US Park Service erases word 'transgender' from website commemorating Stonewall riot
References to transgender people were removed Thursday from a National Park Service website for the Stonewall National Monument, a park and visitor center in New York that commemorates a 1969 riot that became a pivotal moment for the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
The changes were made in the wake of an executive order President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office calling for the federal government to define sex as only male or female.
'This is just cruel and petty,' New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, posted on X. 'Transgender people play a critical role in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights — and New York will never allow their contributions to be erased.'
The monument in Manhattan's Greenwich Village section is based in a tiny park across the street from the Stonewall Inn, a bar that became ground zero for the gay rights movement on June 28, 1969, when gay and transgender patrons and neighborhood residents fought back against a police raid.
The park service website on Friday was still filled with information about the uprising, including photographs of noted transgender activists.
But the words 'transgender' and 'queer' had been deleted from text that had been on the site.
Also, the letters T and Q were cut from various references to the acronym LGBTQ and replaced with phrases like the 'LGB rights movement' or 'LGB civil rights.'
Representatives of the present-day Stonewall Inn, which is part of the national monument, and The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative, a nonprofit organization associated with the historic bar, expressed anger and outrage over the changes.
'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," said organizers of the two entities in a statement.
Earlier this week, the homepage for the national monument said that 'Before the 1960s, almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) person was illegal."
On Thursday, it said: 'Before the 1960s, almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) person was illegal.'
The National Park Service didn't respond to a message left Thursday seeking comment on the changes. Previously, the park service hadn't responded to questions about whether Trump's executive order would mean changes for the monument.
Then President Barack Obama designated the Stonewall National Monument in 2016.
Last year, a $3.2 million visitor center run by the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Pride Live opened at the site, in partnership with the park service, to tell the Stonewall story in more depth. The center was financed mostly with private donations, except for $450,000 from the park service's charitable arm.
Trump's order declared the federal government would recognize only two immutable sexes: male and female, based on whether people are born with eggs or sperm, rather than on their chromosomes. The change is being pitched as a way to protect women from 'gender extremism.'
Conservative groups such as the American Family Association have praised the change as one that acknowledges the truth. But experts including the American Medical Association and American Psychiatric Association hold that gender is a spectrum, not a binary structure consisting only of males and females.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
17 minutes ago
- The Guardian
European leaders plan to ask Donald Trump to justify his confidence of Israel-Iran ceasefire
European leaders gathering for a G7 summit with Donald Trump in the Canadian Rockies plan to spend the opening day asking Donald Trump to justify his confidence that Israel and Iran will make a deal that will mean 'peace soon'. As the military exchanges worsen and the death toll mounts on both sides, European leaders are intending to pin the US president down on his whole Iran strategy, including getting a definitive response on whether he will use his influence over Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to call a ceasefire, or instead let the war run its course. Trump's largely unsubstantiated remarks about 'peace soon' suggest the US president surprisingly believes a ceasefire is imminent. This would allow the rescheduling of US talks with Iran on its civil nuclear programme that had been set for Sunday but were cancelled after Israel launched its assault on Thursday night. The Israel-Iran hostilities – and their potential to upend the world economy – have at least initially usurped the G7 summit agenda, which had been set to be dominated by disputes over the war in Ukraine and US tariffs. In a bid to avoid public conflict, Canada, the summit host, has dropped the idea of a joint communique, and wants the seven leaders to focus on critical mineral supply lines, artificial intelligence, China and energy security. A total of 15 world leaders are due to attend the two and a half-day gathering in Kananaskis, just south of the Canadian resort town of Banff. In a close echo of Europe's largely unavailing efforts to make Trump more resolute in demanding a ceasefire from Russia in Ukraine, European leaders want to see if Trump has a plan for de-escalation in Iran. So far they have found Washington's messages to be contradictory, possibly reflecting divisions inside the administration. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, and the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, are trying to converge on a common line on Iran that goes beyond broad calls for de-escalation and restraint. Only Macron has attended a G7 summit before. On the way to the summit, which formally starts on Monday, Merz called for diplomacy to be given space, but added Iran cannot have nuclear weapons, and urged the country to stop bombing civilian targets in Israel. France, Germany and the UK, previously closely involved in the talks on Iran's nuclear programme, have been left in the cold by Trump, who insisted on seeking a bilateral deal with Iran. With so many pressing issues on the agenda, Europe will be cautious in deciding how much political capital to expend on calls for a ceasefire. