Controversy Erupts Over Changes to Stonewall Monument Website

Activists have condemned recent changes made to the Stonewall National Monument website, where transgender references were omitted, reflecting broader political motivations tied to executive orders from the Trump administration.

The Stonewall National Monument website has seen significant changes under the Trump administration, recently removing references to transgender individuals. The National Park Service, which oversees the monument, has updated its site to simplify the acronym LGBTQ+ to LGB, representing lesbians, gays, and bisexuals only. This alteration aligns with an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump that established a binary view of gender as strictly male and female.

In response to the changes, activists protested outside the Stonewall Inn, a landmark associated with the 1969 riots that catalyzed the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. "There is no Pride without Trans folks leading that fight!," stated Stacy Lentz, co-owner of The Stonewall Inn, urging support for the protest on Instagram and reinforcing the vital role of transgender individuals within the history of LGBTQ+ struggles.

The National Park Service justified its actions by citing compliance with Trump's order, which aimed to "restore biological truth to the federal government." However, the alteration has faced fierce backlash from the LGBTQ+ community. A previous version of the website acknowledged the legal struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals prior to the 1960s, but the new version excludes transgender identities entirely, stating, "Before the 1960s, almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) person was illegal."

Despite the cuts, some references to transgender individuals remain on the site, particularly within the monument's founding document. The changes have drawn ire from community leaders, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who labeled them "cruel and petty." During the protest at the Stonewall site, demonstrators displayed signs reading messages such as, "National Park Service, you can't spell history without a T," signifying the critical part transgender people play in LGBTQ+ history.

The Stonewall site, designated as a national monument by former President Barack Obama in 2016, encompasses 7.7 acres in New York City, including Christopher Park, serving as a poignant reminder of the ongoing fight for equality.