In this special series, LGBT celebrities and public figures talk to Tim Teeman about the Stonewall Riots and their legacy—see more here.

Stephen Sondheim

Multi-award winning composer and lyricist

When and how did you first hear about the Stonewall Riots, and what did you make of them; what is their significance for you; how far have LGBT people come in the last 50 years; what would you like to see, LGBT-wise in the next 50 years?

Answering those first three questions smacks too much of pontification for me, but I certainly have an answer for the fourth: I’d like to see the term LGBT disappear from the English language.