LGBTQ+ Landmarks in New York City and the Gay Rights Movement

Photo Credit: Pascal Bernardon / Unsplash

Back in the day, police officers would knock on bars known for hosting parties for the gay community. Then, they would proceed to violently interrogate or even arrest everyone interacting with someone of the same sex or wearing a piece of clothing not related to their birth gender - those who would disrespect the state's gender-appropriate clothing statute would be taken to the bathroom to have their sex checked by officers. LGBTQ+ people were considered a group of "disorderly conduct" and should not frequent bars or buy alcohol in New York.

On June 28th of 1969, the NYPD decided to stop by the Stonewall Inn. But something different from what the cops were used to seeing happened that night. Instead of aligning in fear and wait for the officers' harassment, a group of transgender people, lesbians, drag queens, and queer men refused to cooperate with that atrocity. Their braveness called the attention of neighborhood residents, and a crowd gathered around the club to watch what was happening. Sylvia Rivera is credited for starting the riot. The officers got agitated, losing control of the situation. While arresting one of the lesbians in the crowd, they hit her head on the police van, and she shouted to the public to act up. Marsha P Johnson, another trans hero like Sylvia, threw the first cobble brick against the officials. Those brave queer heroes did not go back on their decision to protest, forcing the NYPD to create a barricade at Christopher Street.

A few people got arrested during the episode - 13 total - but the police officers left defeated. After that night, the LGBTQ+ community learned the power they had in their hands. The Gay Liberation Movement gained the strength it needed to amplify the discussion for equal rights. That was the beginning of a precious chapter in gay history. The manifestation at Stonewall Inn inspired organizations all over the country to raise their fists and bring the fight to the streets. That's how New York became Gay Rights Movement's homeland. Half a century may have passed, and the city still preserves and celebrates this part of history with different landmarks and projects.

Lesbian Herstory Archives
Address: 484 14th St, Brooklyn, NY
Subway: 15 St - Prospect Park on G

Founded in 1972 by a group of lesbian teachers and students from the City University of New York, this institution was created to preserve the memory of the lesbian fight for liberation. The archives have been kept in a house in Park Slope since the 80s. It is considered the most extensive collection of materials about lesbians in the US. 

Women’s Liberation Center
Address: 243 W 20th St, New York, NY 10011
Subway: 18 Street Station on 1

This three-story building served as the Women’s Liberation Center headquarters from 1972 and 1987, hosting meetings for feminism and lesbian rights activists. Only in May 2021, the National Park Service approved the nomination of the Women’s Liberation Center to the National Register of Historic Places. 

Mattachine Society Office
Address: 59 Christopher Street, New York, NY 10014
Subway: Christopher St Station on 1

The Mattachine Society was the first gay rights organization in New York and the second in the United States. The group, first established in Los Angeles in 1951, opened an office in New York on the second floor of the 59 Christopher Street building in 1955. The organization focused on promoting gay rights and education about homosexuality. They were famous for adopting a more radical form of activism. The Mattachine Society filed for bankruptcy in 1976.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
Address: 208 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011
Subway: 14 St / 8 Av on A & C, or 14 St on 2 & 3. 

Since 1983, the LGBT Center has become the official meeting point for the queer and trans community of New York. It’s a meeting spot for over 300 different groups who visit the center to promote cultural programs, family support, and education. The building also offers HIV & AIDS services and has thousands of photographs, newspaper articles, gay and trans history videos.

LGBTQ Memorial
Address: 353 West St, New York, NY 10011
Subway: W 4 St - Wash Sq on F

Designed by Brooklyn artist Anthony Goicolea, this memorial debuted in 2018 to honor the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting victims in June 2016. It consists of nine large boulders sitting in a circular pattern and bonded together with glass. This was the first memorial dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community in New York. 

AIDS Memorial
Address: 76 Greenwich Ave, New York, NY 10011
Subway: 14 St / 8 Av on A & C, or 14 St on 2 & 3.

The memorial was installed right across from the former St. Vincent’s Hospital site, where once was the second dedicated AIDS ward of the United States, in 1984. The 18-foot white triangular steel canopy pays tribute to the over 100,000 New Yorkers who have lost their lives to the disease.

Gay Liberation 
Address: 38-64 Christopher St, New York, NY 10014
Subway: Christopher St Station on 1

The sculptures of two standing men and two seated women form this monument created by George Segal to celebrate the gay liberation movement. It’s located right across from Stonewall inn, inside the tiny and charming Christopher Park.

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