June 28

Of 1969

A riot that changed lives

It started a night

Like any other

At Stonewall Inn

A bar and diner

Then police came to raid

The LGBTQIA+ community that day

Of rights we didn’t have

We, 

The runaways

Turned away

We,

The unaccepted

Unloved by even our closest friends

We, 

Judged by the suspicious eye

And not the telltale mind

They rounded us up

Thirteen in tow

Convicted for being ourselves

We were tired

Of hiding in closets

Of being pushed around

We stood our ground

Along with the gathering crowd

Though violence isn’t the way to make change

We were fed up and full of rage

They hid in the building

The sun went down

Background as the fire flamed bright

Through part of the night

‘Till water put them out

But we didn’t stop

We didn’t drop to the ground and let them take us away

We held protests that lasted six days,

We waved our flags up high

Showing our pride

Red and orange and yellow

Green and blue and purple

My-oh-my

What a beautiful sight

Of people banding together

From the prejudice in the world

Straight and not

Allies and us

And so begins the start

To the rights to love with all our heart

Whoever we want