Transgender references removed from Stonewall National Monument website
Transgender references removed from Stonewall website
References to transgender people have been removed from a National Park Service website for the Stonewall National Monument.
NEW YORK - The National Park Service has removed references to transgender people from its website for the Stonewall National Monument in New York. The change follows an executive order from President Donald Trump defining sex as strictly male or female, sparking widespread criticism and concerns about historical erasure.
What we know:
References to transgender individuals and the letters T and Q from LGBTQ+ were deleted from the Stonewall National Monument’s website. The modifications reflect Trump’s executive order restricting the federal definition of sex to male and female.
The monument remains dedicated to commemorating the 1969 Stonewall Riots, a key event in the LGBTQ+ rights movement, but these changes have raised concerns about the erasure of transgender contributions to that history.
The backstory:
The Stonewall National Monument was designated in 2016 by then-President Barack Obama to honor the site of the Stonewall Riots. In 2023, a $3.2 million visitor center opened in partnership with Pride Live to further tell the Stonewall story.
Historically, transgender individuals, particularly transgender women of color, played a significant role in the uprising. Activists and historians argue that removing references to them distorts the movement’s legacy.
What they're saying:
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the changes, 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."
The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative also voiced outrage, stating, "This blatant act of erasure not only distorts the truth of our history, but it also dishonors the immense contributions of transgender individuals."
Stacy Lentz, CEO of the initiative and co-owner of The Stonewall Inn, accused the administration of attempting to "cis-wash LGBTQ history."
The other side:
Supporters of Trump’s executive order, including conservative groups like the American Family Association, argue that defining sex as male or female acknowledges biological realities. However, experts from the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association maintain that gender is a spectrum, not a binary structure.
The National Park Service has not responded to requests for comment on the website changes.
The Source: This article was written using material from the Associated Press.