presidency, and special event coverage about our history. enjoy american history tv now and every weekend on c-span3. here on american history tv, we take a look back at the 1969 stone wall riots and how they became a key turning point in the lgbtq rights movement. up >> having to lie is the saddest and ugliest part of being a homosexual. when you have your first bad love experience, you cannot go to your brother or sister and say i am hurting.

>> at first i was very guilty. then i realized that all the things that are taught you not only by society but the psychiatrists is just a fit you into a mold. i rejected the mold and when i did i was happier. >> these are mostly independent organizations across the country. there are between 60 and 75 groups across the united states, maybe more because they keep growing up overnight. of 20vent was on the part to 30 organizations on the east coast. their differences are primarily in approach and tactic. certain groups tend to emphasize a very militaristic confrontation tactic. other groups will emphasize a more educational approach, going out into areas where what you might call people who live in medical -- in middle america and don't know much about

homosexuality. services toprovide our own people in need. the major effort today is to change the institutions. ♪ [chanting] host on january

21, 2013. here is what he said. [video clip] peoplebama: we the declared today that the most evident of truths, that all of us are created equal. it is the star that guides us still, just as it guided our forbearers through seneca fells and stonewall, just as it guided all of those men and women, sung in unsung who left footprints along this great mall to hear preacher say that we cannot walk alone. to hear a king proclaimed that our individual freedom is bound to the freedom of every soul on earth.

the title of the program was called the homosexuals.

[video clip] >> most americans are appalled by the mere mention of homosexuals. survey showed two out of three americans look upon homosexuals with disgust, discomfort or fear. one out of 10 say hatred. a fast majority believe homosexuality is an illness. only 10% say it is a crime. and yet here is the paradox. the majority of americans favor legal punishment for homosexual acts performed in private between consenting adults. the homosexual, bitterly aware of his rejection, responds by going underground. they frequent their own clubs and bars and coffee houses where they can act out in the fashion they want to, where ago

handled the situation. [video clip] >> it would be irresponsible of me as we go through world pride

month, not to speak of the events at the stonewall inn in june of 1969. i will not stand up here and pretend to be an expert on what happened. i do know what happened should not have happened. the actions taken by the nypd were wrong, plain and simple. the actions and the laws were discriminatory and oppressive, and for that i apologize. [applause] >> to the lgbtq of the strugglem

philadelphia and independence hall to stonewall and new york city. we knowame the -- what now as the gay pride parade. but eventually spread around the

united states and around the world. 1971,rly pride parade in and that in 72, 1973, it was quite brave to participate. it was uncertain if they would be violence from harassers who might come and confront the participants. it was unclear whether the police would grant permits. in los angelesder. the first commemorations of the stonewall rebellion required a lot of courage on the part of organizers and participants. many of us believe that is really one the stoma riots acquired the significance -- the

stonewall riots acquired the significance they have today. there's been other protestant demonstrations before stonewall. -- other protests and demonstrations forced on will.

cisco university. back at the role they played for the lgbt community. [video clip] >> gays and lesbians who came of age during the 1940's, 1960's, -- 1950's, 19 60's, speak over and over about how they risk their livelihoods by going to gay bars because the gay bars save their lives. they kept them from despairing they were the only ones. they kept them from believing that society was right, that they were sick and criminal and would be better off dead. in the bars and nightclubs, they

found hookups and one night stands. they also found partners and lovers and friends and people who accepted them as they were. not have to carry out the exhausting work of pretending to be straight. being true to yourself is very precious. it is worth a lot of risk. lesbians during this time suffered double discrimination. even most gay men saw women as inferior. in the days before widespread feminism, the lesbian bar was the truly rare place where women were not pressured to cater to men. said, we in the 1940's can throw off our girdles, dresses, our high heels. that was the uniform required of all women. lesbians could wear pants and be free from straight captures

what was going on during the week of the writing. host: author, historian, and history professor at san francisco state university, marc stein, who is joining us from chris river street in greenw