National LGBTQ Wall of Honor

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National LGBTQ Wall of Honor
National LGBTQ Wall of Honor
Location Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
Established2019
Website thenationaltaskforce.org

The National LGBTQ Wall of Honor is a memorial wall in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, dedicated to LGBTQ "pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes." [1] Located inside the Stonewall Inn, the wall is part of the Stonewall National Monument, the first U.S. National Monument dedicated to the country's LGBTQ rights and history. The first fifty inductees were unveiled June 27, 2019, as a part of events marking the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. [2] [3] Five honorees are added annually. [1]

Contents

History

In February 2019, the National LGBTQ Task Force and Imperial Court System announced their plans for the Wall of Honor. [4] Nicole Murray Ramirez was the project's founder, and the Wall was supported by the co-owners of the Stonewall Inn. [1] [4] The monument committee accepted initial nominations to honor deceased LGBTQ heroes who have had a positive impact on LGBTQ civil rights. [3] 50 of the initial nominees were selected to form the first round of people on the wall. [5]

The Wall of Honor was dedicated on June 27, 2019, the night before the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall riots as part of Stonewall 50 – WorldPride. The Wall of Honor was created inside the Stonewall Inn, which was remodeled after the riots but remained a bar by 2019. The unveiling ceremony held talks that focused on the honorees' achievements and the ongoing fight for LGBTQ rights. Many speakers critiqued contemporary anti-LGBTQ policy in the U.S. promoted by the 2016 Trump administration. [5]

More inductees have been added to the Wall of Honor in each year following its 2019 founding. [6] In 2025, all seven inductees were trans: the organizers stated this was an intentional choice in the face of heightened attacks against transgender and nonbinary communities. them commented that the year's honorees communicated the increased violence and political fights for trans rights, and the erasure of trans history, highlighted by the U.S. government's modifications to the Stonewall Monument. [7]

Nominations

The wall was designed to honor "the lives of LGBTQ trailblazers, pioneers and s/heroes who have passed", and have had a positive impact on LGBTQ civil rights. Initial nominations were collected online. [3]

The nominations are administered by a Board of Governors, consisting of eighteen LGBTQ leaders including transgender activist Marsha Botzer, [8] Black LGBTQ activist Mandy Carter, LGBTQ youth advocate Wilson Cruz, LGBTQ human rights activist Stuart Milk, and founder of the Metropolitan Community Church Troy Perry. [3]

Honorees

The first fifty honorees were announced in June 2019. [2] [a] [9] In June 2020, the first additional five were announced: Lorena Borjas, Larry Kramer, Phyllis Lyon, Sean Sasser, and Aimee Stephens. [10]

A

B

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D

E

F

G

H

J

K

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Audre Lorde (left) with writers Meridel Le Sueur (middle) and Adrienne Rich (right) at a writing workshop in Austin, Texas, 1980 Audre Lorde, Meridel Lesueur, Adrienne Rich 1980.jpg
Audre Lorde (left) with writers Meridel Le Sueur (middle) and Adrienne Rich (right) at a writing workshop in Austin, Texas, 1980

M

N

P

R

Bayard Rustin, organizer of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at a news briefing in Washington, D.C., on August 27, 1963 BayardRustinAug1963-LibraryOfCongress crop.jpg
Bayard Rustin, organizer of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at a news briefing in Washington, D.C., on August 27, 1963

S

U

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Edith "Edie" Windsor in the D.C. Pride Parade Edie Windsor DC Pride 2017.jpg
Edith "Edie" Windsor in the D.C. Pride Parade

Z

Sources

  1. Eric Rofes was omitted from the initial list but is listed on the Task Force's website.

    See also

    References

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