National Park Service removes the “T” from the “LGBTQ+”, as well as any references to trans people, from official Stonewall National Monument website

The National Park Service, which manages America’s national parks and most of the country’s national monuments, has removed the “T” from the “LGBTQ+”, as well as any references to trans people, from the official Stonewall National Monument website.

Stonewall National Monument, which was designated a national monument by President Barack Obama in 2016, is a 7.7-acre national monument in the West Village neighbourhood of Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The designated area includes the Stonewall Inn, Christopher Park, and nearby streets including Christopher Street, the site of the Stonewall riots of June 28, 1969, widely regarded as the start of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement in the United States.

This move follows President Donald Trump‘s continued attack on trans communities. On his inauguration, Trump declared that there are only two genders: male or female. He has subsequently given orders to ban trans people from sports and the US military.

“The tireless work of Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and countless other trans women of colour paved the way and continue to inspire us.”

Timothy Leonard, the National Parks Conservation Association, a bipartisan nonprofit, condemned the decision, saying: “Erasing letters or webpages does not change the history or the contributions of our transgender community members at Stonewall or anywhere else.

“History was made here and civil rights were earned because of Stonewall. And we’re committed to ensuring more people know that story and how it continues to influence America today. Stonewall inspires and our parks must continue to include diverse stories that welcome and represent the people that shaped our nation.”

GLAAD, the LGBTQ+ media watchdog, noted how the 1969 Stonewall riots would not have been possible without trans people.

“The decision to change ‘LGBTQ’ to ‘LGB’ on the Stonewall National Monument page is yet another example of the Trump administration’s blatant attempts to discriminate against and erase the legacies of transgender and queer Americans,” the organisation said in a statement. “The Stonewall Uprising – a monumental moment in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights – would not have happened without the leadership of transgender and gender non-conforming people.

“The tireless work of Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and countless other trans women of colour paved the way and continue to inspire us. You can try to erase our history, but we will never forget those who came before us and we will continue to fight for all those who will come after us.”