A GoFundMe page was initially set up to try and raise $60,000 but during Pride weekend, the Gill Foundation announced they pledged to match contributions of up to $250,000 to the Stonewall's GoFundMe for business expenses.
As Pride celebrated its 50th anniversary and the Stonewall Riots honored their 51st anniversary this past weekend, the iconic bar which led to the gay liberation movement was saved from closing due to COVID-19.
Last month, leading up to Pride, the Stonewall Inn posted that due to the coronavirus shutdown in New York City they needed to raise money to stay open and make it through the year in order to pay bills and their staff.
A GoFundMe page was initially set up to try and raise $60,000 but during Pride weekend, the Gill Foundation announced they pledged to match contributions of up to $250,000 to the Stonewall's GoFundMe for business expenses.
"As the first and only LGBTQ National Monument, Stonewall is home not only to the history of our community, but also the history of our city and country. We are beyond grateful for this generous pledge that will help us keep the history alive,” Stonewall Inn co-owners Stacy Lentz and Kurt Kelly said in a statement.
“Stonewall is a cornerstone of LGBTQ history and it must be protected. Queer people of color — including trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Miss Major — led the uprisings against police brutality at Stonewall and in doing so helped spark the movement for LGBTQ equality. We must preserve that history and the legacy of the activists who led the charge,” the Gill Foundation said in a statement.
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