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The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission just released "Pride: Celebrating LGBTQ+ Landmarks," a new interactive story map that takes a look at "individual landmarks designated for their association with people and organizations that made significant contributions to the LGBTQ+ cultural and civil rights movements," according to an official press release.
You can play around with the map right here, where you'll notice each landmark illustrated with both current and older photos. Next to each entry, you'll find a description of the space and its importance in connection to the LGBTQ+ movement. Links to each spot's designation report will be available as well, describing each landmark in even more detail.
Among the landmarks are The Caffe Cino, the first gay theater in the city, at 31 Cornelia Street; the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar famously raided by the police in 1969; and activist James Baldwin's residence at 137 West 71st Street by Columbus Avenue.
"LGBTQ+ history is New York City's history, and we cannot truly appreciate where we are if we don't know where we've been," mayor Eric Adams said in an official statement about the new interactive map. "These landmarks are meaningful sites in our collective story. As we celebrate Pride Month, I am excited that this new, interactive resource will allow all New Yorkers to recognize the LGBTQ+ community's tremendous contributions to our city."
The launch of the new online tool comes on the heels of of another important announcement: the first national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights will open in NYC in the summer of 2024.
Dubbed the Stone Wall National Monument Visitor Center, the venue will occupy 51 Christopher Street between Waverly Place and Seventh Avenue and it will offer "an immersive experience welcoming all people to explore and experience LGBTQ+ history and culture through in-person and virtual tours, lecture series, exhibitions, and visual arts displays," according to an official press release.
Although this is the month of Pride, we're delighted to hear about developments that are sure to affect the city and the nation for months and years to come.