50 Years Since Stonewall

This year’s rainbow-filled Denver PrideFest and Parade was filled with reminders of the Stonewall riots, the history-making flashpoint for the LGBTQ community across the country. On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn gay bar in New York City. The harassment led to six days of rioting and protests. It proved to be a catalyst to the gay civil rights movement, inspiring activists across the country, including in Denver. 

Organizers of this year’s June 15-16 PrideFest and Parade in Capitol Hill and downtown Denver expected to break last year’s overall attendance of 425,000 people who showed up to mark the 50th anniversary of Stonewall and celebrate LGBTQ equality. Photos include J-Bone’s Abernathy’s vest with intricate safety pin art, parade observers, and a supporter waving enthusiastically from a balcony along the route. 

Photos by Julius Fernan Garrido, who lives with his husband in the City Park North neighborhood.