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The Stonewall Uprising of 1969 stands as one of the most pivotal moments in LGBTQ+ history—a night when queer and transgender people, many of them Black and Brown, stood up against police brutality and systemic oppression. It was the culmination of decades of resistance by a community that had long been criminalized, marginalized, and brutalized.

In 2016, the National Park Service (NPS) formally recognized this history by designating the Stonewall Inn and its surrounding area as the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights. This was more than just a symbolic gesture; it was a long-overdue acknowledgment of the sacrifices, struggles, and victories of generations of LGBTQ+ activists, especially transgender women of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.

But now, that progress is under attack.

The National Park Service recently removed references to "Transgender" and "Queer" identities from the official website for the Stonewall National Monument. This revision was not a simple oversight—it was a deliberate act of erasure, an attempt to rewrite history in a way that excludes the very people who were at the forefront of the movement Stonewall represents.

The Danger of Historical Erasure

This is not just about words on a website. Representation matters. When government agencies remove references to transgender and queer identities, they send a message: that our history is inconvenient, that our struggles do not count, and that our identities can simply be erased.

But we know the truth. Transgender and queer people were there. They were leaders in the fight for LGBTQ+ liberation, and any effort to minimize their contributions is a distortion of history.

This is not an isolated incident—it is part of a larger, more dangerous trend. Across the country, we are witnessing a systematic effort to roll back LGBTQ+ rights, erase queer and trans identities from public discourse, and push us back into the shadows. We see it in the surge of anti-trans legislation, the banning of LGBTQ+ books in schools, the criminalization of gender-affirming care, and the rise of violent rhetoric targeting our communities. The removal of "T" and "Q" from the National Park Service’s website is yet another example of this broader campaign of erasure.

If we allow this to happen—if we allow our history to be rewritten to fit a sanitized, exclusionary narrative—we open the door for further attacks on our rights and our dignity.

The Impact on Transgender and Queer Communities

For transgender individuals, especially youth, visibility is more than just representation—it is survival. Seeing our identities acknowledged in public spaces like national monuments is affirming. It tells trans and queer people that we belong, that our struggles have been recognized, and that our contributions to history matter.

Conversely, erasure sends the opposite message: that our existence is inconvenient, that our history is disposable, and that our rights are negotiable. This kind of exclusion fuels a society where discrimination, violence, and political attacks against transgender people become normalized.

The National Park Service’s decision to remove these references does not happen in a vacuum. It emboldens those who seek to silence us, validates extremists who claim that LGBTQ+ history should be erased from schools and public spaces, and strengthens the argument that transgender and queer people do not deserve full recognition in society.

We Must Act Now

Stonewall was never just about one night in June 1969—it was about a movement, one that continues today. The fight for LGBTQ+ rights has never been easy, and history shows us that when we unite, we win. We will not allow our past to be erased, and we will not let this attack go unchallenged.

Here’s what you can do right now to fight back:

• Demand Accountability: Contact the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Demand the reinstatement of "T" and "Q" language on the Stonewall National Monument website. Let them know that the erasure of history is unacceptable.

• Spread Awareness: Talk about this issue on social media, in community meetings, and with allies. The more people who know what’s happening, the harder it will be for this kind of erasure to go unnoticed.

• Engage Your Elected Officials: Reach out to your representatives and urge them to hold the National Park Service accountable. Ask them to take a stand for the full and accurate representation of LGBTQ+ history.

• Support Trans and Queer Organizations: Groups like Black Trans Liberation, Trans Asylias, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, and The New Pride Agenda are on the front lines of this fight. Donate, volunteer, and uplift their work.

• Visit and Protect LGBTQ+ Landmarks: Stonewall is just one of many sites of queer resistance. Show up, take space, and remind the world that these places belong to all of us. Participate in events that honor the full truth of our history.

History belongs to all of us. It cannot be rewritten to fit an exclusionary narrative. We owe it to those who came before us and to future generations to ensure that the truth of our past is preserved.

The fight is not over—it never was. And just like the activists who stood outside Stonewall in 1969, we will not be silent.

ABOUT BDLI

Black Diaspora Liberty Initiative (BDLI) advocates for the rights and well-being of Black LGBTQ+ immigrants, by fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where all individuals not only survive but thrive.

We provide compassionate support, advocacy, and resources for Black LGBTQ+  immigrants who have been displaced from their home countries due to persecution, discrimination, or violence based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, while working towards uniting the Black LGBTQ+ communities in the diaspora.