Keep The Pride Going All Summer By Visiting These Gay Rights Movement Landmarks

The celebrations taking place across the country in the wake of last Friday’s Supreme Court decision have been all kinds of amazing, from the inspirational words of President Obama, to Broad City’s flash mob, to the joy-filled tweets of athletes, musicians, and cultural luminaries.

The weekend was full of festivities, but the party doesn’t have to stop so soon. Here are six places to keep the good vibes flowing while soaking up a vital piece of our nation’s history. (They could also make for great places to get married. Just sayin’.)

1. Twin Peaks Tavern. San Francisco, Calif. In 1972, the owners of Twin Peaks Tavern, Mary Ellen Cunha and Peggy Forster, pulled away the sheets obscuring the view into their bar, thus becoming the first gay venue to feature full-length un-tinted windows. The message was clear (and historic): There’s nothing to be ashamed of here.
2. Castro Camera. San Francisco, Calif. This camera shop turned political headquarters was the base of Harvey Milk during his various campaigns for public office. Milk’s election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors rocketed the gay and lesbian movement forward and gave an elected voice to San Francisco’s marginalized citizens. The slain Civil Rights leader was awarded a posthumous Presidential Medal for Freedom in 2009.

   

3. Stonewall Inn. Manhattan, N.Y. On June 28 1969, guests at the Stonewall Inn, tired of being bullied by police, decided to fight back. The ensuing riots launched the Gay Rights Movement as we know it and began the long road leading to Friday’s victory. Last week, New York City officials named Stonewall Inn a city landmark just a few days before the Supreme Court ruling.
4. Gay Liberation Monument. Manhattan, N.Y. While you’re in New York, visit Christopher Park to see George Segal‘s sculpture, Gay Liberation. The piece has a history worth learning about; the subtly rendered scene was originally deemed too controversial and shipped to Madison, Wis. before eventually returning to Manhattan.

   

5. Homomonument. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Besides being one of the most scenic, easy-to-explore destinations on the planet, the Netherlands was way ahead of the marriage equality curve. In 2001, it became the first country to officially sanction same-sex marriage. If you travel to Amsterdam this summer, be sure to visit Homomonument, which honors the struggle of LGBT people throughout the world while also bearing witness to the painful memories of WWII. The monument is made of three pink granite triangles which resemble the patches gay, lesbian, and transgender prisoners were forced to wear in German concentration camps.
6. Royal Vauxhall Tavern. London, England. While you’re in Europe, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT) is the oldest gay entertainment club in South London and still knows how to throw a wild party. In her book, The Power of Positive Drinking, Cleo Rocos claims that Princess Diana visited the venue in disguise back in the ’80s with help from Freddie Mercury.
7. The White House and The Supreme Court. Washington, D.C. Back on U.S. soil, visit the capital with pride. History was made last week, songs were sung, and the nation took a major leap forward in the struggle to achieve “liberty and justice for all.”