E. Garcia, one of the demonstrators, told journalist Shannon Power: “You can’t erase trans people, especially with Stonewall, and that’s the attempt that’s trying to be made when trans people were the ones that started the riot.”
Another protester, Meghan, described the change as a “slap in the face,” adding: “If the queer community hadn’t been available to me, I wouldn’t be available right now.”
This is just cruel and petty.
Transgender people play a critical role in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights — and New York will never allow their contributions to be erased. https://t.co/flIi3avXSU
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) February 13, 2025
This action is one of several executive orders from the two-time president targeting transgender rights. Since returning to office, Trump has implemented policies restricting transgender participation in female sports, transferring transgender women in prison to male facilities, rolling back protections for transgender military personnel, and removing transgender-related health information from government websites.
The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), a group that supports U.S. national parks, has condemned the changes.
“Erasing letters or web pages does not change the history or the contributions of our transgender community members at Stonewall or anywhere else,” said NPCA’s Timothy Leonard.
The executive order is already being challenged in court, with civil rights groups arguing that it violates constitutional protections.
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