In a controversial move, the Stonewall National Monument website has had references to transgender individuals removed, sparking protests and condemnation from activists who argue that this effort undermines the foundational history of LGBTQ+ rights in America.
Activists Rally Against Transgender Erasure from Stonewall National Monument Website
Activists Rally Against Transgender Erasure from Stonewall National Monument Website
The removal of transgender references from the Stonewall National Monument website prompts a passionate protest and criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates.
The Stonewall National Monument in New York City, a pivotal site in the history of LGBTQ+ rights, has seen its website altered under the Trump administration to omit references to transgender individuals. The National Park Service, responsible for the site, has changed the acronym from LGBTQ+ to LGB, prompting outrage and protest from activists. On the first day of his presidency, Donald Trump signed an executive order recognizing only two genders, which has influenced various government websites and policies.
Activists gathered at the site on Friday to express their anger, with Stacy Lentz, co-owner of the Stonewall Inn, stating on Instagram, "There is no Pride without Trans folks leading that fight! Trying to erase them from the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement will not happen!" The National Park Service claimed these changes comply with the executive order aimed at "restoring biological truth" to federal government operations.
An older version of the website stated that living openly as a "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+)" person was illegal before the 1960s. The revised text now asserts that only "lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB)" individuals faced such challenges, leaving out the significant role of transgender people during that era.
Despite some remaining references to transgender individuals in foundational documents, the monument's change has incited backlash. The Stonewall Inn and the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative expressed their outrage, declaring that such alterations distort historical truth and disregard the vital contributions of transgender activists. New York Governor Kathy Hochul criticized the changes, calling them "cruel and petty."
Following the announcement, demonstrators displayed signs at the site, including messages emphasizing that you cannot spell history without a "T," representing transgender rights. The Stonewall riots, triggered by a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, marked a critical moment in the struggle for LGBTQ+ equality in the United States, a legacy intricately linked to the recognition and rights of transgender individuals.
