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The National Park Service has removed any references to transgender people from the Stonewall National Monument. Yes, you read that correctly.
What was previously listed as a monument to the LGBTQ+ community has been changed to LGB, meaning what was the first national park site dedicated to LGBTQ+ history now excludes the trans women of colour that led the 1969 riot. Marsha P. Johnson, a Black trans woman, is accredited by some to have thrown the first brick and, alongside other trans women like Sylvia Rivera, was instrumental in the gay liberation movement. Now, the monument that stands to honour her fight for liberation does not even acknowledge her existence.
This comes as DEI initiatives are rolled back across the country as President Trump’s torrent of executive orders start to take effect. Trump specifically targets transgender people in his orders, some of which (restricting access to healthcare for trans youth and transferring incarcerated trans women to male prisons) have been temporarily delayed by court judges. Despite this, the administration’s intention is clear. The site’s censoring seems to reflect the fear of many: America is going backwards.
In a statement, The Park Service’s public affairs department stated it had taken this action in cooperation with Trump’s executive order to begin what was described as “restoring biological truth to the federal government”. “Restoring truth” is a particularly ironic phrase, considering the order has directly led to the erasure of trans history.
However, the clear and intentional discrimination from the Trump administration has not been taken lightly, with many activists and representatives speaking out in the wake of this decision. Stacy Lentz, an owner of the Stonewall Inn and chief executive of the nonprofit initiative ‘Stonewall Inn Gives Back’ expressed disappointment but not surprise, stating that “Coming into our home, into our place, and trying to erase folks who are instrumental to this movement is insanity”. An insanity that stems from the oval office, casting doubt on if other references to transgender people will be edited or removed in the near future.
Regardless, the damage that has already been done to trans history, in conjunction with the executive orders that have been signed since the beginning of Trump’s second term is tangible, as is the fear felt by the community. The growing sense that this is just the beginning of a barrage of attacks on hard-won trans and gay rights is so intense, perhaps because we are still so early into Trump’s term. The president has been back in office for less than a month, even if it doesn’t feel like it. The speed and ease with which these things have been put into legislation is frightening for many and leaves the future uncertain. What is certain is that those both in America and globally will have to watch with bated breath as the Trump presidency continues.
Edited by: Evangeline Shankland
Image: Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, Kidfly 182, 2024 // CC BY 4.0
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