Protests at Stonewall National Monument after "LGBTQ" changed to "LGB" on government website
Protesters gathered at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City on Friday after references to transgender and queer people were removed on the National Park Service website.
The backlash came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order proclaiming the federal government only recognizes two sexes.
"LGBTQ" shortened to "LGB" on Stonewall Monument website
While the trans flag still flies outside the Stonewall in Greenwich village, where the LGBTQ+ rights movement was born decades ago, the federal website dedicated to it has shortened the acronym to "LGB," for lesbian, gay, bisexual.
Protesters rallied outside the Stonewall Inn declaring trans and queer people would not be pushed back into the shadows.
"We cannot be erased by removing words from a website," said Samy Nemir Olivares, a protester who identifies as nonbinary. "It's saying that trans and nonbinary and queer people do not exist at all."
"I think it really can send a message to the youth that they're not seen and they're not heard," said protester Lisa Kelly.
"I am not going to allow any government, any organization, any person, to take away the joy that I feel as a trans person," said Bernie Wagenblast, also known as the voice of the New York City subway.
On X, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called the sudden removal of trans and queer references, "just cruel and petty. Transgender people play a critical role in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights — and New York will never allow their contributions to be erased."
"[President Trump] is pandering to the lowest of his base and using this transgender community to fear monger and fuel Republican culture wars," U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler said at the protest.
On Friday, the U.S. Army also posted on X that they will no longer allow transgender recruits and will stop "facilitating procedures associated with gender transition."
"As they take away gender-affirming care, for all of you who have had Botox and hair plugs, that is gender-affirming care," LGBTQ+ activist Marti Gould Cummings said at Friday's protest.
Tanya Walker served in the military before coming out as transgender.
"I served in the military. I didn't say I had bone spurs to get out of it," she said.
Transgender advocates still recognized
Even with the shorter acronym, the Stonewall website and sign on the Christopher Park fence still mention trans advocates like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, who helped lead the gay liberation movement more than 50 years ago.
"The transgender community threw the first bricks that launched the contemporary LGBTQ human rights movement," said State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal.
"It was trans women of color, trans women like Sylvia, Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, trans women that put their lives on the line, that stood on the front lines of this revolution. They are the reason why we have the rights that we have today, not just for trans people, but for LGBT people in general," Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative board member Angelica Christina said.
"We're going to do everything we can, especially with our nonprofit that fights for equality all over the globe, Stonewall Gives Back Initiative, to make sure that people know that we're not going to tolerate this. Progress and civil rights, LGBTQ rights have never been made by being silent, and we're not going to be silent," Stonewall Inn co-owner Stacy Lentz said.
Sarah Seidman, curator of social activism for the Museum of the City of New York, says one of their exhibitions includes New York trans activists.
"Preserving these stories in the face of attempts to erase them is more important than ever before," she said.
Louis Francois, with the LGBT Network Queens Center, says if you attack one, you attack all.
"To erase the inclusion of trans people in the Stonewall riots and the whole history of the uprising is insulting, and it also fictionalizes something that needs to include trans people," he said.
Stonewall Inn declared a national monument in 2016
The Stonewall Inn became an official national monument in 2016. Police raided the bar and triggered riots in 1969 when homosexual acts were illegal in New York City.
"This building is run by National Park Service. So I don't know how much erasure is going to take place in that building and then they're going to be here, ostensibly representing our communities, and if they remove the important part that trans and gender-non-conforming people have played in all of our movements, especially in this city, then it'll be a farce," said Jay Walker, with Gays Against Guns.
"The pendulum swings both ways and progress is not linear. We're not going anywhere," said Cathy Renna, with the LGBTQ Task Force.
The Stonewall National Monument is the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights and history. President Obama designated it as a national monument in 2016.
