The Historic Districts Council stands firmly against erasure and revisionist history. In conjunction with our preservation colleagues in New York State, we condemn the National Park Service’s erasure of Trans and Queer history from the Stonewall National Monument, and from the broader history of the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights. Trans and Queer people exist in the past, present and future.
We proudly testified in support of Stonewall’s 2015 designation as an Individual New York City Landmark, and issued a letter of support to the National Park Service advocating for its 2016 recognition as a National Monument, the first and only national park dedicated to LGBTQ+ history. Trans and Queer people made history at Stonewall, and have helped shape our city and our nation. The actions of the National Park Service will not change that.
This nonsensical erasure reflects a broader trend of politically motivated denial, disinformation and repression at the federal level. History is powerful. Distorting our collective past endangers our collective future. The Historic Districts Council stands for telling honest, full and complex stories. We thank our hundreds of community partners who continuously uplift local and underrepresented history. We proudly continue our work alongside them.
Click below to read a joint letter, organized by the Preservation League of New York State, and signed by HDC and more than 35 of our preservation colleague organizations, against erasure and historical revisionism.
