Last June, Greenwich Village's iconic Stonewall Inn was finally declared a New York City landmark, a couple of years after the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was deemed unconstitutional. Now, the Obama administration is thinking about creating a national monument to gay rights at Christopher Park, the triangular space across the street from the bar, The New York Times reports.
Next week, representatives from the administration will attend a meeting where advocates of a monument or a national park will make their case, according to the Times. The measure already has several key backers including Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Represenative Jerrold Nadler, and the support of the National Parks Conservation Association.
National Parks has surveyed the land at Christopher Park, and the organization has also received over 20,000 signatures in support of creating a national park across from the Stonewall Inn.
Protests in 1969 following a police raid at the bar are often seen by many as the catalyst for the modern gay rights movement, and many supporters hope that President Obama will commemorate those historic events before he leaves office.
The president has the power to create national monuments and parks, but he if he doesn't move forward on the proposal, New York elected officials will try to pursue the legislative route.
Christopher Park is currently home to a sculpture created by George Segal, in the 1980s, that commemorates the events at the Stonewall Inn.
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