Christopher Street subway station renamed in honor of Stonewall
Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr
The Christopher Street-Sheridan Square subway station in Greenwich Village was renamed in honor of the Stonewall National Monument. A bill sponsored by Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assembly Member Deborah Glick passed the New York State Senate earlier this month, directing the MTA to rename the station to “Christopher Street-Stonewall National Monument Station” to memorialize the site’s crucial role in launching the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement. The unveiling on Friday marks the 55th anniversary of the historic uprising.
“This change will memorialize the history of the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement and inspire NY to demand justice and equality for all,” Hoylman-Sigal said in a post on X. “Happy Pride!”
The Stonewall National Monument includes the Stonewall Inn, Christopher Park, and Christopher Street, the site of the 1969 Stonewall Riots, one of the most important events in the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Following an unexpected police raid and violent treatment against the Stonewall Inn’s patrons, a series of riots erupted, bringing the LGBTQ+ community’s fight for rights to the forefront. Designated by President Barack Obama in 2016, Stonewall is the first national monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights and history.
In June 2022, Pride Live, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, broke ground on the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, the first LGBTQ+ visitor center within the National Park Service’s system. Officially opened on Friday, marking the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, the new center sits directly next to the historic Inn and provides a space to learn about the uprising in its original location.
On a related note, the city’s Department of Transportation on Tuesday launched monthly “sign drops,” with the first batch of signs featuring Christopher Street/Stonewall Place in celebration of the start of Pride Month. The signs sold out in under three hours, according to Gothamist.
For those looking for fun ways to celebrate Pride Month, 6sqft has put together a list of more than ways to show your Pride across the five boroughs.
Editor’s note: The original version of this article was published on June 6, 2024, and has since been updated.
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