The Stonewall Inn, a historic site for LGBTQ+ rights, has reopened as the Stonewall National Monument’s visitor center 55 years after the iconic bar was shut down. The building at 51 Christopher St. had undergone multiple transformations over the years, from a bagel shop to a nail salon, before becoming vacant space. The big “STONEWALL INN” sign was taken down in 1989, but now, the community is reclaiming the building’s place in history by opening it as a visitor center on the anniversary of the 1969 rebellion that sparked the LGBTQ+ rights movement in the United States.
Mark Segal, a gay activist and publisher, reflected on the significance of the building, noting that millions of people around the world are celebrating Pride today because it all started at the Stonewall Inn. The visitor center aims to tell the Stonewall story in depth, providing historical context and interpretive information about the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Funded primarily through private donations, the $3.2 million visitor center is overseen by the National Park Service and LGBTQ+ advocacy group Pride Live, highlighting a different type of visitor center that focuses on queer history in an urban setting.
The Stonewall Inn, located at 51 and 53 Christopher St., was a speakeasy-like establishment with a doorman, blacked-out windows, and overpriced drinks. LGBTQ+ social life in New York City at the time was fraught with discrimination and repression, with homosexuality classified as a mental illness until 1973. Police raids on gay bars were common, but on the night of the Stonewall Rebellion in 1969, patrons and their allies decided to resist arrest, leading to a confrontation with law enforcement that sparked a broader phase of LGBTQ+ rights activism.
Following the Stonewall rebellion, LGBTQ+ Americans formed new groups, pushed for anti-discrimination laws, and held demonstrations to demand rights and recognition. The site of the rebellion was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000 and became the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ history in 2016. The current owners of the Stonewall Inn see the visitor center as a fitting neighbor and hope it will draw more visitors to the site and the bar, which has faced challenges in recent years due to the pandemic and rising costs.
Despite the challenges, the owners of the Stonewall Inn are committed to preserving its history and continuing the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Mark Segal, who experienced the Stonewall Rebellion as an 18-year-old, has dedicated his life to advocacy and activism, founding organizations and publications to support the LGBTQ+ community. For Segal, visiting the Stonewall Inn after many years brought back memories and tears, reminding him of the importance of the fight that started on Christopher Street in 1969 and continues to this day.
