Marsha and Sylvia
Stonewall Inn

June is Pride Month, but October is LQBTQ+ History Month with National Coming Out Day always falling on October 11th. It is important that LGBTQ+ history is shared to understand WHY Pride Month is so important to the community. You may have seen posts on social media in more recent years that the first Pride was a riot – and we’re not talking about using that term in a fun or hilarious way. In the early hours on June 28th, 1969, there was an actual riot at the Stonewall Inn, located in Greenwich Village in NYC, by police. The Stonewall Inn was (and still is) known as a gay bar and club that allowed LGBTQ+ individuals to enjoy a drink together. The 60’s were still a time where being openly queer and looking for any type of relationship was still very illegal, but people in the community still wanted a place where they could express themselves without judgement or harassment. On this day, the police decided to raid the bar and they did so without a tip getting to the bar which resulted in several employees and patrons getting arrested and brutalizing other individuals. Because of this, a week long protest began and was considered the catalyst for the gay rights movement.

Meet Marsha P. Johnson

Marsha P. Johnson – the P stands for “Pay No Mind”

Marsha was born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey but relocated to NYC during her discovery and transitioning period. She was well known on Christopher Street as a self-made drag queen and an important fixture in the LGBTQ community as a “drag mother” helping homeless and struggling LGBTQ youth. Marsha was one to speak out against injustices and has been frequently identified as a huge instigator in the Stonewall Riots that very first night. Following the uprising, Marsha and and her friend, Sylvia Rivera, co-founded the the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) which provided services to homeless trans youth. In 1992, Marsha’s life was cut short, but her shine has never been dulled and she is still celebrated to this day.

The Riots Today

Performance 5 Inch Packer variances
Performance 5 inch Packer

The ‘riots’ that we know of today ARE still protests in the fact that those in the LGBTQ+ community are still fighting to remove the shame of queerness, fighting for their rights, and ultimately their lives. However, it is also a celebration of life for the progress there has been taken for the community to be seen as human beings and for them to feel their absolute and unapologetic selves. There is still work to be done to move Pride and support for the LGBTQ+ community from just in June or October to year round – and it is going to take everyone to make an effort to see the change. In the adult toy industry, it is extremely important that we provide the LGBTQ+ with products that work for them – strap-ons and harnesses, masturbators that don’t look like vulvas, bondage gear for kinksters, and even gender affirming packers and sex toys like FTM stokers. Our associates also do not assume anyone’s gender or sexual preferences because not only do we want to give everyone the same comfortable experience, but we are part of the community as well.

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