About the Monument

Stonewall Forever is a living monument to 50 years of Pride. Anyone, anywhere can explore the monument online or in AR and add their own piece to this ever-growing monument. Stonewall Forever was created through a partnership between NYC’s LGBT Community Center and the National Park Service, with the support of Google to expand access to LGBTQ history in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. We hope that this effort lifts up a broad array of voices and creates a connection to Stonewall's legacy for people everywhere.

Stonewall Forever is a living monument to 50 years of Pride.

• What are the Stonewall Riots?

  The Stonewall Riots were a series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the LGBTQ community against a discriminatory police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. The Riots lasted five nights and served as a galvanizing moment for the LGBTQ activist community to unite in a nationwide movement fighting for LGBTQ rights. The following year of action culminated on the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, an organized march considered to be the first Pride.

  The Stonewall Riots were commemorated with the designation of Stonewall National Monument in 2016, the first National Monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights and history.

• Why are the Stonewall Riots a significant event in queer history?

  In the 1960s, LGBTQ people faced regular and repeated social and legal discrimination and unfair treatment. On June 28, 1969 the New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a common police practice at that time for bars frequented by the LGBTQ community. But that night, instead of giving in, a group of brave individuals stood up. What followed was five nights of protests for LGBTQ rights.

  The Stonewall Riots served to galvanize existing activism to demand fair treatment and equality, setting in motion the next 50 years of Pride. In the years after, LGBTQ rights organizations continued to spring up increasingly across the U.S. and around the world. On June 27 and 28, 1970, the first Pride marches commemorating Stonewall took place in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.

  Today, Pride marches span 174 cities in 46 countries worldwide, keeping the legacy alive of those who stood up 50 years ago. This year, Googlers in 41 locations around the world will join Pride marches to celebrate the past, present and future of LGBTQ equality.

• Who is funding this project?

  This project is supported by Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google. Over the last three years, Google.org has provided grants and funding to groups across the world that challenge bias and exclusion by helping to share the stories and history of marginalized groups. In 2017, Google.org gave $1 million to the LGBT Community Center of New York City and the National Park Foundation, and provided additional funding in 2019 to help preserve and amplify the story of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Read more about the grant on The Keyword.

• Where did the historical pieces of the monument come from?

  The content in the monument is a variety of materials from multiple sources, including The Center's National History Archive, multiple archives and public institutions, the Stonewall National Monument Oral History Project, the Stonewall Forever documentary and more.

  The LGBT Community Center would like to acknowledge and thank the following organizations and filmmakers for the generous contribution of their content:

  • Google Arts & Culture

  • Elliott Jerome Brown Jr.

  • Fred W. McDarrah/Getty Images

  • The Associated Press

  • Making Gay History, www.makinggayhistory.com

  • James Wentzy

  • Lester Echem

  • Randolfe Wicker

  • Suzanne Poli

  • The Peter Hujar Archive

  • New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images

  • Bettmann/Getty Images

  • Lee Balterman/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

  • Larry Morris/The New York Times/Redux

  • NBC News Archives

  • John Filo/Getty Images

  • Bill Eppridge/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

  • David Surber & Network Q Productions

  • UCLA Film & Television Archive

  • Print Media

  • Screenocean/Reuters

  • ITN/Getty Images

  • AFPTV/Getty Images

  • Library of Congress

  • Mirrorpix/Getty Images

  • Chaloner Woods/Stringer/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

  • Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Insistute, Harvard University

  • Lilli Vincenz, “Gay & Proud”, Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade, 1970 & “Second Largest Minority” by Lilli Vincenz. Permission granted by The Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C.

  • Footage from “Queens at Heart” provided by Oddball Films

  • Footage of Sylvia Rivera’s Speech at the 1973 NYC Gay Pride March Rally courtesy of The L.O.V.E. Collective, (Lesbians Organized for Video Experience) NYC (1973-1976) Original Members: Betty Brown, Delia Davis, Tracy Fitz, Barbara Jabaily, Doris (Blue) Lunden, and Denise Wong. Special Thanks to The Lesbian Herstory Archives (www.lesbianherstoryarchives.org, LHEF, INC)

  • Lesbian Tide cover from Jeanne Córdova Papers and Photographs, Coll2008-064, ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California

  • Photos by Bettye Lane, courtesy Lesbian Herstory Archives

  • Photos by Kay Tobin, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library

  • Photos by Diana Davies, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library

  • Photo by Nancy Tucker, copyright Lesbian Herstory Archives

  • Sound Clip Audre Lorde courtesy Lesbian Herstory Archives

  • Mattachine Society, Inc. of New York Records, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library

  • Drag Mag Cover Vol. 2 No. 5 (1972) from ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California

  • “Rise of a New Conscience” article from ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California

  • Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen, Harry R. Eberlin photographs, 1950s-2009 [bulk: 1970s-1980s], Ms. Coll. 4, John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives, William Way LGBT Community Center

  • Stonewall 25 Celebrations Memorabilia, #7587. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library

• Who selected the people and stories included in the monument and documentary film?

  A team of researchers and archivists from the LGBT Community Center collected, selected and curated the content for the living monument and documentary film.

• What happens when I add to the monument? Where does the content live?

  If you add to the monument, you are agreeing to your data being stored and displayed on the Stonewall Forever project. Upon submission, moderators will consider it for inclusion as they work to ensure safe and positive messages fill the monument. We will email you to let you know if your submission has been accepted as part of living history with a link to view and share your content. If you ever wish to remove your content, please contact StonewallForever@GayCenter.org with your name and a link to your content. Your submission will be removed within five business days of your request.

• Who made the documentary film?

  The documentary was created by the LGBT Community Center in collaboration with Stink Studios and director Ro Haber, with the support of Google.

• How can I help the fight for LGBTQ+ rights?

  Visit gaycenter.org/advocacy to learn how you can get involved with the Center's RiseOut advocacy program and collaborate with our colleague organizations to add your voice to conversations about current issues that deeply affect our community. You can also visit lgbtcenters.org to search for an LGBTQ center in your area and get involved in your local community advocacy efforts.

• How can I access the augmented reality experience?

  Visitors to the Stonewall National Monument in NYC’s Christopher Park can experience the monument in augmented reality by downloading the Stonewall Forever AR app.

  Can't make it to NYC? Download the app anywhere in the US, and other select regions, to bring Stonewall Forever and the Stonewall National Monument to you.

• Who can add to the monument?

  Anyone, anywhere can add to the monument as long as it adheres to the content guidelines.

  See Add to Monument page.

• What content is not permitted?

  The following types of content will not be permitted to display in the living monument:

  • Copyrighted images

  • Nudity

  • Sexual content

  • Hate speech

  • Violence

• Is there a limit to the number of people who can participate?

  There is no limit. All who adhere to the content guidelines are welcome to participate.

• How can I remove the content that I submitted to the monument?

  To have your content removed email StonewallForever@GayCenter.org with your name and a link to content. Your submission will be removed within five business days of your request.

• Website Accessibility Statement

  In the making of Stonewall Forever, we have taken a variety of steps to enhance the accessibility of our website, including an audit by Accessible360. Although we are proud of our efforts thus far to comply with WCAG 2.0, Level AA guidelines, we view accessibility as an ongoing effort and welcome feedback or suggestions as to what we could improve. Please contact StonewallForever@gaycenter.org if you have difficulty using or accessing any element of the website.