Human rights in New York State

Raids on gay and lesbian bars had become normal practice in New York City. But on June 28, 1969, one of these  raids did not go as planned. On that night, the men and women of the Stonewall Inn fought back. Since that historic moment, New York has been at the forefront of the LGBTQ rights movement in the United States, including the historic passing of the Marriage Equality Act in 2011 - setting the stage for the rest of the nation to follow four years later. Throughout New York State’s history, there have been inspiring stories about equality and caring for all people. We see this in places like the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum in Oswego, where nearly 1,000 mostly Jewish refugees were brought to safety from war-torn Europe and allowed the religious freedom that had been taken from them. It is in these places we remember how important it is to care for each other, regardless of gender, sexuality or religion.