The Stonewall Inn on Tuesday was made a
New York City landmark, marking the first time a site has been named
based primarily on its significance to the LGBT community.
The city's Landmarks Preservation
Commission voted unanimously for the status after holding a public
hearing.
“New York City's greatness lies in
its inclusivity and diversity,” Chairwoman Meenakshi Srinivasan
said before the vote. “The events at Stonewall were a turning
point in the LGBT rights movement and in the history of our nation.”
Historians often credit the June 28,
1969 police raid of the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village as a major
flashpoint for the gay rights movement. While such raids at the time
were common at gay bars, patrons on this night, many of whom were
drag queens, resisted arrest.
Councilman Corey Johnson, whose
district includes the Stonewall, was among the supporters who spoke
at the hearing.
“There are few locations that can be
cited as the birthplace of a global movement,” he said. “One
such location is the Stonewall Inn.”
The Stonewall Inn was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1999 and is part of the
Greenwich Village Historic District, a city designation. But Andrew
Berman of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
told the AP that those designations weren't enough to fully protect
the two adjoining buildings.
“Under the existing state and
national designations and even under the New York City historic
district designation, the building could still be altered or even
torn down. This says that it is a place of unique significance and
it will help ensure that it survives for generations to come,” he
said.