Not long after Donald Trump returned to the US Presidency references to transgender people were removed from the Stonewall Monument website, recently in a new update mentions of bisexual people were also gone.
The riots at the Stonewall Inn that occurred in 1969 were led by transgender women of colour, and the incident created a focal point for gay liberation that resonated around the world. In 2016 President Obama declared the site was a national monument.
But recently the description of what the location represents, and who is included in the queer community, has been altered by the current administration.
Previously the acronym of LGBT had been shortened to LGB, removing the T, but in the latest update the B is also departed.
The changes were first highlighted by journalist Erin Reed who published the popular Erin in the Morning newsletter.
Reed outlined that the site originally read “before the 1960s, almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) person was illegal” but in January it was changed to “almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) person was illegal.”
The latest update removed even more sections of the community, taking out references to bisexuality.
“Before the 1960s, almost everything about living authentically as a gay or lesbian person was illegal” was the revised wording.
After Reed highlighted the changes, it was updated again to put bisexual people back in the history books.
“Before the 1960s, almost everything about living authentically as a lesbian, a bisexual person or a gay man was illegal.” is the current update.
Overall though the references to bisexual people across the site have been reduced, and mentions of people who are transgender remain nixed.
Since returning to power President Trump has driven a range of initiatives to limit transgender people’s participation in society including banning people from serving in the military and bringing in new rules around participation in sport.
The administration has also instructed government departments to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and cut funding to global projects that support LGBTIQA+ people.
Most recently the government announced that a ship named after LGBTQIA+ rights icon Harvey Milk would be given a new name.
