The Stonewall Inn, the site of the legendary riots that gave birth to the modern LGBTQ rights movement, will remain open thanks to a hefty $250,000 donation from the Gill Foundation.
The staff at Stonewall had begun soliciting donations earlier this month, after closures due to COVID-19 threatened to send the bar into permanent closure. Owners Kurt Kelly and Stacy Lentz started a GoFundMe campaign to solicit funds to keep the bar operational during this period of social distancing.
Now The Washington Blade reports that the Gill Foundation, which specializes in providing grants to queer organizations across the country, has pledged a quarter of a million dollars to pay rent and utility bills during the shutdown.
Related: Peaceful NYC pride protest turns violent as police use gas on anniversary of Stonewall
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“Stonewall is a cornerstone of LGBTQ history and it must be protected. LGBTQ history is American history,” the Gill Foundation said in a statement. “Queer people of color — including trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Miss Major — led the uprisings against police brutality at Stonewall and in doing so helped spark the movement for LGBTQ equality. We must preserve that history and the legacy of the activists who led the charge.”
“As the first and only LGBTQ National Monument, Stonewall is home not only to the history of our community, but also the history of our city and country,” owners Lentz and Kelly said of the pledge. “We are beyond grateful for this generous pledge that will help us keep the history alive.”
The Stonewall Uprising began June 28, 1969, and persisted for several days. Patrons fought back against police brutality during a raid on the bar. The following year saw the first pride marches, which later became the pride parades and celebrations commonplace within the queer community during the month of June. In 2016, President Barack Obama declared the Stonewall Inn a national monument–the first-ever LGBTQ site designated as such.
Jared MacBride
Happy for the owners, but I still wonder if, given its size, condition and location, Stonewall Inn is a viable business. If not, I hope it can be kept alive as a museum and community space.
JerryV
Do the owners of the bar also own the building (s)? (I believe the Stonewall is at two Christopher Street addresses). While it would be nice if it continued to be operated as a bar, the ownership of the buildings is more important than the ownership of the business.
wvrnsson
I’m guessing the national monument isn’t the actual building itself, otherwise I would think the federal government would be responsible for the rent, etc. But if that was the case, Trump would be looking for some way to not pay it
missvamp
i hope it can be given historical preservation status. they need to push for that. we also need to push for pride day as a national holiday, now that we are a protected.
fur_hunter
I thought it was listed on the National Historic Register. I thought I read that a few years ago that it was the first Gay location on the National Register. If I’m wrong, it’s a surprise to me.
Aires the Ram
From Wikipedia: “The buildings are both part of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission’s Greenwich Village Historic District, designated in April 1969. The buildings and/or the surrounding area have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2000.[9] They were the first LGBTQ-associated properties listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places and were the first LGBTQ National Historic Landmarks.[10] On June 23, 2015, the Stonewall Inn was the first landmark in New York City to be recognized by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on the basis of its status in LGBT history.”