xEmbed
xShare
A memorial to the victims of the Orlando massacre grew outside New York City’s Stonewall Inn, one of the oldest gay bars in the country.
In this June 16, 2016, file photo, a man lights candles on a memorial outside the Stonewall Inn.(Photo: Julie Jacobson, AP)
WASHINGTON —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>President Obama is designating<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the Stonewall Inn —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the New York tavern where a 1969 police raid inspired the modern gay rights movement —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>as the first national monument dedicated "to tell the story of the struggle for LGBT rights."
The nation's national parks "should reflect the full story of our country," Obama said in a video Friday announcing the dedication.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"Out of many, we are one."
Patrons of the Stonewall, located<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in Greenwich Village,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>rioted after a police raid on<span style="color: Red;">*</span>June 28, 1969, an uprising that led to a protest movement fighting discrimination against gay,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
The Stonewall National Monument will encompass 7.7 acres in southern Manhattan, including the bar as well as Christopher Park across the street.
Last year,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>New York declared Stonewall as<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a city landmark.
Under Obama,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>other LGBT sites have been designated as<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a National Historic Landmark or listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Stonewall is the first gay rights site to be designated as a national monument, a part of the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>National Park Service.
Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said the Stonewall designation is especially appropriate in light of this month's terrorist attack on a gay night club in Orlando. Griffin said he hopes the new monument "will be a source of inspiration to a new generation of Americans across the country standing up for equality and uniting to show the world that love conquers hate."
The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus also applauded the decision.
Caucus Vice Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said Stonewall "launched the modern LGBT civil rights movement here and around the world —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>like Selma did for racial justice and Seneca Falls did for women’s rights."
Powered By WizardRSS.com |
Full Text RSS Feed
