A National Park for Stonewall

Fact Sheet

Stonewall 50: The Basics

This guide, released shortly after the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, answers frequently asked questions about the events that took place from June 28th to July 3rd 1969 in…

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For more than two years, NPCA, thousands of its advocates, and hundreds of partner organizations worked to help pave the way for our nation’s first unit of the National Park System dedicated to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) history. On June 24, 2016 President Obama made history by declaring the area around the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York, a national monument.

The Stonewall uprising in 1969 is considered emblematic in the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement. The Stonewall uprising was a protracted struggle in which the LGBTQ community in New York City fought back against what had become the regular, city-sanctioned harassment by the police. The spontaneous six-night conflict gained national attention and inspired a new movement for full equality and acceptance.

Resource

LGBTQ History Tour, Greenwich Village, New York, NY

Download a map and enjoy the first formal walking tour at Stonewall National Monument. Learn more about the places in Greenwich Village that paved the way for the Stonewall Uprising…

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While the series of events between June 28 and July 3, 1969, were not the beginning of the LGBTQ civil rights struggle, they marked a major turning point, as LGBTQ people began to demand their rights vocally and assertively.

The events have had a demonstrable effect on the lives of millions of Americans and American society in general.

Our national parks belong to all of us — a fact that is particularly important as the Park Service looks ahead to its next 100 years.

As America’s storyteller, the National Park Service is responsible for sharing the history of our diverse population. Now, thanks to this victory, this site of mass resistance that led to larger social and political change will now be preserved as part of our national heritage for future generations.