Public memory matters, and for LGBTQ+ communities, monuments have long lagged behind. But in recent decades, visible landmarks have begun to claim space in cities across the country. These sites do more than decorate: they insist our stories belong in public record and place. Below is a tour of notable LGBTQ+ monuments and memorials in the U.S.
National recognition
Stonewall National Monument, New York City
This is the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights and history. It encompasses the Stonewall Inn, Christopher Park, portions of Christopher Street, and nearby sidewalks.
On June 28, 2024, on the 55th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall uprising, the first visitor center for the site opened, becoming the first LGBTQIA+ visitor center in the National Park System.
Stonewall’s importance is layered: its history as protest ground, its physical presence in Greenwich Village, and the ongoing tensions over whose narratives get center stage. In February 2025, the National Park Service drew controversy from advocates and allies when it removed references to “transgender” and “queer” from the monument’s official website, narrowing its language to “gay and lesbian” and “LGB.”
Memorials and monuments across cities
This outdoor walking museum along North Halsted Street between Belmont Avenue and Grace Street, features bronze plaques and rainbow pylons honoring LGBTQ+ luminaries from across history. It’s billed as the world’s only outdoor museum walk dedicated to LGBTQ+ figures, which include Audre Lorde, Bayard Rustin, Alan Turing and many others.
Harvey Milk Plaza (San Francisco, CA)
At the intersection of Castro and Market, Harvey Milk Plaza has been a gathering spot and icon of queer visibility since 1980, two years after Milk’s assassination. A redesign and memorial project is underway to strengthen its role as a site of memory and civic engagement. The new plaza would include a tiered pedestal and plaque with the word “hope” illuminated.
Pulse Interim Memorial, Orlando, FL
This evolving tribute to those killed in the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting has been a collaboration between the city of Orlando and survivors and family members of the victims. While Pulse recently made headlines after its rainbow crosswalk was removed after a directive from the Florida Department of Transportation, there is good news for the memorial. On Sept. 30, Orange County commissioners unanimously approved $5 million in funding for the Pulse Memorial, joining Orlando’s $7 million commitment toward the $12 million project set to begin design this fall and construction in 2026.
Bayard Rustin Plaque, West Chester, PA
A historical marker in West Chester, Pennsylvania honors Bayard Rustin (1912 –1987), noting that he was born there and became a civil rights leader, pacifist, and key organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. He later led the A. Philip Randolph Institute from 1966 to 1979.
The marker ties Rustin’s national legacy to his hometown, recognizing both his role in civil rights history and his significance as a gay Black man whose contributions were long overlooked.
Dupont Circle, Washington, DC
Though not a formal monument, Northwest DC’s Dupont Circle has long been a gathering place for LGBTQ+ activism, community and queer-owned businesses. In the 1970s, the area became one of the country’s “gayborhoods,” welcoming LGBTQ+ people to live and work. It’s now the home base of DC’s Capital Pride and many queer-owned businesses, restaurants and bars.
Mattachine Steps, Los Angeles, CA
Located in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood, the Mattachine Steps is one of 52 historic public stairways in the city. The steps and sign on Cove Ave were dedicated to the Mattachine Society and co-founder Harry Hay in 2021. The Mattachine Society is one of the earliest gay rights organizations, beginning in 1950 and carrying out sit-ins, political and legal actions to challenge discriminatory practices and laws against LGBTQ+ people.
Barbara Gittings residence marker, Philadelphia, PA
Barbara Gittings (1932–2007), often called the mother of the LGBT civil rights movement, is honored with a historic marker in Philadelphia where she lived with her partner, Kay Lahusen. She edited the first lesbian nationally distributed publication,”The Ladder,” co-led the Annual Reminder protests, fought the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) classification of homosexuality as an illness, and worked to expand queer literature in libraries. In 2012, the city also named 13th and Locust “Barbara Gittings Way.”
Why these monuments matter
Monuments make history visible. They mark place and memory, saying: this happened, this matters. For communities that have been erased or ignored, public markers push back against invisibility and remind people that queer lives and struggles are part of our shared story. The fight over what gets remembered isn’t settled: Stonewall’s recent website edits show how quickly institutions can narrow representation under pressure.