... naturally accompanied the riots. No one can debate the historical significance of these riots. After years of sometimes-violent oppression, a part of the gay community cracked - overflowing with anger and perpetrating such acts that would demand the nation and perhaps the world to stand up and take notice. There is no doubt the Stonewall Riots created an open and public gay liberation union. But, Stonewall was not the genesis of gay activism and organization. Stonewall did not start everything (D'Emilio, p. 148). It served more as a boiling point to open up an impending visible political battle. Twenty years prior to the riots one can see a buildup of less violent, political and social resistance. The Press and literature in the 1950s served as apt precursors to the forthcoming outcry. Small gay rights organizations were created, most notably the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis. These groups were "dedicated ...

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