TO MONUMENT OR NOT TO MONUMENT?

Not Your Average Cistory | Amelia Smith

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In 2016, the Stonewall Inn became the United State’s first LGBT national monument. Declared by Barack Obama, he called upon the memories and myths of the Stonewall Riots that took place in 1969. I feel that museums have a tendency to view national subsidies and recognition of this kind as a universal benefit, but for the queer community, it is not as black and white.

The Stonewall Inn. Source.

The Stonewall Riots were kicked off in response to an anti-gay police raid of the now legendary bar on Christopher Street in New York. Unlike previous raids, the patrons fought back. The Riots would continue for three days, becoming the catalyst needed to spark the Gay Liberation movement. This early movement was not satisfied with homosexuality being normalized, but wanted to improve the lives of all. It is this mentality of not assimilating into heterosexual society that is generally recalled in phrases like “the first pride was a riot”.

With this being said, not everyone held the same goals as the Liberationists. There were many in the movement who sought to elevate the needs of predominantly white middle class gays and lesbians, frequently at the expense of others. These voices became prominent within the LGBT community  and would guide much of the direction that the movement would take in the following decades. Organizations like the Human Rights Campaign fall into this category.

With these two perspectives in mind, thinking about the Stonewall Inn being declared a national monument becomes increasingly curious. The modern view of the Stonewall Riots is one of rebellion, fighting against an unjust system--a fight that continues to this day. While much has been achieved by activists so far, there is still a great deal that needs to be addressed, especially for trans women of colour who are most commonly the targets of violence.

Despite this, the commemoration of the site was described as being apolitical because it was an official government event. In doing so, queer history and state intervention in queer lives is presented as something that only existed in the past and no longer relevant today. This could not be farther from the truth.

What is especially galling about this is the timing of the commemoration; two weeks after the deadly Pulse Massacre in Orlando in which a gunman opened fired at a gay bar, killing 49 people. With the murders of so many members of the LGBT community still fresh on everyone’s minds, to present the Stonewall Inn as a symbol of how far we have come concerning LGBTQ rights,  is farcical at best.

To conclude, I wish to ask the question that guided this piece. Is there a time in which government involvement goes against the narrative at a historic centre or site? I contend that the Stonewall Inn is one such example.