July 12, 1979: Stonewall turns 10.

In 1979 activist Bruce Voeller wrote an Advocate essay celebrating the accomplishments of the gay liberation generation that flourished in the ten years following the Stonewall Inn riots. After declaring these years "the first decade of our movement," he credits the post-Stonewall years for "establishing the existence of gays." Moreover, Voeller applauds gay liberation for "the formation of communities, or surrogate families," noting that "in these ... families ... if you were a girl, preferring blue jeans ... was all right; if a boy, admiring other boys' bodies was all right. In the new gay groups you could share these truths about yourself without the ridicule or fear of violence you could expect even from your biological family."

Voeller also recounts the stunning achievements made in the decade after Stonewall. Gay men and lesbians became far more visible in the media. They built local and national lesbian and gay media as well as religious institutions. They organized politically and built coalitions with lawmakers in the midst of tough antigay battles, formed caucuses within various professions, and won huge victories by both decriminalizing homosexuality and declassifying it as a pathology. Looking ahead, Voeller writes, "In building ... we must sharpen our recognition that we are a diverse people and that all gays have contributions to make to our movement."