A government website for the Stonewall National Monument has removed references to “transgender” and “queer” rights.
The website previously said, “The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969 is a milestone in the quest for LGBTQ+ civil rights and provided momentum for a movement” The website now says, “The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969 is a milestone in the quest for LGB civil rights and provided momentum for a movement.”
The LGBTQ+ advocacy group Glaad reacted negatively to the update to the website.
“The decision to change LGBTQ’ to ‘LGB’ on the Stonewall National Monument page is yet another example of the Trump administration’s blatant attempts to discriminate against and erase the legacies of transgender and queer Americans,” the organization said. “The Stonewall Uprising – a monumental moment in the fight for LGBTQ rights – would not have happened without the leadership of transgender and gender non-conforming people. The tireless work of Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and countless other trans women of color paved the way and continue to inspire us. You can try to erase our history, but we will never forget those who came before us and we will continue to fight for all those who will come after us.”
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The change to the website comes after the Trump administration removed LGBTQ and HIV content from some federal agency webpages. It also comes on the same week the Trump administration urged the NCAA to eliminate records accomplished by transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn, a popular gathering spot for gay men, lesbians, and transgender individuals in Manhattan, was subject to a police raid. Police assaulted customers and arrested 13 people, some for illegally selling alcohol (many bars were still operating without liquor licenses then) and others for violating New York's gender-appropriate clothing statute.
The crowd outside, observing as the bar's patrons were corralled into police cars, grew increasingly furious and started a riot, throwing bottles, cobble stones, and other objects at the police, forcing the police to take refuge inside the bar until backup arrived.
Hundreds of people joined the riot, which continued intermittently for the next few days outside the bar. These events, known as the Stonewall Riots or Stonewall Uprising, served as a catalyst for the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
While originally designated as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month by President Bill Clinton on June 11, 1999, it was later proclaimed Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month by President Barack Obama in 2014.
“This decision to erase the word ‘transgender’ is a deliberate attempt to erase our history and marginalize the very people who paved the way for many victories we have achieved as a community,” read a statement from the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative and the Stonewall Inn. “It is a direct attack on transgender people, especially transgender women of color, who continue to face violence, discrimination, and erasure at every turn.”
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