Protests at New York’s Stonewall National Monument after ‘LGBTQ’ becomes ‘LGB’ on federal website

Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Stonewall National Monument on Friday, voicing outrage after references to transgender and queer people were removed from the National Park Service website.
The backlash followed an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump that declared the federal government would only recognise two sexes. While the transgender pride flag continues to fly outside the historic Greenwich Village site—widely regarded as the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement—the federal website for Stonewall saw significant changes. The widely used acronym “LGBTQ” was shortened to “LGB,” erasing all mention of transgender and queer individuals.
The Stonewall Inn, a small gay bar, became a flashpoint for LGBTQ+ rights when police raided it on June 28, 1969, sparking six days of rioting that catalysed the movement. Over the decades, the fight for equality expanded to include transgender and non-binary individuals, who do not identify strictly as male or female.
On Friday, demonstrators carried signs with slogans like “Silence = Death” and “There’s No Stonewall Without the T,” denouncing the online revisions and broader implications of the administration’s policy.
“We cannot be erased by removing words from a website,” said Samy Nemir Olivares, a protester who identifies as nonbinary. “It’s saying that trans, nonbinary, and queer people do not exist at all.”
Others warned of the impact on LGBTQ+ youth. “I think it really can send a message to the youth that they’re not seen and they’re not heard,” said Lisa Kelly, another protester.
Bernie Wagenblast, a transgender activist and well-known voice of the New York City subway, vowed to resist the administration’s actions. “I am not going to allow any government, any organisation, any person, to take away the joy that I feel as a trans person.”
New York governor Kathy Hochul condemned the federal website changes, calling them “just cruel and petty” in a post on X. “Transgender people play a critical role in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights—and New York will never allow their contributions to be erased.”
US Representative Jerry Nadler, speaking at the protest, criticised Trump’s executive order, saying, “[President Trump] is pandering to the lowest of his base and using this transgender community to fear-monger and fuel Republican culture wars.”
The protest underscored growing concerns over erasure and marginalization of transgender and queer communities under the new policy, as activists vowed to keep fighting for recognition and rights.