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Statement from Mayor de Blasio on Designation of Stonewall Inn as First LGBT National Monument

June 27, 2016

“There is no better time to acknowledge Stonewall as a national monument – a place that is central to our history and our values, not only as a city but as a nation. When the City of New York decided to give this hallowed ground to the federal government months ago, we couldn’t have known how critical this moment would be. Today, the designation of Stonewall Inn serves as both recognition of the bravery of the activists who fought for their right to love, but also as a national embrace of the LGBT community after the devastating attack in Orlando.

“Stonewall continues to inspire both New Yorkers and Americans across this nation to fight for full inclusion of the LGBT community – whether it is in marriage, housing or access to bathrooms. From the start of the movement for LGBT rights at this site in 1969, to the spontaneous celebrations after the Supreme Court’s marriage equality decision last year, to the vigil for the 49 victims of the mass shooting in Orlando earlier this month, Stonewall reminds us that the fight for LGBT rights is not yet won, but that we can be proud as a city to have blazed the trail. I am honored to stand here today with those who have fought for equality, justice and love at a site that serves as a profound symbol of a painful past, a hopeful future and the transformative change that happens when New Yorkers take action.”

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