Other people have mentioned the Civil Rights movement, but in most of the Anglosphere and Western Europe the Gay Rights movement can be directly traced to the Stonewall Inn Riots, where police raids on LGBTQ+ bars lead to simmering tensions untill NYCs queer community literally rioted and attacked the police for nearly two weeks nightly. The yearly Pride parades are held when they are to mark the anniversary of Stonewall.

While most of the movement has historically been peaceful it is an incontrovertible fact that the Gay Rights movement as we understand it today didn't come from peaceful things like the Matechine Society, but from thousands of brick throwing club-goers making cops afraid for their very lives.