STATEMENTS FROM GLAAD, STONEWALL INN ON THE REMOVAL OF THE WORD ‘TRANSGENDER’ FROM THE STONEWALL NATIONAL MONUMENT WEBSITE

Today GLAAD is responding to changes made by the Trump administration to the Stonewall National Monument’s page on the National Park Service’s 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 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.”

Statement from The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative and The Stonewall Inn

“The Stonewall Inn and The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative are outraged and appalled by the recent removal of the word ‘transgender’ from the Stonewall National Monument page on the National Park Service website. 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 back 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.

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. It is a direct attack on transgender people, especially transgender women of color, who continue to face violence, discrimination, and erasure at every turn.

We demand the immediate restoration of the word ‘transgender’ on the Stonewall National Monument website. We will not stand by while the legacies of our transgender siblings are erased from the history books. The Stonewall Inn and The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative stands unwaveringly in solidarity with the transgender community and all who fight for full equality, and we will not rest until this grave injustice is corrected.”

Reporters covering this topic are encouraged to review GLAAD’s recent article – Trump Administration Removes LGBTQ and HIV resources from White House and Other Government Websites.