Stonewall Inn Co-Founder Speaks Days After References to Transgender People Were Removed from the Stonewall National Monument Website

Spencer Macnaughton | Uncloseted Media Weekly Newsletter

Click above to watch my full interview with The Stonewall Inn Co-owner Stacy Lentz

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of going LIVE on Substack with Stacy Lentz, the co-owner of The Stonewall Inn—the location of the 1969 Stonewall Riots and probably the most famous queer bar on the planet.

I spoke with Lentz five days after the National Park Service eliminated references to transgender people from the Stonewall National Monument. It now only refers to those who are lesbian, gay and bisexual.

I asked her how she thinks we’ll look back on 2025 regarding the fight for LGBTQ rights. “It’s gonna be a really big battle. So I think we’ll look back at this time and say, ‘2025 was another Stonewall 2.0.’”

This interview also took place days after the New York State Police arrested five people in connection with the murder of Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old trans man who had been tortured for over a month. One police officer said it was “one of the most horrific crimes [they had] ever investigated” in their 20-year career.

Additionally, our interview was weeks after Elisa Rae Shupe, a nonbinary veteran, died by suicide. Shupe—who is known as the first person in America to have their gender marker changed to X—was found wrapped in a trans flag. Shupe left an email to the Trump administration: “Fuck you America! I don’t want your hatred. I don’t want the military decorations and medals you awarded me … I don’t want to be buried anywhere on American soil … I don’t want my ashes to be stored on American soil.”

In the middle of such despair, Lentz underscored the urgency for cis folks and allies to engage and fight for trans rights: “You need to get out into the streets. You need to be making phone calls. You need to be talking to people and thinking about people that are in that middle, that maybe you can have a conversation with because this battle will be won by changing hearts and minds. People forget that sometimes.”

She added, “It’s kinda like the early days when we were fighting for other rights in the LGBTQ community. We gotta start with changing hearts and minds.”

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• World's 'first openly gay imam' shot dead in South Africa (BBC)

  • Muhsin Hendricks, a pioneering figure dubbed the world's first openly gay imam, has been shot dead in South Africa.

• No evidence of hate crime in 'torture' killing of transgender man in upstate New York: Investigators (ABC News)

  • The victim, Sam Nordquist, was reported missing on Feb. 9, police said. One of the most “horrific" homicides seen by the investigating officers.

• Trump administration gives schools a deadline to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money (Associated Press)

  • The Trump administration is giving America’s schools and universities two weeks to eliminate diversity initiatives or risk losing federal money, raising the stakes in the president’s fight against “ wokeness.”

• Stonewall Inn protestors stand against recent moves to 'erase trans and queer people' (NPR)

  • The National Park Service has taken down all references to transgender people on the Stonewall National Monument website.

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• We had a blast at last night’s LGBTQ Ivy League Intercollegiate Mixer. It’s always a privilege to connect with brilliant minds from across the Ivy League and beyond. Special thanks to Shawn Cowls for having us.

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This weekend, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting:

• 🆕 We know companies are sprinting away from DEI… but did you know that biblically responsible investing is booming? I interview Robert Netzly, CEO of Inspire Insight, whose company was influential in getting Meta, Walmart and others to ditch DEI efforts.

• 🆕 Violence and harassment is pulsing through the NYC subway system, and it’s disproportionately affecting LGBTQ New Yorkers. When attacks happen, bystanders often stay silent—but should they? If you see something, should you do something? Sam Donndelinger explores the risks, psychology and why some advocates are calling for action.

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Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with questions, complaints, tips, and story ideas!

Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief

spencer@unclosetedmedia.com

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