In a concerning development, the National Park Service (NPS) has taken down multiple web pages dedicated to LGBTQ history, including those recognizing the contributions of transgender activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. This move follows the recent removal of transgender references from the website for the Stonewall National Monument, a site commemorating the historic 1969 Stonewall Uprising—a pivotal event in the fight for LGBTQ rights.
These actions appear to be part of a broader federal initiative to eliminate or alter online resources documenting LGBTQ history, leaving historians, activists, and advocacy groups alarmed. Critics argue that this systematic erasure sets a dangerous precedent, undermining efforts to preserve an accurate and inclusive historical record.
LGBTQ Webpages Disappear Without Explanation
A closer examination of the NPS website reveals that numerous pages once dedicated to LGBTQ history have been removed, disabled, or altered. Among them were pages highlighting the achievements of Pauli Murray, a civil rights activist and the first Black woman ordained as an Episcopal priest, with references to her gender identity now inaccessible. A website commemorating Philadelphia’s LGBTQ history has also been shut down, along with pages honoring a historic Black LGBTQ bar in Washington, D.C., and an 18th-century preacher believed to be gender nonconforming.
Notably, some references have been inconsistently removed, with certain links within the NPS’s LGBTQ “theme study” still active while others have gone dead. The acronym LGBTQ has been selectively edited across various pages, with the letters “T” (transgender) and “Q” (queer) removed in some instances but left intact in others.
While an image of Marsha P. Johnson still remains on the NPS website, there is now no mention of her role in the Stonewall Uprising or her impact as a transgender activist.
A Political Shift Driving the Censorship
In response to inquiries, an NPS spokesperson cited the implementation of Executive Order 14168 and Secretary’s Order 2416, which aim to “restore biological truth to the federal government” and eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. These directives reflect a broader political shift under the current administration, which has taken steps to roll back protections and recognitions for LGBTQ individuals at the federal level.
Critics argue that such policies are not just administrative decisions but are symbolic attacks meant to minimize the visibility and contributions of LGBTQ individuals in American history. By removing these references, the government is effectively attempting to rewrite the historical narrative, making it harder for future generations to learn about the struggles and triumphs of the LGBTQ community.
Disproportionate Impact on Black and Transgender History
Historians and activists have pointed out that many of the removed pages specifically highlighted the contributions of Black LGBTQ figures and spaces, further raising concerns about the targeted nature of these erasures. Michael Bronski, a Harvard historian and author of A Queer History of the United States, noted that among the webpages affected was one documenting the Cold War-era persecution of LGBTQ federal employees.
“I really see this as a symbolic attack,” Bronski stated. “The impulse behind it is to symbolically eradicate all of this progress: all of the government recognitions, gay rights, the presence of pride flags on government buildings.”
Bronski emphasized that, while LGBTQ individuals cannot be erased from existence, their history can be suppressed, making it easier for policymakers to justify anti-LGBTQ measures in the future.
The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), a nonpartisan organization that has worked for over a century to protect national parks and their historical integrity, condemned the NPS’s decision to remove LGBTQ content.
“LGBTQ+ history is history, period,” said Alan Spears, senior director at the NPCA. “By removing these educational and historical materials from public access, the administration is making it harder for National Park Service staff to fulfill their obligation to tell the stories of all Americans and maintain an accurate account of history.”
The NPCA has urged the federal government to restore the deleted web pages immediately, arguing that such erasures undermine the mission of the NPS to preserve and interpret the history of all Americans.
The removal of LGBTQ content from the NPS website raises broader concerns about government interference in historical documentation. If entire communities can be erased from national records, the precedent could extend beyond LGBTQ history to other marginalized groups.
This kind of censorship echoes past efforts to suppress historical truths, from the erasure of Black contributions to American history to the denial of Indigenous genocide. By selectively altering historical narratives, the government risks distorting the public’s understanding of the past and diminishing the hard-fought progress made by marginalized communities.
The systematic removal of LGBTQ references from the NPS website is more than just an administrative action—it is a deliberate effort to undermine the visibility and recognition of LGBTQ history. This move is part of a larger political climate that seeks to roll back LGBTQ rights, erase transgender identities, and minimize the contributions of queer individuals, particularly Black LGBTQ activists.
Historians, activists, and advocacy groups have vowed to fight back against this erasure, calling for transparency, accountability, and the immediate restoration of deleted materials. The battle over LGBTQ history is far from over, and the coming months will likely see increased pressure on the federal government to acknowledge and preserve the contributions of all Americans—regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.
