Stonewall Inn declared protected NYC landmark
By Will Stroude
The Stonewall Inn has been declared an official New York City landmark, in a move that will protect the building from being changed in the future.
The iconic Manhattan gay bar was the site of the 1969 Stonewall riots, which are widely considered to mark the start of the modern gay liberation movement.
New York City’s landmarks commission voted unanimously in favour of the decision, Out reports, with the building’s new official status protecting it from future redevelopment. It marks the first time any city location has been designated a landmark because of its significance in LGBT history.
The commission’s chairwoman, Meenakshi Srinivasan, called the Stonewall riots a turning point in the LGBT rights movement and in the nation’s history. The violent protests against police by patrons on June 28, 1969, began after one of the regular raids on the establishment in which LGBT people were targeted.
The patrons’ calls for better treatment and visibility are credited with leading to the establishment of organised gay rights groups and movements across the world.
The original bar – which was owned by the Mafia – opened in 1967 before closing just a few months after the riots in 1969. The bar has since undergone regular closures and re-openings, but has preserved its historic name.
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