President Obama has declared the Stonewall Inn a national monument, making the iconic West Village bar the first national monument of the LGBT rights movement.
"Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Jude 1:7 (KJV)
EDITOR'S NOTE: When any nation gets to the point where they create national ordinances to celebrate the things that God condemns, you know that a whole boatload of judgement is right around the corner. Such is the state of America in 2016.
"Stonewall will be our first national monument to tell the story for the struggle for LGBT rights," Obama announced in a video released Friday. The President honored the Stonewall patrons who fought back against a police raid on June 28, 1969, igniting the national gay rights movement 47 years ago.
"They stood up and spoke out. The riots became protests. The protests became a movement. The movement ultimately became an integral part of America," he said.
Obama announces the Stonewall National Monument:
Obama, the first President
to support gay marriage, mentioned Stonewall in his second inauguration speech in 2013. A year ago, the Supreme Court made gay marriage legal nationwide.
Locals were thrilled by the news.
"It's incredible for our entire community," said
Stonewall Inn co-owner Stacy Lentz. "It couldn't happen at a better time. This will go a long way to help us heal after Orlando. It's amazing." Ahmed Hassan, a 31-year-old art teacher who lives in Greenwich Village, credited the bar for sparking the gay rights movement not just in the U.S. but internationally.
"The Stonewall started gay rights all over the world," he said. "America has the power to do that. And that's amazing. It's the first gay bar I ever visited when I came from Dubai in 2009."
Local officials and national LGBT activists have pushed for years to designate Stonewall a national monument. They celebrated the announcement that had been expected since last month.
“The Stonewall National Monument will pay tribute to the brave individuals who stood up to oppression and helped ignite a fire in a movement to end unfair and unjust discrimination against LGBTQ people,” Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said in a statement. “The announcement is especially significant following the horrific massacre in Orlando, a heartbreaking reminder of the hate and violence we continue to face as a community."
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-Manhattan), who represents the neighborhood, has fought for years to make the site a national park.
"Stonewall is finally taking its rightful place in American history, and I am proud to have championed this effort,” Nadler said in a statement. “We are faced with painful reminders daily of how much further we must go to achieve true equality and tolerance for the LGBT community, but honoring and preserving the stories of all of the diverse participants in Stonewall in our National Park System is a clear symbol of how far we have come."
Others celebrating the announcement include New York Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio, who all put out statements applauding the decision.
The monument will be officially dedicated on Monday at a ceremony with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis and White House Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett.
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