National Park Service Accused of Censorship : LGBTQ Content Erased

Transgender Figures Removed from the NPS Website

The National Park Service (NPS) has recently come under scrutiny for erasing mentions of transgender individuals from its website. Shortly after removing references to trans people on the Stonewall National Monument page, the NPS also deleted multiple pages dedicated to key LGBTQ historical figures. Among those erased were Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two transgender activists instrumental in the 1969 Stonewall Riots—a pivotal moment in LGBTQ rights history. While an image of Johnson remains on the NPS site, all references to her activism have been removed.

A Pattern of LGBTQ Content Disappearance

This latest move aligns with a broader federal trend of revising or eliminating online content related to LGBTQ history. The process, however, appears inconsistent, with some pages—such as a comprehensive study on LGBTQ history in the U.S.—becoming inaccessible, while others remain untouched. The acronym LGBTQ has also been selectively altered, with the letters T and Q removed from certain sections but left intact elsewhere.

Key LGBTQ History Pages Taken Down

Entire sections of the NPS website dedicated to LGBTQ history have vanished, including a page on Philadelphia’s gay history, a now-closed African American LGBTQ bar in Washington D.C., and an 18th-century preacher whose gender identity challenged societal norms of the time. Additionally, a page highlighting the legacy of civil rights activist and Episcopal priest Pauli Murray has been deactivated, though a link to her former home is still available.

Public Backlash and Calls for Accountability

Historians and advocates for cultural preservation have strongly condemned these removals. Alan Spears, Senior Director of the National Parks Conservation Association, issued a statement denouncing the changes:
“Erasing history does not change its existence. LGBTQ+ history is an integral part of the American story and must be preserved in national parks and on the National Park Service website to ensure future generations can learn from it.”

As criticism mounts, the National Park Service has yet to provide an official response regarding these deletions.