The riots at New York City’s Stonewall Inn in June 1969 are generally cited as a catalyst for the LGBTQ rights movement, but efforts had been growing steadily during the previous two decades. This was a time in U.S. history when homosexuality was still listed as a mental disorder, and gay behavior was illegal in 49 states. People could be arrested for having a physical relationship with a member of the same sex. The act of wearing clothes resembling the opposite gender was outlawed. In major cities, raids of gay bars were common.