
• 
  2015, almost exactly 46 years to the day of the Stonewall Riots, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Same-Sex marriage.

From the beginning, Greenwich Village stood proudly at the center of it all.

Gay Greenwich Landmarks

Now that we’ve covered history, it’s time to start on the “guide” portion of the article. It’s important to note that there are too many important places in NYC to list in this article. You can make a whole day of visiting all the historic LGBTQ sites in the city! It would take all of Pride Month to visit every site of gay history in the city, but here are a handful in The Village to get you started.

 Stonewall Inn: You cannot have a Gay Pride tour of Greenwich without stopping at the Stonewall Inn. The bar is still in operation today and remains a pivotal part of the LGBTQ consciousness. Stop in for a drink, and maybe catch a show while you’re there!

• Christopher Park and Stonewall National Monument: Located across the street from Stonewall Inn is Christopher Park and the Stonewall National Monument. The Monument is a celebration of the progress of the last few decades and a memorial for those who lived in silence or lost their lives to prejudice. We recommend taking a stroll through the park and paying your respects to the community as part of your tour.

• Mattachine Society Office: Originally founded in LA in 1951, Mattachine Society Inc. opened its New York City Council in 1955. It was one of the city’s earliest “homophile” (gay and lesbian) rights groups. The chapter was dissolved in 1976, but their legacy was carried on by the next generation of the LGBTQ community who started the Stonewall Riots just a few buildings away. 

• Julius’: Often touted as the “oldest gay bar” in New York, Julius’ is the site of an iconic moment in gay history. On April 21, 1966, the Mattachine Society organized a “sip-in” to challenge the State Liquor Authority’s policy of revoking the licenses of bars that served members of the LGBT community. The photo in which they were refused service was one of the most iconic public actions for LGBT rights pre-Stonewall. Today, anyone over the age of 21 can enjoy a drink, regardless of sexual or gender orientation. 

• NYC AIDS Memorial: The AIDs Memorial honors the thousands of New Yorkers who died of AIDS as well as the caretakers and activists who cared for them. While this monument marks a tragedy, it also reflects the resilience and bond of a community that stood together through the darkest hours. To learn more about the AIDS epidemic, and its lasting impact on the LGBTQ community, we recommend visiting the memorial and its website.

• Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookstore: Founded in 1967 (and moved to Christopher Street in 1973), the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookstore became an unofficial LGBTQ community center. The store became a safe space for many gay men and women of all ages until its closure due to financial difficulties in 2009. Though no longer in operation, you can still see the building where it once stood at 15 Christopher Street. 

• LGBT Community Center: Originally called the “Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center”, the center was established in 1983 at the height of the AIDS crisis. Its goal was to provide a safe and affirming space for the community during those turbulent times. Over the decades, The Center has continued to grow and change to meet the needs of the LGBTQ community in New York. See what events you can attend on the community calendar!

To see it all, you might want to consider signing up for a Village Pride Tour. Not only would you get the insights of a local expert, but you would also get to tour the community in a community group. 

Celebrating Pride Month in NYC

To get the ultimate Gay Pride experience, you should visit during Pride Month. Not only is the city at its gayest but there are many official and unofficial events to keep you busy! For a list of some of the top events, you can visit NYCPride’s official website.

Some of the biggest ones are:

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  The March: Commemorating the first march that took place a year after Stonewall, the march has evolved into both a celebration and an ongoing civil rights demonstration. Every year, thousands of people gather to keep the movement marching on.
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  PrideFest: An LGBTQ+ Street Fair that brings together families, community leaders, local businesses, and talent from around the world. You can watch a live performance, eat delicious food, and shop for Pride Gear and local art all in one place. The best part is, it’s FREE!
• 
  Youth Pride: Pride isn’t just for adults but for the youth too. The goal of Youth Pride is to provide a safe space for young people to express themselves and connect with their identity. This event includes special guests, music, non-alcoholic beverages, and carnival attractions to keep the space fun and kid-friendly.