Thousands protest Donald Trump’s attempt to erase trans people from Stonewall Riots

Author: Arin Waller

Thousands of people gathered around near the Stonewall Monument in New York City’s Christopher Park this afternoon to protest the National Park Service (NPS) removing all mentions of transgender and queer people from the webpage for the monument commemorating the 1969 Stonewall Riots.

An estimated 1,000 protestors assembled at the Stonewall Monument at around noon with the crowd continuing to grow, according to HuffPost reporter Matt Shuham.

There’s around 1,000 people here and growing. Hard to hear speakers without amplification, but crowd is very enthusiastic.

Alt: pictures show crowd at protest in Christopher Park, where trans pride flag is still flying

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— Matt Shuham (@mattshuham.bsky.social) February 14, 2025 at 11:13 AM

“Stand up fight back!”

Photos of protesters at Christopher Park:

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— Matt Shuham (@mattshuham.bsky.social) February 14, 2025 at 11:20 AM

Numerous social media accounts posted photos and videos highlighting the protest’s scale.

New Yorkers flooded the Stonewall Monument to protest the erasure of Trans people. We will not allow this regime to erase OUR communities and OUR history.

“The rage and resolve here should be bottled and administered directly into our veins.” @raushenbush.bsky.social #resist

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— Rise and Resist (@riseandresist.bsky.social) February 14, 2025 at 12:55 PM

Protest at the Stonewall monument. Protect trans kids

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— Alex Jaffe “Alex Jaffe” Alex Jaffe (@alexjaffe.bsky.social) February 14, 2025 at 12:20 PM

#love #joy #defiance #stonewall #history #lgbTQIA #nyc #usa #protest #checkinonyourfriends #liberation

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— Sam Schultz 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ (@s-schultz.bsky.social) February 14, 2025 at 12:27 PM

At the stonewall monument rn

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— Hugh Ryan (@hughryan.bsky.social) February 14, 2025 at 11:20 AM

ProTesT at The STonewall Monument in NYC LGBTQ

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— Brian Meegan (@imabmee.bsky.social) February 14, 2025 at 12:53 PM

One Bluesky user identifying themselves as Martin Joseph said an event speaker informed the crowd and media members that the park service employees bore no weight in the NPS’ erasure of trans people. 

I’m here at a protest at Stonewall. A speaker let the huge crowd and press know that park service employees were not responsible for the erasure.

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— martinjosephq.bsky.social (@martinjosephq.bsky.social) February 14, 2025 at 11:16 AM

at the pro-trans, anti-fascist protest at Stonewall.

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— martinjosephq.bsky.social (@martinjosephq.bsky.social) February 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM

Protestors also made statements regarding NPS’ decision. One said, “We will not let Project 2025 erase us, erase our history and erase our existence. We will not stand for it!”

Our Trans Family and History WILL NOT BE ERASED 🏳️‍⚧️

Rally at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City in response to the current administration’s efforts to erase transgender people.

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— Jevin (@jevinx.bsky.social) February 14, 2025 at 12:20 PM

The public figures in attendance including Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance whose stated goal is counteract the religious right by uplifting diverse voices and protecting individual rights.

At the rally at Stonewall to protest the erasure of Trans people – the rage and resolve here should be bottled and administered directly into our veins.

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— Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush (@raushenbush.bsky.social) February 14, 2025 at 11:38 AM

Trans activist and civil rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo also attended the event.

From today’s protest at Stonewall. The first pride was a riot.

Credit: @bonnjny.bsky.social

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— Alejandra Caraballo (@esqueer.net) February 14, 2025 at 11:50 AM

The Stonewall Inn had made a statement before the march.

In their official statement, they said, “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.”

A quick history of the Stonewall Riots & its notable trans veterans

The Stonewall Riots were a series of protests in New York City from June 28 to July 3, 1969. At the time, homosexuality and gender nonconformity was illegal throughout the nation, and locations where LGBTQ+ people congregated were subjected to police raids. 

One such meeting place was the Stonewall Inn, a gay tavern in Greenwich Village. During one of these raids, patrons decided they had enough of being harassed and criminalized by law enforcement and began to fight back sparking a six-day riot that became a turning point for LGBTQ+ rights and marked the start of the modern LGBTQ+ civil rights movement.

It is widely held believed that the two main participants of these riots were Marsha P. Johnson and Silvia Rivera, along with Zazu Nova who is believed by many to have thrown the legendary “first brick” — all three individuals are transgender women.

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Author: Arin Waller