On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, CongressmenRitchie Torres(NY-15) andDan Goldman(NY-10) will introduce a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives that expresses support for the designation of June 28, 2024 as Stonewall Day. On Thursday, June 20, 2024, SenatorKirsten Gillibrand(NY) introduced an identical resolution in the Senate.
An excerpt from resolution reads: “Whereas, on June 28, 1969, a police raid at Stonewall Inn sparked a days-long community protest that brought the long and ongoing fight for the equality, rights, and freedoms of individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (referred to in this resolution as ‘‘LGBTQIA+’’) to national attention; Whereas the United States recognizes the impact of the Stonewall Inn riots (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Stonewall Rebellion’’ or ‘‘Stonewall Uprising’’) and its significance in LGBTQIA+ history and the fight for equality…Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— (1) supports the equal rights and protections of all people, including LGBTQIA+ people; (2) recognizes the significance of the Stonewall Uprising and its historic role in the equal rights movement for LGBTQIA+ people; (3) expresses support for the designation of ‘‘Stonewall Day’’ (4) acknowledges that Pride Live will operate the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center as a place where people can learn about and connect with the LGBTQIA+ community’s ongoing struggle for civil rights and liberties; and (5) encourages the celebration of ‘‘Stonewall Day’’ to commemorate the significance of the grand opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor 8 Center and the long and ongoing fight for equality.”
Rep. Torres said:
“As the only openly gay member of Congress from the great state of New York and a Co-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, the immense significance of the Stonewall Uprising is never lost on me. I am able to live as an openly gay man in 2024 directly because of the bravery of those individuals at Stonewall who put their feet down and said enough is enough. We have made immense progress as a nation in accepting and celebrating LGBTQIA+ rights in the 55 years since Stonewall, but there is still so much more to be done. I am proud to join Senator Gillibrand in introducing this resolution today to ensure that the nation never forgets what happened on June 28, 1969 in New York City. From Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Stormé DeLarverie, to Miss Major Griffin-Gracy — the heroes of Stonewall must be remembered as American heroes for years to come. I urge my colleagues in the House to join me in passing this crucial resolution.”
Rep. Goldman said:
“The Stonewall Uprising was the beginning of the modern-day LGBTQIA+ equality movement, an inflection point in the movement towards a more just and equal society. The Stonewall Day Resolution is a recognition of those protestors’ bravery and sacrifice, as well as a recommitment to ideals of equality and justice for the LGBTQIA+ community that remain as relevant today as they were that night in 1969. While we celebrate how far we have come as a country, we must recognize the sacrifice of those in the past and remain vigilant against the concerning rise in anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment nationwide.”
Sen. Gillibrand said:
“The events at the Stonewall Inn in 1969 were a turning point for theLGBTQIA+civil rights movement. I led this resolution to establish June 28thas Stonewall Dayin honor of the brave protestors who used their voices to fight injustice during the Stonewall Uprising and the activists who are still fighting for equality today. The Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center will be the first park visitor center honoring LGBTQIA+ history, and I am honored to celebrate its grand opening after six years of planning. Recognizing these brave Americans and telling the full history of our country is important now more than ever as we fight growing bigotry and intolerance in the United States. The LGBTQIA+ community is essential to the fabric of our nation’s culture, history, and diversity, and I will never stopfighting to ensure every person in America can live free from discrimination.”
Congressman Torres serves as a Co-Chair of theCongressional Equality Caucus. When he entered Congress in 2021, Rep. Torres made history as one of two of the first openly gay Black Congressmen and the first openly gay Afro-Latino Congressman. Advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community has been a central focus of Rep. Torres’s tenure in Congress; he recently successfully pushed the federal government topublish a reportanalyzing its response to the mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) outbreak, which disproportionately affected New York’s gay community.
Additional background on Pride Live and the Stonewall National Monument:
- Pride Live, the organization that founded Stonewall Day, is opening the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center (SNMVC) on June 28, 2024 – the inaugural Stonewall Day.
- The Stonewall National Monument was established on June 24, 2016, as the first unit of the National Park System dedicated to LGBTQIA+ equality. Amidst the historic backdrop of Greenwich Village, the iconic Stonewall Inn occupied two adjoining storefronts at 51 and 53 Christopher Street and stood as a beacon of resilience on June 28th, 1969, when the Stonewall Rebellion took place. Forever changing the course of the LGBTQIA+ movement, the events that transpired on this day became one of the most central moments in the fight for full equality before closing its doors. In the years that followed, the physical space underwent transformations with the current bar at 53 Christopher Street reopening its doors in 1990. Meanwhile, 51 Christopher Street housed a number of different businesses.
- With the new Visitor Center at 51 Christopher Street, located in the heart of the building that once housed the iconic Stonewall Inn, the space aims to honor the legacy of the Stonewall Rebellion, while serving as a hub for learning about LGBTQIA+ history and the ongoing struggle for freedom.
The full resolution text can be found here.
