Many public establishments were not welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community and there were laws against serving alcohol to gay people. In fact, homosexual practices were considered punishable by law. During this time, there were no rights for these individuals. Shortly after WWII, many gay men, lesbians, transgender people and those of all genders found refuge in the neighbourhoods of Greenwich Village, the Upper West Side, and Harlem. New York has long been considered the place where the gay rights movement began.
