Stonewall Inn Named LGBT National Monument

Stonewall Inn Named LGBT National Monument

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The morning after a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, hundreds of people in New York City gathered outside of a place called The Stonewall Inn.

They placed signs and flowers outside. They cried for those who had lost their lives.

The Stonewall Inn has long been at the center of the gay rights movement in the United States. In June of 1969, police raided the bar because it was reportedly selling alcohol without a liquor license¹. The police harassed² and arrested some of Stonewall’s gay and transgender customers. The customers fought back, and locked the police inside the bar.

The Stonewall Riot, as it became known, led to days of protests in New York City. The protesters demanded equal rights for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders. It marked the first major LGBT rights protest in history.

Forty-seven years later, the Stonewall Inn has become America’s first national monument dedicated⁵ to LGBT rights. President Barack Obama announced the designation of the Stonewall Inn National Monument on Friday.

After the announcement Friday, the hashtag #StonewallInn trended on social media.

The new national monument covers three hectares in the New York neighborhood of Greenwich Village, where The Stonewall Inn is located. The U.S. National Park Service will oversee⁶ the national monument.

The National Park Service now maintains 412 sites across the country.

In a video announcing the new monument, President Obama said that he believes “our national parks should reflect the full story of our country: the richness and diversity and uniquely American spirit that has always defined us.”

He also spoke⁷ of Stonewall’s place in history. “The riots became protests. The protest became a movement. The movement ultimately became an integral part of America.”

President Obama has designated many new National Park Service sites. His administration has protected more than 100 million hectares of land and water, more than any other president before him.

Some of the new sites honor groups who have long fought for equal rights. Earlier this year, he announced a new national monument for women’s equality.

Words in This Story

designation - n. the act of officially choosing someone or something to do or be something

maintain - v. to keep (something) in good condition by making repairs, correcting problems, etc.

reflect - v. to show (something) : to make (something) known

integral - adj. very important and necessary

unique - adj. used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else

raid – v. to enter (a place) suddenly in a forceful way in order to look for someone or something

harass³ – v. to annoy or bother (someone) in a constant or repeated way

gay – n. a person sexually attracted to someone who is the same sex

bisexual – n. a person sexually attracted to someone who is the same sex or the opposite sex

transgender – n. a person who expresses or identifies with a gender⁴ that differs from the one which corresponds to their sex as birth

lesbian – n. a woman who is sexually attracted to other women

1 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

2 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

3 harass   

vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰

参考例句：

• Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
• They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。

4 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

5 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

6 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。