The US government has once again come under fire for erasing LGBTQ+ history—this time by quietly removing references to bisexual people from the website for the Stonewall National Monument in New York.
The monument, which commemorates the 1969 Stonewall riots led by trans women of colour outside the iconic Stonewall Inn, had already drawn criticism earlier this year when the National Park Service eliminated mentions of transgender individuals from its online presence. That change, which came in February, sparked global outrage and was seen as a broader reflection of former President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion across various sectors.
Now, recent updates to the website have further watered down LGBTQ+ representation. According to archived pages from the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, references to bisexual people have been dramatically reduced. Where once the acronym LGBTQ+ appeared throughout the site, it was first shortened to LGB and later removed entirely. Current descriptions now only acknowledge the involvement of “lesbian and gay” individuals in the Stonewall uprising.
Prior to the alterations, the website included eight mentions of bisexual people—now, only two remain. Despite this, the “Education” section still features images of pivotal activists like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, both trans women who played key roles in the riots and who are widely celebrated for their contributions to the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Independent journalist Erin Reed first reported the modifications, which are believed to have been made in April.
This incident is part of a larger pattern. Reports indicate that over 8,000 pages related to LGBTQ+ health and rights have been scrubbed from US government websites, including content from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the State Department. This includes critical information on HIV prevention and statistics on hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community.
GLAAD, a leading LGBTQ+ media advocacy organisation, condemned the changes. A spokesperson stated: “This blatant act of erasure not only distorts the truth of our history, but it also dishonours the immense contributions of transgender individuals – especially transgender women of colour.”
They further described the move as a “blatant attempt” by Donald Trump to “discriminate against and erase the legacies of transgender and queer Americans.”
Activists and community members have responded with protests and petitions. A petition launched in March, calling on the government to halt the erasure of LGBTQ+ history from the site, has garnered over 47,000 signatures to date. One protest saw LGBTQ+ New Yorkers gather at the monument to voice their anger over the modifications.
Speaking at the demonstration, long-time activist Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker declared: “Trans and queer people have been here since the beginning of time. We’re here to stay and we will not be erased by a Christo-fascist, neo-Nazi administration.”
