Panelists commemorate Stonewall anniversary and urge for advocacy.

Metro Inclusive Health and The Dru Project joined forces to host “Stonewall to Pulse: A Community Discussion,” which is the first-ever community-wide, intergenerational panel event featuring individuals who experienced milestones in LGBTQ+ history. 

The event was held just days before the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which occurred on June 28, 1969, after New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village in New York City. The raid sparked a riot, which transitioned into six days of protests and physical altercations with police. The Stonewall Riots will be forever marked as a catalyst for the gay rights movement.

Wanting to honor its significance with the community, Cole Foust, the LGBTQ+ division manager at Metro, assembled five panelists for the discussion, including Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the 2016 Pulse Massacre; Jason Marsden, the executive director of The Matthew Shepard Foundation; Jay Chetney, a Stonewall Riots activist; trans rights advocate Kia’la Emmons; and HIV rights advocate Stephanie Stuart.