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At this point, we should all know that there would be no gay rights or Pride without trans activists. Whether it was Marsha P. Johnson, who rioted at Stonewall, or contemporary icons like Qween Jean and Cecilia Gentili, trans people have long been at the forefront of every movement for queer dignity.
Even so, the current administration has made it abundantly clear that they’re set on erasing trans people from our history. Their latest affront to the LGBTQ+ community came this morning, when the National Park Service removed all mention of trans people from The Stonewall's website.
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If you visit the Stonewall’s website now, “LGBTQ+” has been shortened to “LGB,” effectively eliminating any references to trans people. “Through the 1960s almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) person was a violation of law, rule or policy,” the website reads. “New York City’s prohibitions against homosexual activities were particularly harsh.” Previously, the website mentioned the role that trans people had played in the queer liberation movement.
According to the New York Times, the Park Service’s public affairs department was taking “actions to carry out an executive order signed by President Trump on his first day in office that was described as 'restoring biological truth to the federal government.’”
The changes were made without consulting or previously alerting the people who are on the ground at The Stonewall here in New York. “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,” the organizations said in a joint statement. “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.”
The Stonewall first became a national monument under the Obama administration in 2016, becoming the country’s first protected monument tied to the queer community’s history. Last summer, they opened their much anticipated visitor’s center, further affirming the Stonewall's role in shaping American history.
New Yorkers don’t go down without a fight, though: There are plenty of protests already planned. The first one will take place at noon today at Christopher Park on 7th Avenue South and Christopher Street. You can find the information on that here.
Now more than ever, it’s important to support trans-owned businesses and events throughout the city. Stay tuned as we work on our NYC guide of trans-owned and supportive businesses.