Five decades after the historic Stonewall riots that many said launched the LGBT-rights movement, the New York Police Department ( NYPD ) apologized to the community for its role in the violence.
"The actions taken by the NYPD [at Stonewall] were wrong, plain and simple," Police Commissioner James O'Neill said June 7 during a Pride Month safety briefing, CNN.com reported.
O'Neill called the historically anti-LGBT police behavior and laws "discriminatory and oppressive," and apologized on behalf of the department to the audience's applause.
"To have the NYPD commissioner make these very explicit remarks apologizing, it's really moving," said openly gay City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who had a day earlier called for a police apology, The New York Times noted.
However, some warned that the NYPD needs to supports its words with actions.