Gay rights groups heralded Obama’s announcement Friday. The designation of the monument comes just days before the one-year anniversary of that decision. It’s also where the gay community gathered to celebrate the Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage in all 50 states on June 26, 2015. The events are “widely considered to be a watershed moment when the LGBT community across the nation demonstrated its power to join together and demand equality and respect,” the White House said.Ĭhristopher Park and Stonewall Inn remain to this day a rallying spot for the LGBT community.įollowing the Orlando massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in US history that left 49 dead at a gay nightclub earlier this month, thousands gathered in the area. In the days that followed, demonstrations and clashes with police continued, and nearby Christopher Park became a gathering place for members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community to express their frustrations and steel their resolve.
On June 28, 1969, officers arrived at the Stonewall Inn to enforce a law that forbid the sale of alcohol to gays.Ĭustomers resisted the police crackdown and a crowd gathered outside, with riots ensuing on nearby streets.
