The Stonewall Riots were an important moment in the history of the gay rights movement. AP’s New York staff marked the occasion with a month of stories about the 50th anniversary of the uprising, culminating in a massive Pride parade through the streets of the city for more than 12 hours.
Reporter David Crary began the coverage with a June 17 look at the half-century-long movement that began with a raid on the Stonewall Inn in 1969. Entertainment reporter David Bauder followed with a story examining the original, mocking media coverage of the riots and how coverage of the community has changed since then. Reporter Verena Dobnik wrote about how retailers were cashing in on Pride, and colleague Jennifer Peltz reported on how the uprising had changed the lives of several people who were there in 1969 to witness history happen, including people involved in the demonstrations and a cop involved in the raid. The story was accompanied by a video, produced by Robert Bumsted, entitled “Stonewall Stories: Legacy of the LGBTQ Rebellion.” Reporter Karen Matthews wrote about activists, upset about corporate sponsorship, who had organized an alternative parade. Peltz, who took a strong hand in leading coverage all around, wrote about the history of the Stonewall Inn itself, then teamed with intern Ali Swenson for a spot look at celebrations outside the bar on June 28, the day of the anniversary.
And for the day of the Pride parade itself, reporter Deepti Hajela took feeds from stringers in the field for a story capturing the historic celebration that began at noon and lasted until after midnight.
The month included outstanding images by a large cast of photographers, among them Bebeto Matthews, while the East Desk’s Samantha Shotzbarger marshaled all of the coverage in an attractive hub.