Providing an overture of sorts for next month’s World Pride celebrations, New York City has commissioned new monuments to queer rights pioneers Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.
“The LGBTQ movement was portrayed very much as a white, gay male movement,” said Chirlane McCray, First Lady of New York in her announcement. “This monument counters that trend of whitewashing the history.”
Related: Check out the new mural dedicated to Stonewall hero Marsha P. Johnson
Both Rivera and Johnson participated in the Stonewall Uprising, several nights of rioting which gave birth to the queer rights movement. Both women identified as transgender and helped pioneer the use of the term. Johnson and Rivera also tirelessly advocated for LGBTQ youth. Rivera continued her activism throughout her life before her death from cancer in 2002. Johnson died under mysterious circumstances in 1992; police ruled her death a suicide, though theories still persist that she might have come to foul play.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
At present, no artist has been attached to design the new monuments. McCray also announced the location of the two new monuments as Ruth Wittenberg Triangle, a small plaza not far from the Stonewall Inn. The news comes not long after the unveiling of a new mural dedicated to Johnson and Rivera in the city of Dallas.
Loki
Great. Now to tear down the Gay Liberation Monument in Christopher Park…
Loki
“The LGBTQ movement was portrayed very much as a white, gay male movement. This monument counters that trend of whitewashing the history.”
Yes, let’s throw Edward Carpenter, Peter Wildeblood, the Mattachines, et al. into the dustbin of history…
wiredpup
You mean transwashing.
Cam
If they want to counter that, why aren’t they adding Stormé DeLarverie to that monument? She’s the lesbian many credit with being the catalyst for the Stonewall riot to start.
Loki
I guess they figure the gay memorial has her covered….
This riles me up so much. Why are these two being pushed when it’s not clear they were even there on the night? These people are attempting to rewrite history.
wiredpup
More transwashing and cultural appropriation of the gay and lesbian community’s hard work. Not to mention that ugly ass flag that’s being forced. Oh and don’t get me started on those slurs and hate, homophobic and death threats gay men and women get from the trans community. They seem to feel that victimhood is a contest of who’s more oppressed.
Mikey E
There is no evidence that Rey (“Sylvia”) Rivera was at Stonewall and plenty of evidence that he was not. Further, he was a violent criminal who very likely participated in “rolling” (robbing and assaulting) bisexual men who were his clients.
The vast, vast majority of rioters at Stonewall were gay men. There were very few “drag queens” and arguably zero trans people (although if Johnson is deemed to be transgender, then that would make a grand total of 1). 4 of the 6 people arrested by the 6th Precinct were gay men, 1 was a lesbian and 1 was a straight man. Why aren’t any of these people getting a monument? Why isn’t there a monument to Ray Castro, a really decent guy who tried to help other people at the scene and who lived a long, happy life in Florida with his partner? Unlike Rivera, Ray Castro is not a criminal and was actually at Stonewall.
It’s not surprising that there was no consultation or input sought from anyone. It was just announced. That’s how you alter history from the top down.
Gary Q VV
Yes, Stonewall is definitely a landmark event in our Gay Rights movement. But, there’s much more to be acknowledged of the Gay Power movement. I couldn’t care less about the implications of who fought at what time during the early year of our revolutionary fight. Instead let’s be more cohesive regarding the ultimately successful objectives.
We all now directly benefit by hard work by a multitude of Gays, including Drag Queens, and our sister Lesbians. That was it, I know because we “Gays” were actively participating in a revolutionary fight for our community’s very lives, rights, and ultimate freedom, which the latter has not yet been attained. Celebrating and honoring those who courageously fought side-by-side with more famous Gay Power activists may ruffle some feathers, but you need to accept the fact that all of the groups of early fights should be represented in some way.