Village Preservation and the Historic Districts Council have jointly blasted the recent actions of the federal government removing rainbow flags from the Stonewall National Monument, and demanded the federal policy that prompted their removal be overturned and the flags restored. While individuals from outside the federal government have rehung the flag, the flags’ future presence at the national monument remains in doubt, and the federal policy calling for their removal remains in place. Read our letter HERE.

We have a long relationship with Stonewall. Village Preservation was the co-nominator in 1999 for Stonewall to be added to the State and National Registers of Historic Places, the first site ever recognized by the federal government for its relationship to LGBTQ+ history. In 2015, we led the successful campaign to secure NYC landmark designation for Stonewall, making it the first site ever landmarked in NYC due to LGBTQ+ history. And in 2016, we were a strong supporter of the successful push to have Stonewall named a national historic monument — the highest level of recognition by the federal government of a historic site, and the first ever for LGBTQ+ history. 

Recognizing and preserving LGBTQ+ history has long been an important part of Village Preservation’s mission and an important part of our neighborhood’s character. Recognizing civil rights and social justice history, as well as underrepresented histories, continues to be a major focus of our preservation efforts.