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“We are proud to serve and protect all citizens, regardless of their sexual identification or orientation,” village Police Chief Jacqueline Luthcke said. “We see this patrol vehicle as a visual reminder of our intent to be an inclusive law enforcement organization.”
The new vehicle was on display at Saturday’s Pride Celebration at Van Neste Square.
Pride Month is held each June to pay homage to the 1969 “Stonewall Uprising,” which is considered a turning point in the modern gay-rights movement.
It was before dawn on June 28, 1969 that an NYPD raid of the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village – which almost routinely had occurred before without incident – exploded into a riot.
Stonewall patrons were joined by those of other lesbian and gay bars, as well as residents and people who frequented the neighborhood, throwing bottles, bricks and more while fighting police. Conservative estimates put the crowd at more than 500 people.
Before order was restored, the Stonewall itself was trashed and partly burned. By the end of the night, 13 people were arrested and a dozen or so injured, including four police officers.
More riots, clashes with police and demonstrations followed for nearly a week.
Activists organized in the aftermath into, among other groups, the Gay Liberation Front, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD (formerly Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), and PFLAG (formerly Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).
The first pride parade was held on the one-year anniversary, as thousands marched from the site to Central Park.
Five years ago, then-President Barack Obama designated the Stonewall Inn site, Christopher Park, and the surrounding streets and sidewalks national monument in recognition of the area’s contribution to gay rights.
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