Obama Administration Declares Gay Rights Landmark a National Monument

WASHINGTON (June 24, 2016) – The Department of Interior today expanded the scope and definition of America's national parks by devoting the first-ever national monument to the LGBTQ community at the Stonewall Inn in New York City's Greenwich Village.  The monument commemorates the Stonewall uprising, a conflict between police and the gay community in New York City that garnered national attention and inspired the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement.

The following is a statement by Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council:

"We tell the story of who we are through our national treasures, and the president's decision represents a new definition of inclusivity for our national park system. Stonewall's tiny urban park has a powerful cultural history—and using the Antiquities Act to declare it a monument helps us preserve for future generations the lesser-told story of the LGBTQ community's struggle for equality."

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 2 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Chicago; Bozeman, Montana; and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.