In recent years, we have witnessed a coordinated effort to pressure corporations to withdraw their support for diversity and inclusion programs. Organizations like ours, which sit at the intersection of history and advocacy, find themselves in the crosshairs of a culture war that casts support for LGBTQ+ rights as a liability rather than a core value. Navigating the fundraising frontline in this climate is a sobering reminder of how undervalued LGBTQ+ history is. We live in a world that frequently celebrates the Pride aesthetic in June but turns away from the enduring, uncomfortable truths of our history when political pressure increases.
In the 23 months since we first cut the ribbon to open our doors, the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center has welcomed over 115,000 visitors from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 93 countries. Every day, we see the weight of this global reach in the faces of those who enter: the elders who were there in 1969, seeing long-overdue validation, and the youth who, for the first time, see a reflection of their own courage. That history, our history, is worth protecting.