This post has been updated as of Feb.14.
As of Feb. 13, the word “transgender” has been removed from the Stonewall National Monument web page in Greenwich Village, New York. The site and monument, which are part of the National Park Service, also removed the “T” representing trans people, as well as the “Q” for “queer.”
The Stonewall National Monument honors the Stonewall Riots, which took place from June 28 to July 3, 1969, when transgender, bisexual, gay, and lesbian patrons of the Stonewall Inn pushed back against targeted harassment and police raids. The uprising has long been considered the turning point of the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Trans and gender-nonconforming people, butch lesbians, and gay men were among those who led the rebellion, calling for better treatment and an end to anti-LGBTQ+ abuse. Notable participants include Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Stormé DeLarverie, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Mark Segal, and Virginia Apuzzo, among others.
LGBTQ+ advocates are beginning to speak out against the removal of “trans” and “queer” from the site.
Writer and Gender Liberation Movement co-founder Raquel Willis posted on X:
“The Stonewall Riots happened because of trans people, particularly of color, [who] rose up against state violence. You can’t even begin to tell the story without our ancestors and elders.”
New York City Council member Erik Bottcher tweeted:
“The Trump administration has erased transgender people from the Stonewall National Monument website. We will not allow them to erase the very existence of our siblings. We are one community!!”
Timothy Leonard, Northeast Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association shared this via statement.
“The National Park Service exists to not only protect and preserve our most cherished places but to educate its millions of annual national park visitors about the inclusive, full history of America. Erasing letters or webpages does not change the history or the contributions of our transgender community members at Stonewall or anywhere else. History was made here and civil rights were earned because of Stonewall. And we’re committed to ensuring more people know that story and how it continues to influence America today. Stonewall inspires and our parks must continue to include diverse stories that welcome and represent the people that shaped our nation.”
The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative and The Stonewall Inn put out a joint statement saying in part:
“The Stonewall Inn and The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative are outraged and appalled by the recent removal of the word ‘transgender’ from the Stonewall National Monument page on the National Park Service website. This blatant act of erasure not only distorts the truth of our history, but it also dishonors the immense contributions of transgender individuals — especially transgender women of color — who were at the forefront of the Stonewall Riots and the broader fight for LGBTQ+ rights.”
Mark Segal, Rebel in Residence for the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center shared a statement as well:
“The spirit of Stonewall means to be visible and fight back against oppression. You cannot erase the history of Stonewall by erasing a letter. You cannot erase trans people by erasing a letter. This petty, vindictive action is Donald Trump’s attempt to not only erase trans people from public view, but also the entire LGBT community. Stonewall, including all of us in the LGBT community who fought back that historic night and have continued to fight for 55 years, cannot and will not be erased. We will continue to fight, we will continue to be visible and persevere, and I urge all in our community to remember this day as the beginning of the second Stonewall rebellion.”
Local LGBTQ+ rights groups and the Stonewall Inn will be hosting a protest Friday, Feb. 14 at noon Eastern in Christopher Park (7th Ave S and Christopher St) in NewYork City,
This is a developing story, and we will continue to provide updates.