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said Israel's attacks were intended to sabotage diplomacy and that Iran's counterattacks will cease as soon as Israel's barrage ends. 'If the aggression stops, our reaction will also end,' Araghchi briefed foreign diplomats in Tehran on Sunday. Tehran denied a Cypriot claim that it had been asked to send private messages to the US, or that it had told intermediaries that the talks due to have been held in Oman would have been productive. Trump, as he has in the past, has blown hot and cold, praising Israel's offensive as excellent while denying Iranian allegations that the US has taken part in the attacks – an assurance Iran does not find credible. He warned Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include US facilities or interests. Sign up to Headlines Europe A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day after newsletter promotion Speaking after a phone call with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, he said 'we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict.' He gave no details, but the sticking point in the talks had been whether the US would permit Iran to retain a residual domestic uranium enrichment program. Iran insisted that despite the rapid increase in its highly enriched uranium stockpile, its nuclear programme remains entirely civilian in purpose. Israel claims Iran had a covert programme that represented a threat to its existence, and might even have been on the verge of giving terrorist groups access to nuclear weapons. The 2015 Iran nuclear deal, to which Iran broadly wished to revert, allowed Iran to enrich at low purity levels and be subject to monitoring. Europe's fear is that the conflict is quickly spiralling out of control, and the Israeli government's agenda is not just to expunge any traces of Iran's nuclear sites, but also to attempt to trigger regime change in Tehran, including by assassinating not just its military but political leadership. Israel has formally denied this. Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6, said: 'I think regime change is on the cards. I think the Israelis will take out the supreme leader if they can, as they took out [Hezbollah leader] Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.' There will be growing pressure on Iran's current leadership to conclude that only nuclear weapons can protect Iran, making it more likely that the west would support an attempt to engineer the fall of the theocratic regime. With its 'axis of resistance', or forward defence strategy, in disarray due to assaults on Hamas and Hezbollah, and with Israel enjoying near impunity in the skies above Iran, Tehran is left dependent on its missile supply stock holding out and the security of its Fordow nuclear plant buried deep underground in the mountains north-east of Qom.
Scottish Sun
20 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Israel v Iran LIVE: Tehran in chaos after blitz with gridlocked roads & ‘car bombs' as Trump says US may ‘get involved'
WAR ZONE Israel v Iran LIVE: Tehran in chaos after blitz with gridlocked roads & 'car bombs' as Trump says US may 'get involved' CARNAGE appears to have erupted in Tehran as civilians try to flee the Iranian capital amid car bombings and Israel's relentless strikes. It comes as Trump said the US may "get invovled" in the crisis after Tel Aviv carried out fresh strikes on Tehran this morning. 5 Smoke from an oil refinery rises over residential buildings in southern Tehran Credit: EPA 5 Iranian residents have abandoned their cars in droves as they attempt to get out of Tehran Credit: AFP 5 The aftermath of today's strikes on Tehran Credit: IRNA 5 Fire and smoke rise into the sky after an Israeli attack on the Shahran oil depot in Tehran, Iran Credit: Getty 5 Iran launched another wave of missile strikes on Israel last night Credit: AFP The Israeli airstrikes appear to have dealt a heavy blow to Tehran. A CNN corrspondent based in the capital reported people are getting stressed and panicking amid the high intensity attacks. Pictures show hundreds of cars gridlocked on roads as they try to flee the capital city. Local media reports heavy damage was caused to Tehran's urban infrastructure. Many buildings were seen destroyed in various parts of the city. The strikes are also said to have obliterated an aircraft repair centre, and targeted the city's famous Valiasr Square. A slew of car bombings were also reported, which the Iranian media has blamed in Israel. Tel Aviv has denied setting off these bombs. Residents are now understood to be fleeing the city due to a lack of bomb shelters. A dad of two told CNN: "I don't want to leave my home, but I am not going to put my young children in this situation." Israel and Iran have been fighting after Israel launched "pre-emptive strikes" it said were designed to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Israeli officials have now said Iran's theocratic dictator Khamenei is not "off limits" from targeting as it continues its air bombing in the Islamic republic. Trump told ABC News network today that it remains possible the US will become involved in the Iran-Israel conflict. He also warned Tehran would experience "the full strength" of the US military if it attacks the US bases in the Middle East. Iran and Israel sit on the brink of a full-scale war after Tel Aviv accused Tehran of trying to develop a nuclear bomb. The IDF killed top military leaders, nuclear scientists and blasted secretive sites believed to be being used by Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Last night, least 70 missiles across two waves targeted Israel's port city of Haifa alongside Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Rehovot. And while Israeli residents hunkered in bunkers, the country's military continued strikes against Iran's miliatry and nuclear targets. Stay up to date with the latest on Israel vs Iran with The Sun's live blog below...
