June 28 (UPI) — The Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center opened its doors Friday, coinciding with the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a historic moment in the LGBTQ rights movement.
The visitors center, which is the first LGBTQ-centered monument within the National Park Service, is a project led by New York nonprofit Pride Live and encompasses 2,100 square feet at 51 Christopher St. in New York City.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden traveled to New York for the opening-day celebration.
“This beloved bar became the site of a call to cry for freedom, dignity, equality and respect,” Biden told the crowd. “Rebellion galvanized LBGTQ community all across the nation and, quite frankly, around the world.”
Jill Biden said, “From today on, this visitor center and monument will tell our nation’s story to the teenager who comes here and discovers she isn’t alone. The activist who wants to show his children what came before. And all those who wish to learn from the wisdom of the past and use it to help chart the course for our future.”
Biden was joined by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Singers Katy Perry and Elton John also made appearances.
“I can say as a proud English, gay man, that this is one of the greatest honors of my life to be here today,” he said. “The fight for freedom and equality is an ongoing one.”
Former President Barack Obama designated the Stonewall National Monument in 2016 to commemorate the Stonewall Rebellion, a series of violent demonstrations against police raids on the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969.
The project to convert the bar into a visitors center started six years ago with Pride Live co-founders Diana Rodriguez and Ann Marie Gothard.
The center will provide educational resources on LGBTQ history and culture, such as in-person and virtual tours, lectures, exhibitions and a dedicated theater space.