An executive order signed by Donald Trump after returning to the White House has sparked significant controversy due to changes made to the Stonewall National Monument’s website.
This monument is situated in New York City’s Greenwich Village, marking the site where the Stonewall Rebellion commenced in 1969. This historical event began with a police raid on a gay bar, leading to riots and becoming a pivotal moment in the fight for equality.
In 2016, Barack Obama designated this location as a monument during his presidency, and since then, information about it has been available on the National Parks Service website.
Before Trump began his second term, the website’s homepage stated: “Before the 1960s, almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) person was illegal.”
Following Trump’s executive order, which declared that the government would officially recognize only male and female as biological sexes, the terms ‘transgender’ and ‘queer’ were removed from the site.
The revised website now states: “Before the 1960s, almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) person was illegal.”
This decision to exclude entire communities has led to widespread criticism and protests. Stacy Lentz, co-owner of the Stonewall Inn and CEO of the nonprofit Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative, accused the Trump administration of attempting to ‘erase trans people from history and from existing’.
On Instagram, Lentz posted: “There is no Pride without Trans folks leading that fight! Trying to erase them from the Birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement will not happen! We need to show up and speak out for our trans and nonbinary siblings who are under attack.”
The Stonewall Inn and the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative released a joint statement regarding the website changes, asserting: “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.
“Let us be clear: Stonewall is transgender history. Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and countless other trans and gender-nonconforming individuals fought bravely, and often at great personal risk to push against oppressive systems. Their courage, sacrifice, and leadership were central to the resistance we now celebrate as the foundation of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her disapproval on Twitter, stating: “This is 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.”
Trump’s executive order argues that efforts to dismiss the biological reality of sex are an affront to women’s dignity, safety, and well-being.
The order states: “Accordingly, my Administration will defend women’s rights and protect freedom of conscience by using clear and accurate language and policies that recognize women are biologically female, and men are biologically male.”
If these topics have affected you and you need to talk confidentially, you can reach the LGBT national hotline at 888-843-4564, available from Monday to Friday from 4pm-12am ET and on Saturdays from 12pm-5pm ET.