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Jimmy Kimmel takes to the streets during No Kings protest against Trump with obscene MAGA insult
was one of millions of people around the US who attended a No Kings protest on Saturday and he didn't keep his sentiments to himself. The late night talk show host, 57, who is building a mansion in Hermosa Beach, attended a rally with his parents, Joan and James Kimmel in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. The comedian, who has been very open about his criticism of President Donald Trump sent an interesting message with his clothing. The Jimmy Kimmel Live! star wore a white T-shirt sporting a twist on Trump's Make America Great Again with what looked like a home-made message reading 'Make America Good Again!' written on it in red and blue lettering. On his head, the funny man wore a red hat similar to the MAGA hats worn by Trump supporters which read 'I Am A F-ing Idiot' in a photo with his mom and dad on social media. James wore an old Obama campaign T-shirt featuring former president Barack Obama and the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, along with an LA Dodgers baseball cap. Meanwhile, Joan opted for a more subtle outfit, wearing a red and white striped button-down shirt with dark blue jeans. 'A huge, inspiring and yes - peaceful - turnout in the South Bay,' the Emmy winner wrote. 'I met many people who love this country and still believe it to be a force for good.' The event was one of dozens of peaceful protests held in and around the Los Angeles area 'I am grateful to see so many Americans take action to stand up for our friends and neighbors, most of all, my parents. I know how fortunate I am to have been born into a family that taught me to care about others and that the most important words ever spoken are 'Love one another.' It really is as simple as that. #NoKings' 'We love you Jimmy for this❤️❤️,' wrote a woman who added the hashtag '#mexican.' 'Thank you, Jimmy Kimmel for constantly pushing back at the Idiocracy,' penned a fan. 'I couldn't have said it better! Love you Jimmy- keep up the good fight!,' another wrote. 'We have to resist this terrible government overreach! They have the guns but we got the numbers!!' was the sentiment expressed by one commenter. 'Jimmy, you have gotten me through Covid and the Trump years. G-d bless you,' said a regular viewer. 'Thank you, Jimmy Kimmel for constantly pushing back at the Idiocracy,' penned a fan Tens of thousands of people are estimated to have taken part in No Kings protests across Los Angeles on Saturday, including some 200,000 in downtown Los Angeles, where many of the ICE raids have taken place since the Trump administration sent them to conduct raids at workplaces in the area, including hotels, restaurants and in the fashion district, where many immigrants work to sew clothing. Millions of Americans took part in demonstrations meant to counteract the military parade that took place in Washington, DC, ostensibly to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US Army. The parade, which The Hill said was expected to cost taxpayers somewhere between $25 million and $45 million, also happened to take place on Trump's 79th birthday. That price tag did not include the cost of cleanup, police protection or damage to the streets from the large, heavy vehicles, such as tanks. Many protesters were also concerned about many provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including a provision that would allow the administration to violate judicial orders, specifically injunctions and temporary restraining orders issued by federal courts without being able to hold the violators in contempt of court.
