While the US Secretary of the Interior acknowledged the contributions of the LGBT community to the nation's history, GetEqual advocates called for federal action on a Employment Non-discrimination Act during a press conference to announce a groundbreaking new theme study, as part of the National Park Service Heritage Initiative that will identify places and events associated with the story of LGBT Americans for inclusion in the parks and programs of the agency.
U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell stood in front of New York City's historic Stonewall Inn to launch expansion of the National Park Service's "Telling of America's Story" program.
To the rear of the crowd of about 200, including media and elected officials, GetEqual advocates held up a big banner: "Don't stop at our history. Full federal equality now!"
"The contributions of women, minorities and members of the LGBT community have been historically underrepresented in the National Park Service," Jewell said.
An LGBT-themed study, Jewell said, "will help ensure that we understand, commemorate and share these key chapters in our nation's complex and diverse history."
The Stonewall Inn is the site of a 1969 riot that is widely recognized as a catalyst for the modern LGBT civil-rights movement. Other sites around the country are under consideration for inclusion in an ongoing study under the auspices of a panel that first meets June 9, Jewell said. She noted there are many sites under consideration around the country. Reports are that the Chicago home Henry Gerber founder of the first known U.S. homosexual rights group, in the 1920s, will be considered for inclusion.
The study will be a public-private partnership with funding provided by the Gill Foundation through the National Park Foundation. Over the next 12 to18 months, the National Park Service will work with scholars to explore ways to celebrate and interpret LGBT heritage. According to a press release, "The scholars will hold their first meeting in Washington, D.C., on June 10. The public will be invited to take part in this meeting to learn more about the initiative and share comments on its initial phases."
Speaking right after Jewell, Gill Foundation's Tim Gill began his remarks by asking GetEqual advocates to raise their banner higher so everyone could see their message. "Today is important but there is still work to be done," Gill said noticeable emotion in his voice. "LGBT history is American history. The contributions of LGBT people are part of the great American journey towards full equality, freedom and liberty for all our citizens. While we take this important step to recognize the courageous contributions of LGBT Americans, we need to unite together in the days ahead to ensure we leave none of our fellow Americans behind."
Felipe Sousa-Rodriguez, Co-Director of GetEqual, tells WCT that his organization has received a very positive response since the protest. "We value our history and today's announcement is important but we also need federal equality legislation. One does not take away from the other," he said. "I live in Florida and we have no state protections. I don't want to be fearful of not getting needed services."
Corey Johnson, New York City District 3 City Council member, who took the seat vacated by council speaker Christine Quinn who unsuccessfully ran for mayor, noted the contributions of HIV-positive individuals in the gay movement. "As a 32-year-old HIV-positive man, I know that Gay Men's Health Crisis founded in this city has had a historic impact here and in other cities across the country," he said.
The National Park Service will administer the program which is part of a larger Obama administration initiative to commemorate minorities and women who have made significant contributions to culture and history, including Latinos, women's history, African American, and Asian American and Pacific Islanders.
"The National Park Service is America's storyteller and protector of the places where America's history can be found," National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said. "As we prepare to celebrate the National Park Service's Centennial in 2016, we have rededicated ourselves to sharing more diverse stories of our nation's history, particularly the struggles for civil rights. By telling these stories, we are inviting new audiences to visit their national parks and historic sites and to discover a personal connection in these special places."
Stonewall Inn investing partner Stacy Lentz told WCT that "LGBT stories and history are part of the national fabric. They need to be told, acknowledged."
The following statements are from the U.S. Department of Interior press release:
"The goals of the heritage initiative include: engaging scholars, preservationists and community members to identify, research, and tell the stories of LGBT associated properties; encouraging national parks, national heritage areas, and other affiliated areas to interpret LGBT stories associated with them; identifying, documenting, and nominating LGBT-associated sites as national historic landmarks; and increasing the number of listings of LGBT-associated properties in the National Register of Historic Places. For more information on the LGBT Heritage Initiative and theme study, www.nps.gov/heritageinitiatives/LGBThistory/ .
"The National Register of Historic Places is the nation's inventory of properties deemed to be central to its history and worthy of recognition and preservation. It includes more than 89,000 entries, incorporating more than 1.7 million individual buildings and sites representing local, state or nationally significant people, places and events. Just over 2,500 of these properties are national historic landmarks, designated by the Secretary as representing the highest level of national significance. Relatively few of these properties can be identified as representing the stories associated with African Americans, American Latinos, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Native Alaskans and Native Hawaiians, or women. Currently, only four LGBT history-related properties are included in the National Register of Historic Places.
"In 2010, the National Historic Landmark ( NHL ) Program began actively looking for sites associated with LGBT history that may have the potential to be designated as NHLs or listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The LGBT theme study will expand upon this work, and provide a framework for future site nominations for both the NHL's and National Register of Historic Places. Owner approval for these sites is necessary before nominations can be prepared and the NHL Program has begun working with the LGBT community to encourage both outreach to owners and the completion of nominations for these properties.
"The National Park Service is already making great strides in encouraging the nomination of properties that are associated with groups who have been historically underrepresented in parks and programs. Over the past four years approximately 70 percent of nominated national historic landmarks represent stories of diversity. To find out more, click here. "
See www.nps.gov/heritageinitiatives/LGBThistory/ .
