Forty years ago today (Sunday, 28 June) a group of marginalized Americans stood up to police harassment, creating the Stonewall riots. According to the story at Wikipedia, these people were marginalized even within the gay community. The rioters didn't have any agenda or organization, they just got tired of living in fear of the cops and saw an opportunity to turn the tables.

Back then, they were surely seen as troublemakers by mainstream society. Ten years ago, the site of their resistance became a national historical landmark. Today, the resisters are guests at the White House. (Google also has a small memento on the results page if you search for "stonewall riots")

While there is still legal discrimination against gays, it has been greatly constrained. The mainstream recognition of the accomplishment on Christopher Street (site of the Stonewall Inn) largely reflects mainstream acceptance of gays. However, I like to think that this shift in attitude towards the event reflects a little more than just a recognition of the historical importance of the Stonewall Riots. There are probably other events that could be viewed as a symbol of progress on gay rights, but by recognizing Stonewall, Americans recognize that sometimes society benefits from having a few troublemakers.